Page 18 of Crow’s Haven (Savage Legion MC #15)

Crow

I ’m in the garage, hands buried in the guts of a carburetor, when I realize I left my torque wrench inside.

Wiping grease-stained fingers absently against a rag, I step through the back door into the laundry, leading into the kitchen.

Ain’t fully shook the list of things I need to fix from my head yet.

Ladybug’s voice stops me dead in my tracks.

She’s in the kitchen. Instead of washing dishes, she’s speaking quietly, but there’s a trembling urgency in her tone, enough to keep me rooted to the spot. Something in her words makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, prickling with cold unease.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she whispers, voice trembling. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without your help. Using your identity has gotten me through some tough times.”

I go still, my heart thudding hard against my ribs. She’s been using someone else’s name. A fucking alias. That means she’s been lying to me about who she is. Ice shoots through my fucking veins.

There’s silence for a minute, then she speaks again, her voice lower now, thick with suppressed fear.

“Yes, the warrant is still active. They’re still looking for me.

” Her breath catches sharply, and my stomach clenches.

“They think I intentionally killed that boy and I don’t know what to say to convince them otherwise. ”

The words killed and boy jump out at me. They slam into my brain with brutal force, knocking the air from my lungs. They think she killed a child. Who the fuck is ‘they’?

“I know you believe me,” Sharon says, desperation leaking into her words.

“But the police… there’s no way they’ll listen.

It was my shift. My patient. My responsibility.

And now they think it’s murder. A former co-worker called me.

She said they were even thinking I might be a serial killer and tried to get me to turn myself in. ”

A damn murder charge. Jesus fucking Christ. I’m not gonna ever think about the possibility of her being a serial killer. Hell no. My fists tighten so hard my knuckles ache. Everything I thought I knew about Sharon is clearly a lie.

Is she even really called Sharon?

I knew she was running from something. Figured it was an abusive boyfriend, or a messy situation. But murder? That was never even on my radar.

Her voice drops even lower, words cracking under the weight of her fear.

“They won’t stop looking. I know it. I don’t want to run again, but I’ve got no choice.

If they find me here, it’ll ruin everything.

Crow doesn’t know. And God, I love the boys too much to put them through that.

I think that I should just run before I drag all my problems to their doorstep.

They’re good people who don’t deserve that kind of heat in their lives. ”

Her words gut me. The pain of betrayal is white-hot.

Rage builds, raw and unstoppable, tempered only by shock.

She’s wanted for murder and never said a thing.

I don’t give a damn how sorry she feels right now.

She sat across the table from me, smiling at my boys every damn day, knowing the law was looking to pick her up on a murder charge.

She pretended to be a good woman and let me trust her, and let my boys get attached to her, knowing full well her past could tear our lives apart in an instant.

I’m shaking. Anger and fear are clawing for control inside me. I take a step back slowly, careful not to alert her to my presence, the wrench I initially came for forgotten on the dryer. My heart pounds so violently I’m worried she’ll hear it.

I slip back outside, circle around to the front door and head up to my room.

I can hear the boys playing in Scout’s room as I walk by.

I tread softly, slip into my bedroom, and shut the door behind me.

My chest is heaving and nausea twists my gut.

All the sweet, tender moments we shared shatter around me.

Every kiss, whispered promise, and gentle touch, is now tainted by the knowledge that it was all built on lies with a woman accused of murdering a child.

No fucking wonder she was sleeping in her car when I found her.

She was on the run from the cops. That explains why she took off at Patch’s office when she saw the deputy.

And all that shit she said to her friend about loving us?

Guess that was just a smokescreen. Me and my boys were just cover, a damn disguise so she could hide in plain sight.

I pace my room like a caged animal, torn between confronting her immediately and ensuring the boys are safe.

Finally, reason cuts through the fury. I can’t risk Scout and Chase finding out the woman they want to be their new mommy might have spilled a child’s blood. They can never know, not now, not ever.

I snatch up my phone, my hands shaking from white-hot rage, and punch in Evan’s number, tension vibrating through every muscle in my body.

He answers on the second ring, casual and relaxed. “Yeah?”

“Need a favor. Right away.”

“Yeah, whatever you need, I’m there for it,” he states happily.

“Come get the boys. Right fucking now.”

Evan hesitates, clearly picking up on the agitation in my voice. “Is everything okay?”

“No,” I grit out, my rough voice still shaking with emotion. “I need my boys stashed safe for a few hours, maybe overnight. If you could take ‘em to the clubhouse and keep an eye on ‘em, I’ll fill you in later.”

Evan is used to following orders, so he doesn’t question further. “I’m on my way.”

I kill the call, my heart jackhammering in my chest. It feels like my ribs might crack from the pressure. Shit’s spinning in my skull like a busted wheel. I’m reeling from the shocking truth I just uncovered.

This situation keeps playing over and over in my head on an infinite loop.

The woman who held my boys close, let me love her, and made me hope again, is on the run from the law.

She deceived us all, hiding behind an assumed identity.

She only took shelter in my home to avoid getting picked up by the police and maybe going to prison.

Did she ever love us? Considering the circumstances, I seriously doubt it.

The betrayal’s so deep it damn near knocks me on my ass.

But I can’t break. Not with the boys running around totally oblivious to the danger they’re in.

They’re innocent and trusting. So was I.

Now, I can’t let them be exposed to her anymore.

Ain’t no way I’m gonna let that slide. I will protect my boys without question or hesitation.

I walk to the door of the bedroom, forcing calm into my voice as I call out, “Hey, boys. Listen up.”

They come look up from the racetrack they’re playing with. They have happy, carefree smiles on their faces. It kills me a little inside to know how quickly that innocence could be shattered.

“Are we going somewhere, Dad?” Scout asks brightly.

Always eager to get out of the house for a new adventure, Chase jumps to his feet. “Of course we are, right Dad?”

“Yeah. You two are headed to the clubhouse with Uncle Evan,” I tell them, ruffling Chase’s hair gently. “Just for a little while, alright?”

“Is Ladybug coming too?” Chase asks.

“Nah,” I say, my voice and little too rough. I dial it back, so they don’t get wise that something’s up. “Just the two of you are going. Thought you might like practicing to be prospects with Evan for a few hours.”

Their faces light up. “Yes!” Chase shouts. Scout nods with a big smile, clearly thrilled as well. I help them pack a backpack with pajamas, an extra change of clothing, some snacks, a book each, and a handful of quarters for the vending machines.

When Evan arrives, they climb happily into the truck, oblivious to my inner turmoil. I watch them drive away, safe but unaware of the chaos they’re leaving behind.

I turn slowly back to the house, dread twisting in my gut. Inside waits the woman I love, the one who’s been lying through her teeth to me from the start. The woman who would tear down everything I’ve spent years building in a heartbeat to keep her ass out of jail.

My jaw clenches so tight it aches. One thing is crystal fucking clear.

She wouldn’t be running if she weren’t guilty.

I won’t lose my family to her lies. Whatever comes next, it won’t be pretty.

If there’s any truth to the charges, I am not going to let this go.

If she had anything to do with the death of a little boy, I’ll haul her ass to the police station myself.

I know that my emotions are getting the better of me and I should calm down before talking to her, but I don’t.

I ain’t built for waiting around and biding my time. Not when the truth’s burning a hole through my chest.

The kitchen feels dimmer and colder. It’s like all the love and care has disappeared.

Sharon’s still standing by the sink. The dishes are all washed, dried and put away.

She’s just staring out the window above the sink, lost in her own thoughts.

The phone is now set aside, her eyes grown wide and startled when she turns to face me.

One look at the fire in my eyes and she knows that I’ve figured out her secret.

Her face pales instantly, eyes widening in horror. “Crow, I can explain.”

“Don’t,” I interrupt sharply. My voice is low and ice cold. She glances down at my fists clenched at my sides. “There ain’t a single word I want to hear outta your mouth until I’ve had my say.”

Her lips tremble. Fear and guilt shadow her expression.

Although tears are already pooling in her eyes she holds my gaze.

I’d be lying if I said the sight of her didn’t tug at my heartstrings.

I hate seeing her like this. But I hate the lying and danger she dragged into my home a helluva lot more.

So, I harden my heart and say what’s on my mind.