Page 87

“How about you take Lainey up to my room? The playard is in my closet. I’ll go get your shit, so you can feed and change her if or when she needs it.”

She got up, reaching to peel Lainey off of me and press her to her own shoulder.

“Hey,” I said, grabbing her hip and leaning forward to press my forehead to hers. “I’m gonna handle this. You aren’t alone anymore.”

It wasn’t until after Zoe pulled away that I noticed we weren’t alone.

Velle was standing in the doorway, keen eyes taking everything in.

“I have to run out,” I told him. “I’m taking the club car. Zoe is gonna be staying here for a while.”

“Sounds good,” Velle said, nodding at me, seeming to understand the situation with no explanation at all. “Do you need any help with anything, Zoe?” he asked as Zoe grabbed for her keys, passing them to me.

“No, thank you. I’m just going to go put Lainey down.”

She made her way up the steps.

Velle was silent until we heard her moving around in my room.

“Shit hit the fan?” he asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Just another day at the clubhouse then,” he said, shrugging, as the girls from out back moved inside. “We’re having a movie night,” he explained as the girls climbed up on the couches, leaving a space for him. “So, I’ll keep an ear and eye for Zoe while you’re gone.”

With that, they got busy with the movie, I grabbed the keys, then headed out back to the motel.

I drove around for a few, looking to see if I spotted that car again. But when I didn’t see anything suspicious, I pulled into the lot, popped the trunk, and made my way upstairs.

“Sorry to break it to you, hon, but she went out.” Brooke was sitting cross-legged in front of her partially cracked door. There was a chunky notebook sitting on her leg and ink marks on her finger from the pen she was tapping against the pad.

“She’s at the clubhouse with me, actually. She had a little… incident.”

“What kind of incident? Is she okay? Lainey?”

“Just barely. Look, it’s looking like the fucks who broke into her place are targeting her.”

“What? That’s crazy. Nothing else has happened around here, though.”

“But there’s been a suspicious car. Dark car, dark tint, idling in the lot.”

“Holy shit,” she said, eyes going round. “I did notice that!”

“They found her at the convenience store and chased her. She just barely got away. She didn’t know where to go.”

“Sure seems like she did, actually,” Brooke said, giving me a little smile. “Everyone here is just giving me so much material.”

I had no idea what that meant. And I didn’t want to waste time asking.

“Listen, I don’t think anyone else in the motel is going to be in danger now that she’s gone, but—”

“Oh, honey, don’t you worry about me. I inherited my good looks from my mama, but my love of cussing, fighting, and firearms from my daddy. Me and mine, we’re gonna be just fine.”

“I like you, Brooke,” I said, shooting her a smile.

“I like you too, sugar. Now, I know you’re taken by Zoe and Lainey now, but keep an ear out for men who like single moms and future bestselling smut writers, okay?” she asked, moving back into her room.

“Will do.”