Page 56 of Trusting Skulls (Rebel Skull MC #8)

Chapter Fifty-Three

Lexie

“ P lease, I don’t need you to go with me,” I beg Ash, shaking my hands out in front of me.

“There is no way in hell I’m going to let you go alone. Just breathe.”

“But the prosecutor told me to be prepared for the defense to bring up my past. I don’t want you or the club to hear all that. You’re all going to be so embarrassed by me.”

He takes my hands in his. “Look at me, Lex.”

When I don’t, he grabs my face, holding my head in his hands. His nose brushes against mine.

“There isn’t anything that’s going to come up that will change our relationship. I love you. All of you, and that includes your past. You wouldn’t be the woman I love today without it.”

He holds me strong and sure as I struggle to calm myself.

“Breathe, baby. Breathe.”

Eventually, I pull myself together. He leans away, looking me in the eye to make sure I’m okay. When he sees that I am, he glances around. “Why do you always end up here on your walks?”

“How do you know I always come here?” I tease, shoving him lightly. Of course he follows me everywhere I go. Not because he doesn’t trust me, but because he is forever protecting me.

I glance down at the grave by my feet. “I don’t know. It’s quiet here I guess.”

His gaze follows mine, and he leans over to straighten a little dragonfly ornament. “I’m not judging. Just curious, that’s all.”

“Everyone here listens without talking back.” I laugh lightly.

“I guess I never thought of it that way. Maybe I should try it sometime.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and guides us back toward the farm. “It’s going to be okay, Lex. I promise. We’ll get through this.”

We shower together when we get back to our little house, and then we head over to the courthouse. The entire parking lot is filled with bikes.

“Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Who are all these people?”

“Neighboring chapters. Skulls protect what’s theirs, Lexie. You are family, and that reaches far beyond our own club.”

JD and Elizabeth push through the crowd to get to us.

The whole scene is crazy and frightening.

There are reporters everywhere. Men in black cuts form a line, shielding me from their questions.

It’s the first day of the trial. I feel bad for the younger girls who will eventually be called to testify. This is terrifying.

When we walk into the courtroom, Graham turns in his chair as if he can sense me.

His eyes follow me all the way to my seat.

Ash growls under his breath and tucks my face against his chest after we settle in our seats.

Elizabeth sits beside me with JD on the other side of her.

His big arm rests along the back of the chairs, and his hand rests on my shoulder.

My other “parents” gather around us. Lily, Dan, Dirk, Jesse, Katie, Petey, Raffe, and even Rachel is here to support me. Of course, everyone else is here too. Jackson, Willow, Tank, Kelsie, Elijah, and Billie Rose.

My gaze roams the room. Everyone is here but the two people who brought me into this world. I’m sure they were too proud to face the humiliation of the situation or just plain embarrassed by me, their daughter.

When the judge enters the room and everyone quiets, my heart falls to the pit of my stomach. Graham turns his chair slightly so I’m in his direct line of sight. The smirk on his face tells me he knows exactly how I’m feeling. It’s right where he wants me. He gets off on me being uncomfortable.

JD sits forward and locks eyes with me, blocking Graham’s view. The next thing I know, I’m being shoved to the floor as glass shatters a window nearby. All hell breaks loose. Women scream and men shout.

“It’s okay, baby. It’s okay,” Ash whispers against the back of my head.

When I open my eyes, I see Elizabeth next to me on the floor, her eyes on me. She reaches out and takes my hand in hers. JD is lying on top of her.

What the fuck is happening?

A few minutes later, it’s apparent that Graham’s been shot. He’s dead.

For the rest of the day, everyone who was in the courtroom is sequestered into another room in the courthouse. No one around me looks particularly worried, so I don’t know why I am.

Did someone from the club do this?

I’ll be so mad if anyone risked themselves for me.

Hours pass before we’re finally released. They determined the shots came from an unknown shooter over a half mile away on a roof top.

I think I’m in shock as we drive over to the warehouse. Ash keeps looking from me to the road. “You okay?”

“I don’t know. I feel like the only person I know who could have made that shot was you.” I turn to look at him.

He shrugs. “There are a lot of snipers out there. I’m nothing special.”

“Did you do this?”

He laughs. “I was with you, remember?”

I narrow my eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“I didn’t arrange it.”

“Then who?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. That fucker made a lot of enemies. You weren’t the only person who was hurt by that asshole.”

I’m sure there were plenty of people who wanted Graham dead, but this was done by an expert. Someone who knew what they were doing and left no trace behind.

The question befuddles me the rest of the evening as the club eats and drinks around me.

Everyone gives me space, but comfort too.

It’s strange. I guess the good thing is no one can be held responsible for the shooting because they were all accounted for at the courthouse.

It couldn’t have been anyone from the club.

Ugh, maybe I’m overthinking. Maybe Graham just pissed the wrong person off, and it has nothing to do with me or the other girls.

Ash heads upstairs to finish packing the last of his things so we can take them home with us when we leave. I’m watching Petey swing Charlotte around, making her squeal, when JD lowers himself beside me.

“Sometimes I wish I would have met you sooner,” he says quietly as we stare at the father-daughter duo who continue to tease each other.

I laugh sadly. “Yeah, me too.”

“But we have each other now.”

Something in his voice makes me turn. Our eyes lock.

Oh my god, it was him.

JD ordered the hit.

My bottom lip begins to quiver when I realize JD is the person I’ve been searching for.

I went through one man after another not knowing what or who I was really looking for, but it was this.

Someone who would love me unconditionally.

Someone who would risk everything and expect absolutely nothing in return.

I cover my mouth, keeping my sob firmly behind my lips.

“From here on out, you come to me with any problem, and I promise you I will do my best to fix it or eliminate it. Understand?”

All I can do is nod.

He hugs me tightly, and I finally let go and cry. JD made a promise, and while I didn’t believe him at the time, he held onto it.

The fear of abandonment slips from my soul, and my heart sighs in relief.

“I love you, Dad.” I’ve said it before in a joking way, but this time I really mean it. Nothing has ever felt so right.

He kisses my forehead and squeezes me even tighter. “I love you, too.”

There’s no place like home.