Page 15 of Dusty and Dented (Fallen Angels MC #2)

A ndy ate her burger and fries with more interest than she’d had for any food in the last week.

When she was done, she gathered all the trash and put it in the bag it had come in before setting the bag next to her feet to deal with when they got back to her place.

Once she’d done everything she could think of to occupy herself, she settled into her seat and twisted slightly so it was easier to watch Dagger.

“What?” he asked after a couple of minutes and glancing her way several times.

“I don’t know if I can handle staying at the clubhouse.” He started to say something, but she held up one hand to stop him.

“I know I would be safer there, at least from a repeat of what happened today. But I had a hard time being there today after the service. All I could think about was that it was where Travis had died. At the time I kind of hoped it would happen again so I could see him again.”

“But you’re not wanting that anymore?” He watched her from the corner of his eye.

Andy shifted in her seat as she tried to find the right words.

“I think this,” she waved one hand in a circle, “made me realize I don’t want to die.

I miss my brother more than I ever thought possible.

I mean it’s not as if we were never separated.

I lived in Denver for over a year before I came back, and I think I saw him once in all that time.

But now, knowing he’s gone and that I’ll never see him.

.. Never feel his arms around me when I need a hug.

Never hear his voice again, even if it were just to tell me I’m being a baby and to grow up, it hurts.

” There were tears streaming slowly down her face.

She didn’t bother to stop them or wipe them away.

She’d given up on that days ago. But at least she was able to keep it to just the slow fall instead of the wracking sobs she’d been unable to hold back before.

Dagger reached over, picked up one hand, and squeezed it as he spoke.

“I know it hurts. I wish I could take that for you, but I can’t.

I will do my best to help you get through it, though.

” he paused, glanced at her then back to the road.

“As for the clubhouse, I wasn’t sure if you’d heard that, and I didn’t want to bring it up because I didn’t want you worrying about it until you had to.

But since you know. I thought I’d put you in my room so you’ll have fewer reminders of him. ”

She watched him with a lifted brow. Did he think she would share his room just because he’d climbed onto her bed, held her while she’d cried then fallen asleep in his arms? Did he think that was all it took to get into her pants?

“You don’t have to look at me like that.

I wasn’t planning on making you share the room with me.

I’ll stay in Panther’s room. We’ve also got plans in place to build a brick wall between the clubhouse and the highway.

Not that construction has started yet, but it will soon. That will help make the place safer.”

“If only it had already been done. Then Travis might still be alive.” She couldn’t help the resentment in her tone.

“While that might be true, it’s also just as likely that whoever did this would have found another way.

And while I’m not saying that Panther’s loss wasn’t significant, and that it doesn’t hurt, because you’re not the only one missing him, we all are.

Whatever other way they found to hurt the Fallen Angels, could just as easily have killed more than one.

And if they’d done a drive by while we were out and about in town they could easily have killed more than just Angels.

They could have taken out innocents. And while I hate the idea, it’s something we have to consider. ”

“But you’ll still build the wall?”

“We will. Because we have innocents too. We have mamas and old ladies. If we don’t build the wall and they do it again, next time they might kill one of the women. What if by then we’ve got kids or that woman is pregnant? That’s not a risk we’re willing to take.”

“What about who did this? Do you know who it was?”

“Not yet. We’re working on it and we will find out who was behind it, and I don’t just mean who pulled the trigger. We’ll find them but we’ll also find who gave the order, if they weren’t on the crew that actually performed the drive by.”

“And what will you do to them when you find out?”

He glanced her way, then turned his gaze back to the road.

“I can’t tell you that.”

She pulled her hand out of his and folded her arms across her chest. They were still keeping her on the outside. still blocking her from knowing what was going on and what kind of justice her brother’s murderers would get.

“Won’t you mean.”

“Okay, won’t. But that’s because I can’t.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, unhappy that he was giving a circular non-answer and not what she wanted to hear.

“That makes no sense.’

Dagger took a deep breath and let it out in a rush.

“I want to tell you. But I can’t. It’s club business, but that’s not the only reason I can’t tell you. It’s for your own protection.”

“I don’t need you protecting me.” She wanted to yell, to scream that she’s a big girl and could take care of herself, but she didn’t.

It was hard to ignore that if the Angels weren’t around, if they weren’t doing their best to protect her, then she would even now be tied up in the back of that van or worse.

Dagger lifted his brows and glanced at her but didn’t argue.

“Do you know who they were?” her voice was soft as she asked a question she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to.

“I just told you,” he frowned and glanced over at her, “we don’t know yet, but we’ll find out.”

“Not who killed Travis, but the guys today. The ones who took me.”

“Oh.” He fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.

“I know who one of them is, and we know what club they’re with, if that’s what you mean.

We’ll find out why they came after you, though.

And we’ll do our best to make sure that never happens again.

How did they manage to get you? Did you open the door for them? ”

Andy rolled her shoulders, still keeping her arms crossed as she looked away.

“Yeah, I opened the door. I looked out the window and saw someone in a vest,” she reached over, hooked one finger into the arm of the vest he wore and tugged before releasing it, “and thought he was an Angel. You’d just told me someone was coming and bringing some stuff.”

“Did he say anything? What did you do when you realized he wasn’t an Angel?” Dagger turned over the hand she’d pulled away from, so it lay extended towards her, palm up, silently asking her to put her hand back.

Andy stared at the hand for a few seconds. She didn’t take his hand again, but she did loosen her arms where they were still crossed over her chest.

“No, he didn’t say anything, just picked me up over his shoulder, and carried me out to the van. He dropped me inside, then there was a pain in my head and everything went black.”

Dagger didn’t say anything, but she could feel the tension radiating off him. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking but she wasn’t ready to ask. Not yet.