He made to move.
“You don’t want me to tell the police, do you?” she asked suddenly and Brock and Cade both jerked with surprise.
“Lexie...” I started, my stomach swirling once more at the mature look on my daughter’s childlike face.
She looked at me. “No Mom, it’s okay.” She turned back to Cade and Brock, who were staring at her. “I get it. The police, they probably won’t find them. Even if they do, there’s a chance they might not even go to prison.” She paused. “Not all of them, anyway. But you—” She gave Cade a meaningful look. “You’ll find them, won’t you?” Her voice was certain.
He nodded slowly. I didn’t imagine it was easy to surprise Cade, the big bad president of the Sons of Templar MC, but I’m pretty sure my sixteen-year-old just did. She sure surprised the ever loving shit out of her mom, and not in a good way.
Lexie nodded too. “Right. Well. That’s that, then,” she said firmly.
Cade seemed to jerk out of his amazement, and bent down and kissed Lexie on the head quickly. He gave me a meaningful look then left the room. Killian was looking at Lexie in the same kind of proud amazement as Brock and Cade, and murmured something in her ear.
I, on the other hand, was not impressed my daughter figured it out, then took it upon herself to make clear she wouldn’t be ratting to the cops on what she saw. My sixteen-year-old daughter, lying to the police because of some biker code. I felt like throwing up over the fact the bikers that Zane assured us we were safe from were the ones that shot at us today. That killed someone today.
“Lexie,” I started to say.
She stood up. “No Mom, I know what you’re going to say but I’ve made up my mind. This is Zane’s club, Zane’s family.” Her eyes moved behind her. “Kill’s family. I trust them. And I barely saw anything anyway,” she added.
I didn’t know what to say. I honestly didn’t. I felt sick at what I, and Zane by proxy had exposed her to. No, omitting a tiny bit of information in a police interview didn’t equal a future of becoming a heroin smuggler, but it did expose Lexie to a world I did not want her venturing into. A world I opened the door to.
She could not be persuaded otherwise, so I just had to look on helplessly while I watched her inform the tight-faced, very attractive police officer she saw nothing but masked men on bikes. The same police officer dragged a shaken Rosie into a corner and had heated words with her. Angry words, which resulted in him storming off and her watching after him with a drained look on her face. I so didn’t have space in my brain to inspect that right now. So, after hours of police statements and urging that we stay at the club, I was finally able to take my baby home. Not without a tail and Killian, whom I wasn’t unhappy to take with me.
I also wasn’t unhappy to see Lexie asleep on the sofa in his arms. At least she wasn’t cationic or having a mental breakdown. She looked...at peace, safe, in his strong arms. So that was likely why I lost my mind and put a blanket over them. And why I uttered my next words.
“She stays asleep, you guys spend the night here,” I whispered.
Killian jolted slightly, his eyes widening.
“Only if she stays asleep,” I continued firmly. “And if she stays here on the couch,” I added. “She wakes up, take her to her room and then you stay on the couch. I’ve got like, x-ray mom vision. I can see through the floor. And my room,” I pointed to the ceiling, “Is right there. So I’ll know.”
Killian nodded tightly.
I gave him a look. “I’m trusting you, kid.”
He nodded again.
I was trusting him completely. It may make me an idiot. But the kid literally jumped in front of bullets, then shielded my daughter with his own body today.
I surprised him by touching his shoulder lightly. “You quite possibly saved her life today.” I nodded to my sleeping angel. “You’ve earned yourself like a gazillion brownie points. Owe you big time, kid,” I said softly. “Night.” I turned. “Remember, x-ray vision,” I added.
“Mia,” he called quietly.
I turned my head.
“Won’t break your trust,” he promised.
And I, stupidly or not, believed him.