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“You’re just a broken record, you know that? You haven’t heard a word anyone has said to you about why I had to leave you, or what I thought I’d done to protect you while I was gone. I’m sorry that your life wasn’t the one I thought I’d built for you, I truly am. As soon as we’re free of this mission, I’ll pay a visit to Wolf and find out why the fuck he just abandoned you, took my money and ran. I would have bet my life that he was solid and would do right by you. He saved my life in the service more than once, and I did the same for him. That kind of bond doesn’t just disappear, but you can bet your last dollar that I will get to the bottom of it.”

“What difference will that make to all the years of slaving at the farm and living in a bunkhouse?” Thorn turns to look at me and from just that look, I don’t think anything will ever change his mind.

“I can’t change that, son. I wish I could. You were supposed to go to college, university if that was your thing. I left enough money so that you had choices. The world should have been your oyster, not be imprisoned in a shitty bunkhouse all these years.”

“Don’t call me son. You don’t know anything about the bunkhouse to call it shitty.” He turns away and I can see his eyes are moist, so I shut the hell up.

Taking out my phone, I place a call to Bull. When he picks up, I tell him we’re getting nowhere with our surveillance other than what we basically already know. Suggesting we take a couple of days off and come back fresh, he agrees. I leave him to do the honors of informing Whack and then tell Thorn to pack his shit. Once we’re ready, we head over to the bar where Riddle has been working. If we’re pulling out for a couple of days, he has to as well. He can’t be left out on a limb with no backup.

*~* Fury *~*

I don’t know what to do with myself today, other than avoid Molly and Breaker like the plague. I need to avoid the brothers too, if I can. My lip has swollen so much that I look like a freakin’ duck. Luckily, when Molly punched me in the nose, it wasn’t hard enough to give me black eyes to go with it.

What in the name of sweet Jesus was I thinking? Accusing her of being in league with a con man to murder her friend! If that doesn’t tell me that my head is scrambled from losing Jamie, I don’t know what will. Con man? He’s a goddamn gardener is all he is.

Walking by Whack's door, I flinch when I hear my name shouted. Can my life get any worse? Walking into the office, I realize it can as Molly, Breaker, Griller and Cannon are all sitting there, waiting.

As soon as the door clicks shut, Whack is at my throat. I don’t bother trying to understand a word he is saying, I just stand there repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Eventually he stops talking and I’m still apologizing.

“What the fuck are you apologizing for? You haven’t heard a word I’ve said to you, and what happened to your lip?” Whack leans back in his chair, and I own up to my outburst to Molly.

Cannon looks at me, then Molly, then back at me. “You accused her of what?”

“I think you got off lightly, by the sound of things. If you’d accused her when the gardener was present, you could be six feet under by now and part of some flower bed somewhere.” Griller laughs at his own joke, as usual.

“Good for you, girl. It’s about time somebody knocked some sense into this asshole. Pity you only hit him once.” Cannon shakes his head as he looks from Molly to me.

“Oh, no, Cannon. I punched him twice and then slapped him. He only got off that lightly because he grabbed my wrists. I had no intention of stopping,” Molly squints at me as she says this, and I damn well flinch. “I’m thinking of applying for a second enforcer's position with the club when I’ve done a bit more training… on him!”

“What was it you wanted me for, Pres?” I ask, trying to deflect the conversation from my beat down by Molly.

“I was saying that I thought your purchase of the Ford pickup for Jamie was absolute genius. No one else came close to that level of security for her. You should tell her it was you and not the insurance company.”

This level of praise from Pres is unusual and especially for me, but I stop him there. “She mustn’t know it’s from me, or she’ll never drive it again. Telling her it was through the insurance was my best chance of her accepting it, and she knows nothing about the armor plating either.”

“You bought her a bulletproof truck?” Molly looks at me with huge, round eyes that wouldn’t be out of place on an owl. “That’s awesome.” Looking at Breaker, she states, “Where’s mine? Why haven’t you bought me a bulletproof truck? You don’t want me to be safe, is that it?”

“You don’t need a bulletproof truck. You have me to take a bullet for you,” Breaker tells her, and we all see her accept that as the gospel truth.

“Everyone, please. Jamie doesn’t know, and it has to stay that way. The fewer who know, the safer she will be. If someone tries again while she’s in the Ford, she stands a better-than-average chance of coming out on top,” I plead with them to keep it quiet.

“When she finds out you bought her a bulletproof truck, she’s gonna jump your bones the whole day,” Molly smirks.

“It’s not bulletproof. It’s armor-plated. It’s the best Smoker could find.”

“She’s gonna jump your bones for a damn week, never mind a day. Armor-plated. Wow!” Molly looks at me and gives me an outrageous wink.

“She won’t spare me a word right now, so that won’t be happening anytime soon, if ever again. Let’s just keep this amongst ourselves, eh?”

“I think Fury’s right on that. It doesn’t leave this room. Are we all clear on that? If whoever it is found out that she’s not accessible in that truck, it will give us more of a headache trying to protect her,” Whack states.

Cannon looks at Griller, then me. “My lips are sealed.”

“I’ll be tight-lipped, Pres,” says Breaker.

“Button your lip, the pair of you,” Whack spits out before bursting out laughing.