Page 101 of The Souls We Claim

“Yes, but why would they—oh my God.” Her gaze is out the window.

I move to stand by her. “Don’t worry, Arianne. They’re just fucking with us.” I can’t reassure they have no cause. I’ve doneso many bad things it’s hard to decide what they might be here about.

“No,” she says as she points to the end of my drive. “That’s my parents’ car.”

There’s a knock on the door again.

Two thoughts collide at once.Thank fuck it’s her parents, because it means this is more than likely a welfare check or to do with beating Patrick up.The club has a good lawyer and too many judges in their pocket. I’m not doing time for a guy who abused his wife. But a second one worms deep in my gut.

They’ve come to take her home.

She glances down at what she’s wearing. Two seconds ago, I didn’t want anyone to see her dressed in my hoodie. Now I want her parents to see she’s mine.

“Don’t look at yourself like that, Arianne. Like you’re a mess or somehow not good enough for any of them. Straighten your crown, shoulders back. We go together, yeah?”

Arianne nods. “Okay.”

I open the bedroom window. “On our way down,” I shout so the pigs don’t smash through the new front door Saint helped me install last month.

Ari slips a pair of shorts beneath my hoodie. We look like we just got out of bed because we did, but I pull my hair up.

Can’t remember the last time I was introduced to a woman’s parents. There was an old-timer, Flex, who was seventy, and I banged his granddaughter once. A sweet thing from Topeka. That’s probably the closest I’ve ever gotten to knowing a partner’s family member.

This isn’t exactly the way I would have chosen either.

Arianne peeks into Lola’s room. “She’s still out cold. The whirling dervish wanted to play peek-a-boo for an hour straight at one this morning. Do we tell my parents about her?” she asks.

“Let’s see why they are here and what they want. If they are here to stir shit, no.”

When we get to the door, I open it, blocking Arianne from view. I don’t want her upset.

“Gallagher.” The cop and I go way back. He was several years below me in school, but he was a jerk back then, always the bully. Remember him picking a fight with Gwen and losing two teeth after King finished with him.

“Flynn. I’m going to need to speak with Arianne Osborne.”

I stand to one side and let Arianne show herself. “I’m Arianne.”

“Could you step outside, Arianne?” Gallagher asks.

Arianne looks up to me for the answer. I love how that’s her default, to get my advice. “Step outside, kitten. I can keep an eye on you from here.”

Gallagher stares down his nose at me. It might be intimidating if he weren’t half a foot shorter than my six-four. Instead, I smirk at him and lean casually on the edge of the open door.

Gallagher leans close to Arianne, a move that I’m sure he intends to chap my ass, but I remain calm.

“How are you doing, Arianne?” he asks.

“I’m good. Really good. Why?”

“Can you come down to the station with me? I just need to check a few things with you.”

Ari shakes her head. “Unless it’s a legal requirement, I don’t want to.”

“Are you here under duress?”

Arianne glances my way and smiles at me. “Absolutely not.”

“Your parents were worried about you and would like a word with you.”