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“Yeah.” Dawn shivered and cuddled more securely into me. “Though I don’t really think he had his family fooled. They simply didn’t care.”
“At least,” Suzie added, “not until he killed a woman who was somebody. Someone they considered in their class.”
“Sounds to me like they all deserve each other.” I rested my chin on top of Dawn’s head and rubbed back and forth over her silky hair, holding her as tightly as she held me.
“You guys good?” Suzie sounded equal parts relieved and nervous. I knew my sister well enough to know she wouldn’t rest easy until this storm moved on.
“I think so. I’ve got us shut in the bathroom with some cushions and blankets. I think we’ll be good here for a while. Probably shoulda just stayed here in the first Goddamned place.”
“No. You did what you should have done. No one could have known that bastard was already there.”
“How’d he find her anyway?”
“He followed her. If you hadn’t found her when you did, he’d have her. He wasn’t that far behind her. Thankfully, she always stopped at very crowded gas stations or he’d have snatched her on the way to Florida. I’m sorry it took me so long to find him. If I’d been quicker --”
“Stop it, Suzie. I absolutely won’t have you thinking you could have done anything more. You did exactly what I asked you to do. If it hadn’t been for you, I might have been too late.”
“If everyone’s good now, I’m going to end the call.” That was Cain.
“Dad?”
“Yeah, Ice. Your dad. And the man who pays the fuckin’ company sat phone bill.”
“Dad! Cliff and Dawn almost died! Who cares about the phone bill!” I could hear Suzie’s outrage, but I also knew my dad. He was just as worried as Suzie, if not more.
I chuckled. It was my father’s way of dealing. His gruff and grouchy side came out in spades. “We’re fine. And he’s right, Suz. We need to save the battery and the minutes.”
“Had a call from El Diablo.”
I had to suppress the groan. “Of course, you did. And I’m totally calling him a tattletale.” As I’d hoped, that got a giggle from Dawn. Good.
“Yeah? Let me know how that works out for you.”
“If he told you to talk me into letting Dawn go, that’s between me and her. If, after this, she doesn’t want me, I’ll let her go back to her home. But no one, not even El Diablo, the bad-ass assassin, is going to take her from me if she doesn’t want to go.”
“You really feel that much for his daughter?”
“I do, Cain. She’s my one.”
“Then there shouldn’t be any problem. You just need to convince her daddy.”
I snorted. “Right.”
“My dad isn’t the boogeyman, you know.” Dawn looked up at me and smiled.
“Yeah?” I could almost see Dad’s raised eyebrow. “Tell that to… well, everyone who’s not you, your siblings, or your mother.” He chuckled. “Be safe, son. Your mom says she loves you.”
“I love her too.”
“I’m proud of you, Ice.” Then he ended the call.
Chapter Eleven
Dawn
The storm lasted just over twenty-four hours before it finally passed. There was water everywhere. Thankfully, our hotel managed to make it through without more damage, and Ice and me got to stay in the bathroom and cuddle. And fuck. Just a little.
Hotel security called EMS to come get David’s body. Surprisingly, no one asked me or Ice what had happened. Ice had shrugged and said it was pretty obvious what had happened. I got the feeling words had been exchanged somewhere to ease that path, but I wasn’t asking too many questions.
It took us a while to get out of town and back on the road to Lake Worth. Mainly because Ice’s truck had a big-ass tree through the windshield. Salvation’s Bane came through for us big time, though. They were there even before we left the hotel and stepped into the parking lot.
Red and Grease from Bane hefted the tree out and got the truck running. They offered the truck they’d brought and Ice was going to take me back to Black Reign, but that didn’t feel right. So I talked him into staying. He and his brothers from his sister club fixed everything together. Then they worked on the other cars in the parking lot. And the hotel door.
This was why I loved being part of a club. Sure, Salvation’s Bane wasn’t a traditional MC. My dad was fucking loaded. He put all kinds of money into it that most MCs didn’t have, but he always made sure he gave back to the community. They all did. It was why he had me. It’s how he and my mom had found me. They took me in and gave me a home and love, and I knew I never wanted to be away from that kind of family ever again.
