Page 10

Violet

“I can’t stay in the same apartment with you,” I said softly. I didn’t want to be ungrateful, but I was feeling pretty raw at the moment. I wanted to lock myself and Caleb away for a few hours and lick our wounds before we went to battle again.

“You’ll have your own apartment, honey.” Riot didn’t seem irritated, but I felt guilty for making demands.

If I had been by myself in this I’d never have spoken up, only taken what I was offered.

But I thought it was bad enough I wasn’t putting up much of a fight for us to stay someplace other than a motorcycle club compound.

With men I didn’t know. Who appeared to have more than one member who’d done time in prison.

The irony of this whole situation was unmistakable.

In public, my husband was part of the Nashville elite.

He donated to the university’s children’s hospital and was on the board of directors of several charitable organizations.

He kept me behind closed doors most of the time, telling everyone I was a very private person and had anxiety in crowds.

Doug had taken Caleb with him a few times, but I got the impression it was more because it benefited him to be seen as Caleb’s loving father.

The few times he’d insisted I go with him to a social function had felt like I was as much an accessory as his cufflinks.

And I knew better than to try to escape him, or defy him.

The man he presented in public was a far cry from the man he was in private.

“I should be horrified at what happened at the hotel.”

“That make you see me differently?”

“I’d have to be a fool not to see you differently, but I don’t think you’ll hurt me, and I don’t think you’re a bad person. In fact, you and Ms. Thompson have done exactly what you promised. Doug would tell me you guys were the monsters when I know the real monster is him.”

The men Riot had called in had brought him an older model, big-ass Bronco.

It only had two doors, but the back seat was surprisingly roomy.

Riot sat on one side of me while Caleb was on the other.

The two men in the front had been introduced to me as Tiny -- who wasn’t at all tiny -- and Noose.

Not really sure there was anything else to say about Noose other than his name. The horror show wrote itself.

“There are so many red flags with you guys I can’t even count, but I’d be lying if I said I feel threatened by any of you.

” I looked up at Riot as I spoke. His features were hard.

He constantly scanned outside the vehicle as we rode to the outskirts of the city.

He was obviously taking the threat to me and Caleb very seriously, and was determined to protect us.

“Good. I want you guys to feel safe. Before anything else, you need to know you have a secure place to regroup.”

“I’m sorry.” My whispered apology sounded as broken as I felt. I wasn’t sure what Doug had planned for me when he sent those men after us, but I was sure I wouldn’t have lived long after he had me. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.”

“You didn’t.” To my surprise, Riot found my hand with his.

His large fingers closed around mine and gave a gentle squeeze.

He didn’t look at me or acknowledge the physical contact, but he didn’t let go immediately so I curled my fingers around his.

If he wanted me to let go, he could easily pull away.

He’d initiated the contact, and I craved the security his touch represented.

We drove for a good thirty minutes. I got the impression they were taking a wandering route. No one spoke. Occasionally one of the guys in the front would grunt, but that was the extent of their communication.

Eventually, we got closer to the river and came to several large warehouses surrounded by a chain-link fence. A large gate blocked the road ahead of us but slid open as we approached. I saw two men, one on either side of the road, as we rolled through. The area looked like a shipping storage yard.

“Home, sweet home,” Tiny announced as we pulled to a stop outside a warehouse in the middle of at least a dozen warehouses over a larger area.

Camouflage netting stretched between buildings.

The whole thing was very much like a militia compound.

I wondered how they got away with something like this so close to the river and the shipping yard, but these didn’t seem to be normal people.

I thought maybe the less I knew, the better.

Caleb looked up at the artificial ceiling-like canopy over us, taking everything in. “This is where you live?” he asked Riot.

“Yeah.” Riot rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. “Well, sort of. I mean…” He took a breath. “I’ve only been out of prison, like, three days. I live here, but it’s gonna take a while for it to feel like home.”

We’d already gotten out of the Bronco. Riot had only let go of my hand long enough to exit the vehicle, then he immediately grabbed it again.

I glanced up at him. He raised an eyebrow, daring me to say anything.

Instead, I shrugged and gave him a small smile.

I wasn’t going to object if the man wanted to hold my hand.

I knew the contact grounded me when it really shouldn’t have.

“It’s not fancy, but it’s very secure. No one can get to you guys while you’re inside the fence.”

“Do we have to stay here?” The stubborn set to Caleb’s chin said he was pushing Riot, like he wanted to see if the calm demeanor would crack and how much pressure it took.

Riot shrugged, letting go of my hand as he did.

I felt the loss immediately, my anxiety rising at the thought of him leaving us.

“No. Up to you, I guess. I’ll protect you wherever you go.

Just thought it would be easier here with all the guys.

” I could tell Riot was almost turning in on himself.

His shoulders were back, his head high, but he almost seemed defeated.

“I have to be careful where I go because of the terms of my parole.” He didn’t look at either me or Caleb but somewhere over our shoulders.

Obviously, he was uncomfortable calling attention to the restrictions he had.

Probably because it brought his prison time front and center.

Caleb studied Riot for a long time. “Yeah. It wouldn’t be fair to you if you went back to prison because we went somewhere you weren’t supposed to go.

And I don’t want Mom to not have somebody besides me looking after her.

” He looked around him as other members of Riot’s club came our way, then he sighed.

“Sorry, Riot. I don’t like feeling trapped.

Not now. I feel like Dad’s trying to box us in or something. ”

“What happened, Caleb?” Riot asked. “At the hotel.”

“They had a key or something,” Caleb said. “I was between Mom and the door when I heard the lock whir and click, then they shoved it open and came after us.”

“He knew where you guys were.” Riot gave me a hard look. “Who else knew where you were staying, Violet?”

I shook my head, trying to think. “No one. I had no one to tell, and Caleb didn’t know where we were going. Lana set us up at the hotel.”

“You guys still have your phones? Any other electronic devices?” This came from one of the men approaching us.

“No.” I shook my head. “We made sure to leave all that behind. I don’t have a bank account, so all we had was what cash I’d managed to hide away from Doug.”

“What about your clothes, or your handbag? Did you bring anything with you?”

I shook my head. “We left with the clothes on our backs and replaced those as soon as we could.” I looked at Caleb. “Did you bring anything you haven’t gotten rid of?”

He shook his head. “No. We even got new shoes and underwear.”

The man nodded. “Good. You covered the basics and then some. I’ll pull the hotel’s security footage. See if I can find out how the guy got a key.”

“Thanks, Knight.” Riot stuck his hand out and Knight took it.

“Any time, brother. We’re all here to help each other.” Knight gave me a respectful nod. “Ma’am.” He turned to Caleb. “I got a bitchin’ gamin’ system in my command center. You’re welcome to stop by whenever you want. I’m usually there. If I’m not, ask one of the guys to let you in.”

Caleb’s eyes widened in excitement, then he ducked his head and glanced at me. “I’ll think about it.”

Knight nodded before turning to go back inside. As he did, I saw another man walk up to Riot and speak softly.

Then the man turned to me. “Hi, Violet. I’m Knuckles. My wife, Hannah, is getting an apartment ready for you and Caleb. She, Pippa, and Carrie are all getting some stuff together for you guys.”

“Pippa and Carrie are Gunnar and Hawk’s women,” Riot explained.

“I’ve only met them a couple times, but the guys all say they’re really good old ladies.

” God, this man. He was such a contradiction.

He sounded almost subservient when he spoke to me sometimes.

Or maybe shy. Other times, like when he saved me from Doug’s men at the hotel, he was a dominant force you didn’t dare disobey.

Yet, even then, he’d been gentle with both me and Caleb.

Looking up at Riot, I studied his face. “If you trust them, I’m good.”

That must have been the exact right thing to say because Riot let his breath out slowly as he nodded his head. He blinked several times then cleared his throat. “I do. I trust them because Knuckles trusts them. I trust Knuckles without question.”

“OK, then.” I smiled up at Knuckles. “Thanks for helping us.”

“Just, if the parole board asks you about anything, tell them Riot went the extra mile to protect you.”

I started. It hit me how serious this was for Riot. “Oh, my God! When the cops find those guys, are they going to come after you?” The thought nearly made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t know what his past was, but there was no way he deserved to go back to prison for killing those bastards.