Page 26 of Drifter (Redemption Riders #2)

I Don’t Think I Can Be a Spy

Sasha

A s we drive over to the place I used to call home, we ride in silence.

Drifter holds my hand throughout the ride over, his way of showing me support and easing my anxiety.

Mom and Dad live in an affluent area, populated by estate homes.

They are on a half-acre lot, and lining the driveway to their home are tall, magnificent trees.

Their house is a beautiful traditional colonial-style home.

I used to think it was the most wonderful place on earth, and now I shudder every time I come.

Simon’s car is parked closest to the front door, and Drifter pulls in next to him. He catches my attention, placing a hand under my chin and turning my head to face him.

“There are Redemption Riders on the property. We have other club brothers surrounding the house. They’ll stay out of sight unless we run into trouble.

My phone is on, and all I have to do is say the word, and the cavalry will arrive.

I’m armed and ready. It’s an extra precaution because I want you to feel safe, not because I think we’ll need it,” he says, then asks, “Where’s your purse? ”

“Right here.” I lift my clutch from my lap.

He pulls out a small aerosol spray. It’s just small enough to fit in my purse. “Pepper spray,” he says, opening my bag and dropping it in. “You’re not going to need it, but it might make you feel better to know you have it.”

I nod.

“You ready?” he asks.

I force a smile onto my lips and put on the cool, calm face I always do when I come to my parents’, then rest my hand on Drifter’s arm. “Let’s do this.”

He gets out of the SUV, helps me out, then guides me to the front door. Drifter rings the doorbell, but instead of Constanza letting us in, Simon comes to greet us. His expression tells me that something is amiss.

Drifter asks immediately, “What the fuck is wrong?”

Simon looks over his shoulder to see if anyone’s there, then leans in and in a quiet tone says, “Dad invited Dr. Sutton and his wife to dinner. I swear I didn’t know.

They got here just minutes ago. I was just about to send you a text when you rang the bell.

” As if he needs to prove his loyalty, Simon shows the half-written text that says Abort.

Dad invited Su . That was as far as he got.

Drifter clenches his jaw and grips my hand tighter, tugging on it. “We’re leaving,” he insists.

“No,” I reply in a loud whisper. “We need to buy four more hours from your last communication with Hawk. We’ve come this far.

” Drifter is conflicted, but we need to see this through, so I pull out the big guns.

I put my hand on his cheek. “Handsome, you’ll protect me.

I trust you. We have our family out there looking out for us.

We’re doing this, not just for me and Simon, but for all those other women who need us. ”

Drifter takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. “He lays a hand on you, and I’ll cut it off,” he says gruffly.

“Simon, are you and your sister joining us, or are you having a private party in the hall?” Dad’s voice booms, making his presence known from the other room.

Before Drifter can respond, and based on his expression, it would have been a bloody start to the night, I answer, “Coming, Dad. I have to hug my big brother.”

Simon leads the way, while Drifter wraps a protective arm around my waist before following him.

When we reach the living room, Mom and Elaine Sutton are sitting together idly chatting on the sofa.

Dad is sitting in his armchair. Yes, his.

He designated this chair to be solely his.

Even if he isn’t home, no one is supposed to sit in his chair.

Across from my father sits the man who has caused me endless sleepless nights and nightmares, Dr. Edgar Sutton.

I can feel my breath hitch, and Drifter notices, as he pulls my body into his possessively. Dr. Sutton hasn’t changed very much. His hair is grayer, he’s put on a little weight, but he has the same sly grin that makes me uncomfortable.

He begins to rise from his chair, but Drifter puts an end to that quickly, “Don’t bother getting up. You seem comfortable in your seat.” I don’t think it was his words that make Dr. Sutton remain sitting, but his tone had a definite warning that came through loud and clear.

Dr. Sutton grows pale. He must realize that Drifter knows what he did to me. But his ego is bigger than his fear and he recovers quickly. “We’re old family friends. I’m more of an uncle to Simon and Sasha. I’ve been the family physician since they were babies.”

“They’re not babies anymore. The only man who touches Sasha is me,” Drifter states. His steely gaze has its desired effect, and Dr. Sutton goes quiet, but the tic in his jaw tells us he’s not at all happy.

Thank God, Mom is animated enough to break the silence.

“Darling, you have a man in your life and haven’t introduced him to your mother.

” She sways while coming to her feet. Yep, that must be her second or third drink of the evening.

I pull Drifter with me to end the staring standoff and go to greet Mom and Elaine.

I kiss my mother on the cheek and introduce Drifter. “This is Axel Drifter Denville. This is my mother, Dawn, and Elaine Sutton.” Mom nearly trips over her own feet as she reaches for the hand Drifter has extended for her to shake.

“Careful, Mrs. McGrath, we wouldn’t want this evening to end in an injury,” Drifter says, reaching out to steady her.

“Darn carpet has a snag,” my mother mumbles. There’s no snag, except in her mind. He helps Mom back to her chair and turns to Elaine.

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am,” Drifter says politely.

Elaine is a pretty, older woman with a kind heart.

She volunteers at the hospitals and children centers, not on the board, but actually going in and doing the boring work, helping out where she’s needed.

Elaine and Edgar never seemed to match. Where her husband is boisterous and pretentious, Elaine is the opposite.

Elaine is a petite blonde with bright blue eyes, and they always seem sad to me.

If I were married to a monster, I’d be sad too.

It’s not that I know the state of their relationship, and maybe they’re perfectly happy together, but if I were to hazard a guess, I think she escapes through volunteering and keeping busy outside the home.

I’ve often wondered why they never had children.

Elaine has never spoken about it, but my mother assumed they couldn’t conceive.

“Please, call me Elaine. It’s good to see a strong man with Sasha. She’s a wonderful woman, you know,” Elaine says with a smile.

“I do know,” he confirms. “It’s my job to make sure Sasha is happy, and I take my role seriously,” he adds with a grin. Elaine chuckles, patting his hand.

“That’s right, dear. Treat her like a princess, and you’ll always be her prince,” she teases.

“A drink, Axel?” my mother asks, lifting her glass to her lips.

“I’m driving, but I’ll take a water or pop,” he says.

“Simon, sweetie, can you tend the bar?” Mom asks sweetly. “What are you having, Sasha?”

“We’ll help ourselves,” I murmur. When we turn back, I see Dad and Dr. Sutton talking in hushed tones. And I don’t like it.

Drifter

Besides bellowing when we first arrived, Sasha’s father hasn’t said a word to either Sasha or me. I am receiving glaring stares from both Sutton and McGrath, and Simon sees it too. Both Sasha and I opt for plain bottled water. For me, I want to stay sharp, and I’m thinking Sasha feels the same.

If not for Simon, it would be more awkward than it already is. Simon talks about the business deals they solidified today, and this perks Gordon up. Sasha’s right, her father is all about power and money. Sutton strokes his friend’s ego, and this is why they get along. Each feeds the other’s ego.

Sasha spends time with her mother and Elaine, and I stand between Dr. Sutton and where Sasha is sitting to ensure he doesn’t have her in his view. He finds this annoying because he says, “You’re welcome to sit down,” then points to the chair next to Simon.

“Thanks, but I need to stretch my legs for a while. Appreciate the thought, though.” I internally add a fuck you, asshole .

Gordon finally acknowledges my presence. “My daughter’s too good for you.”

I can’t say that I disagree with him. Sasha is beautiful, smart, funny, and sexy as hell, and she is too good for me, but instead, I answer, “That’s for Sasha to decide, and seeing that she wants me with her, I’d say she thinks differently.”

“What do you even do for a living? Or do you work at all? Or is your job the enforcer of the motorcycle gang you’re part of?” Gordon is trying to get a rise out of me. I see his tactic and I’m not going to bite. Sasha lets out a gasp at her father’s rudeness. Simon, however, is another story.

“What the hell, Dad? You’re a fine one to talk. I see some of the clients you’re doing business with and they’re not squeaky clean,” Simon huffs.

“Relax, Simon. It’s fine. I’m a mechanic by trade, and I’m the VP of the Redemption Riders motorcycle club.

” I emphasize the word. “We’re a group of men with common goals and run legitimate businesses that have been lucrative and are in the midst of expansion.

I’m not ashamed of who I am or what I do,” I tell them.

“He was in the military, as a medic. He’s saved hundreds of lives and takes care of his brothers, and me,” Sasha says. “Axel is my boyfriend, accept him or not, I don’t care, but he means something to me, and I won’t have you speaking badly about him.”

She’s adorable when she gets riled up. And for her to get upset for me makes me want to take her in my arms and kiss her senseless, but this isn’t the time.

“Let it go, sunshine,” I bend to whisper in her ear.

Thankfully, Constanza comes to let us know that dinner is ready, and we all move to the dining room. I place Sasha securely between Simon and me, but Sutton quickly adjusts his seat to sit opposite Sasha. It’s a dick move, and he takes great joy in shoving this in my face with a slithery grin.

I check my watch, willing the time to pass faster.

It must be said that the company for dinner might suck, but Constanza is a wonderful cook, and the meal is delicious.

The discussion of golf and politics means nothing to me.

I’m a sports guy, but never played golf.

It’s not that I wouldn’t give it a go, just never had the time or opportunity.

As for politics, I have my views but they’re not something I’d share with these men.

The evening is moving at an achingly slow pace.

I’ve been in the trenches for days on end, in the dirt with mud caked on me for hours, facing dangers, guerrilla armies, so I’m used to shitty situations and showing great patience and resolve.

But this night is affecting me more than any of those times.

It’s because I hate that Sasha feels obligated to succumb to an evening with the man who nearly raped her that I feel murderous.

Sasha avoids Dr. Sutton’s gaze, focusing on her chats with Elaine and her mother.

However, Elaine is refilling her glass more than she’s ingesting her food.

No wonder the woman is so slim. Simon is seated next to his father, which is a good thing because keeping him talking means that Gordon gets to hear his own voice, making him feel important and keeping him happy.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. A text is coming through. I hope like hell it’s Hawk.

“Excuse me,” I say, pulling back my chair and giving Simon a look, clearly telling him to be on guard. I leave the table, but not before kissing Sasha’s cheek. “Be right back, baby.”

I take my phone out of my pocket and glance down at the message from Hawk. Call me!

“Hey, brother. Tell me it’s done,” I utter into the phone.

“It’s done,” he replies. I let out a sigh of relief. “You’ve got maybe half an hour at best before the feds swarm the house. Get out of there. Simon too. I don’t want you in the middle of it.”

“Got it,” I respond. I end our call, then walk back into the dining room, where Sasha is looking at me.

We had already discussed an exit plan before leaving her place, and I give her a signal that we need to go.

Sasha waits for a moment while Gordon and Edgar are in engaged in conversation, then reaches over to get her brother’s attention, gently placing a hand on his shoulder and directing him to where I’m standing.

I tap my watch and jerk my head toward the door.

Simon glances at the two men before giving me a nod. I return to join them, but don’t sit down, wanting to make a quick exit. “I’m sorry, folks, there’s a situation I need to attend to.” I turn to Dawn and Elaine. “Forgive me, but Sasha and I need to be on our way.”

Gordon is the first to jump in. “Simon will take Sasha home.”

I give him a stern look. “I’m afraid not. We came together; we leave together.” No way in hell am I leaving Sasha behind.

“She’s with family, for God’s sake! What do you think we’re going to do her?” Dr. Sutton chimes in.

I lean over the table, and immediately he pulls back.

“I don’t trust anyone with Sasha. Especially a man like you who has been ogling her all night like she’s dessert on a menu,” I growl.

“She’s mine to love and mine to care for and mine to protect.

” Without taking my eyes off the doctor, I step back, pull out Sasha’s chair, and ask Simon to see us out.

Once we get to the front door, I say, “We’re running out of time.

Get your ass out of here. Tell them you forgot something in your car and get away from here.

We’ll wait for you down the street. You’re staying with us tonight. ”

Sasha waits until we’re in the car before asking, “Drifter, is it over?”

“Soon, baby. Hold it together. We’re in the homestretch,” I murmur, but my focus is on putting distance between us and her father. We head out to the main road and wait for Simon to show up. The seconds tick by.

Suddenly, I see a slew of cars with flashing lights and sirens heading in the direction we came from.

“Simon!” Sasha gasps.

I want to reassure her, but nothing short of seeing her brother’s car is going to do that. I take her hand, turning my head to look through the back window, when a set of headlights turns the curve, and we see Simon behind the wheel.

Not wanting to waste time, I put the car in gear and drive back to our place. Sasha rests her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes. “I don’t think I could ever be a spy. This is too stressful,” she says. I can’t help myself but laugh out loud. Sasha drops her hand on my thigh and grins.