Page 26 of Shadow’s Protection (Hurricane Heat MC #1)

“You happen to have any security footage that backs up your version of events?” the cop asks. “I’d love to be able to show the DA that at no time was this man threatened by you. That he had no reason to suspect you had a weapon, that he was the aggressor. That kind of thing.”

Phantom nods. “I’ll go download the footage to a drive right now.”

The officer motions toward the car. “Email it to me. I’d like to get this fucker processed so I can get home for dinner. We finally got power, and my wife went shopping today. Sounds like she’s planning on steaks.”

“Will do.” Phantom, Viper, and I stand in the driveway, waiting until the cops pull away. Once we hear the crunch of gravel and the lights from the car disappear onto the road, Phantom claps my hand in a high five. “I wouldn’t have been able to keep my cool as long as you did.”

“Let me through!”

I hear Violet shouting behind me just seconds before I hear her running down the driveway.

I turn to face the door and am greeted with flying auburn hair. Violet charges at me full speed, leaps into my arms, and wraps her legs around my waist. Tears streak her face as she kisses me, all the while cursing and asking if I’m okay.

“Shadow, oh my God. Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?” She holds my face and looks me over.

“I’m fine,” I tell her. “But I can’t say as much for the prospect who let you out of the compound.”

I glare past her, untangling her limbs from mine and setting her on her feet. “How much did you see?”

“Don’t blame him,” she says in a rush. “I may have threatened him. I think he’s a little afraid of me.”

I lift a brow and put a pin in it. For now, everything is handled. Violet is safe. Clive is going away for a long time.

“He’s not going to bother you again,” I tell her.

“Did you break his nose?” she asks quietly.

“Probably. The cops will make sure he gets medical attention. If he needs it.” I’m sure I did break his nose, but it’s only a fraction of what that needledick deserves.

“What happens now?” Violet’s eyes are wide, and she looks to Phantom and Viper. “Thank you,” she says. “And I’m sorry? I don’t even…”

Phantom claps me on the shoulder. “We’ll leave you to talk.” Then he and Viper head back into the compound.

We walk past the drops of Clive’s blood staining the gravel.

“The club’ll press charges,” I tell her.

“Trespassing, assault. Since we have video and proof of him trying to track you down, you’ll probably want to go make a police report about the tracker.

They may be able to nail him on stalking.

But that’s the minor shit. Clive’s in a lot of trouble, sweetheart.

He’s not going to be a problem for you anymore. ”

The death investigation was probably one of the reasons the asshat was so anxious to get back together with Violet.

Maybe he did love her, but I see the need for legal expenses and a ready alibi as a hell of a lot more likely.

A guy like him might want to control a woman like Violet, but I refuse to believe he truly loved her.

The thought of him even touching her makes me wish I could have landed a couple more blows to his face.

I’m happy I got the one in. We planned exactly how to set him up so he couldn’t claim he was jumped or threatened.

Even if he was trespassing, he was outnumbered and definitely outsized by me alone—forget about my brothers if they’d come out.

The security footage tells the story. My hands were up and out.

I was being threatened. I did everything right.

Even if I wish I’d smashed his skull in before the cops made it here.

“What if he makes bail, though? He could be out tonight and just come back. He knows where we are now.”

I grin and shake my head. “The club has friends in high places. We were the victims here. We did everything right. He ain’t getting out. I don’t think a single judge in the county’s gonna grant that fucker bail.”

I tell her what we learned about the fire up in Valdosta, Georgia. The woman who hired Clive right after Violet dumped him. Offered him a cut of the insurance money if he’d make sure her house burned down.

Greedy little fuck was happy to put his business on the line for a little green. Too bad that bitch didn’t tell him she planned to have her husband doped up on sleeping pills so he slept through the fire. Murder charges, fraud, stalking, arson… “I think you can sleep soundly from now on.”

Violet laces her fingers through mine and kisses the back of my hand. “I’m so sorry I brought this to your door,” she says. “Shadow, how can I ever thank the club? How can I ever repay you for this?”

I pull my hand away and swat her on the ass. “That fucker came to my house,” I tell her. “He threatened me, my brothers, you, on club property. This is club business now. No matter how it became our business, we handled it. We take care of our own.”

I leave that out there—our own—because, yeah, I’m including her in that. Whether she’s mine for a weekend, a week, or something else, while she’s under my roof and in my bed, her business is my business.

“It’s handled,” I tell her. “Now, let’s go eat.”