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After checking in, we walked to a nearby diner for dinner. After we ordered, I looked over and could see the fear in Maren’s eyes.
“I think we’re okay. We’re in the middle of nowhere. No one is even in here,” I said, well aware of the fact we shouldn’t be seen out anywhere.
“I’m only tired and hungry. And confused. You’ve been so mysterious about what’s happening now. Nothing’s adding up.”
“I told you the plan changed. I had to go to someone else for help.”
“Another club, you said. Who?” she asked, her voice conveying her mistrust.
I took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you about the deal I made with the other gang,” I began. “But we need their help to get to the safe house. It’s the only way.”
“What do they owe you?” She had sniffed out my lie.
I never wanted to lie to her. I admitted, “They owe me for services yet to be rendered.”
“You made promises to another club? You joined another club?” she shrieked.
“It’s not like that. I don’t belong to any club right now.” That much was true. I left my cut behind and the Road Monsters MC hadn’t officially done a thing. An eerily happy woman calling me Monster on the phone didn’t count.
“Right now? I know a lie by omission when I hear one.”
“Okay, I made promises to work for another club. Maybe I’m joining. I don’t know the specifics yet.”
She looked at me in disbelief. “You made a deal with another gang? How could you do that? What about our safety?” she asked, her voice getting high. “Won’t that put us in danger?”
“I hope not,” I said, shushing her. “I’m hoping we can get far enough away that we won’t have to worry about the Bastards or the Gods. This job I took can help us do just that.”
Maren bowed her head a bit, quieting as a server walked over with my coffee and her water, but I could see the anger etched on her features.
When we were alone again, I went on, “I did it to buy us time.” My voice came calm but firm. “I’ll be on the road some, but I’ll always come back to you.”
“You are going on the road now? What about promising to protect me and this baby? Didn’t you say you’d leave the clubs for a while?”
“I’ll always protect you and the baby. I asked for some time.”
“What about when you leave? Won’t that leave us unprotected?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears. “I just left a whole club full of bikers who swore to protect me, their President.”
“A lot of good that did you yesterday when Ax showed up.”
If looks could kill, Maren would have killed me dead. “You may just want to put me down, but it just proves my point about the danger.”
I reached across the table and took her hand. “I told you, I hope we can go far enough away that we won’t have to worry about them finding us,” I breathed.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “What if they find us? What if they come after us again?” she asked, her voice tiny. It was more like she was talking to herself than to me. Maren sat across from me but seemed so far away. Her eyes glazed over as she became paranoid. “Something bad is going to happen.”
“I won’t let that happen,” I said firmly. “I made a deal with another gang to get us help. We’ll have backup if we need it.”
Our food arrived and Maren only picked at it, pushing it around her plate with her fork. She barely ate as I scarfed my food.
“What are we going to do after we leave Tennessee?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“I don’t know, but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” I said, my eyes locked on hers.
“Sure,” she replied. “Including lying to me.”
“You’re damn right, even lying to you. I did what was best to protect us. I’ll do it again if I need to.”
She scoffed but didn’t say a word, as a couple had just been seated at the booth beside us.
