“Why the hell didn’t we think of that?” Erin asks, standing up and frowning. “We locked up the clubhouse and left because the men weren’t there, but really, we should have been there checking the surveillance and figuring this shit out.”
We pile back into our cars, babies and all, and drive back to the clubhouse.
The place we should have been the whole time.
25
Once we arrive and start getting into our investigation, we realize two things:
1. The police aren’t stupid, and
2. Something is definitely off about this whole thing.
There is no video footage from yesterday at all. It’s all been erased. There’s footage from the day before, and every day before that, but that’s it. The police must have taken it so no one could see what happened here and use it against them. All evidence has been erased.
“Why would they have taken it or erased it if nothing wrong happened here?” I ask the women. “It makes no sense. They’re obviously trying to hide something, but what do you think it is?”
“They probably used more force than was necessary to detain everyone,” Erin guesses, pushing the chair she’s sitting in away from the screens. “Which isn’t something unusual. Cops hate bikers, it’s kind of a known thing. They don’t treat us how they would treat normal civilians.”
“Is that a reason to get rid of all the surveillance, though?” Celina asks, her brow furrowing. “I mean, I don’t think they’d care about that, they’d never get into shit for it.”
“Maybe it’s that plus them planting the drugs that’s the excuse for not releasing the men right now,” I suggest, then backtrack. “If they did plant the drugs, and they didn’t belong to one of the men, which we aren’t even sure about.”
Vanessa’s phone rings, and we all jump to attention. She picks it up from the table, nearly dropping it but luckily catching it with her other hand.
“Jaxon? Yeah. Okay. Well, I don’t know if this means anything to you or not, but we’re at the clubhouse now and finding it pretty interesting that the surveillance footage from yesterday has all been wiped. We’re thinking the cops did it.” She pauses, a thoughtful look on her face. “I mean, we didn’t put our fingers all over it, there should still be traces of whoever touched it, but they’re cops. Wouldn’t they think to wear gloves or some other CSI shit?”
I didn’t even think of the whole fingerprint thing, but she’s right, they would have that covered too. They’re professionals and know all this stuff.
“All right. We’ll leave now. Thanks, Jaxon.” She presses the end button and turns to us. “Ace, Knuckles, and Rogue have been released. We need to go and pick them up. Faye got her men out too. Jaxon is still working on the rest of the men who were arrested at the clubhouse, because they don’t want to let these so-called drug charges go, but he said he wants to come here and check out the whole surveillance thing for himself.”
“Let’s go get our men,” Celina says, standing.
“I’ll help you get the babies into the car,” Erin says, heading out the door of the surveillance room.
Vanessa and I leave the room last.
“At least Rogue is out,” she says to me, touching my shoulder. “You can stop freaking out now.”
“I know, but the rest of the men need to get out too,” I reply, sighing deeply.
I’m so relieved that Rogue is out, but he won’t be able to relax properly unless his brothers are out too. I know this; I’ve seen the dynamics in their MC. What one feels, the rest do.
We drive back to the station and see the three men standing out front with Jaxon. While Vanessa tries to parallel-park, I jump out and run to Rogue. He smiles when he sees me, and although he looks tired and stressed, he’s never looked better to me in this moment, because he’s free. I jump on him and hug him, and he chuckles and squeezes me hard, kissing the top of my head.
“Miss me, did you?” he teases, but I can hear the relief in his tone.
He’s out.
And he’s damn happy about it.
“Something like that,” I reply, lifting my head over his shoulder and waving hello to the others. “You guys had us worried.”
“Thanks for sending Jaxon in,” Ace says to me, glancing at the man in question. “Those bastards didn’t even let us call a lawyer, so if you hadn’t, we’d still be sitting there, getting interrogated for some bullshit reason.”
“That was all my sister,” I admit. “She’s the one who knows people.”
Or sleeps with them, anyway.
“Do we know why this all happened?” I ask Rogue, lowering my tone.
“The Wind Dragons did have an undercover cop, one of their new guys,” Rogue says, kissing the side of my face. “Goes by the name of Trey Fox. They wanted to try to get us for whatever they could, otherwise his operation would’ve gone to waste because we caught him out before he could get us into shit for anything illegal, besides that first gun deal. I don’t think there is anything else illegal, though, and we definitely don’t run drugs, so they had to make something up.”
I’ve frozen at the name Trey Fox.
“What?” he asks me, frowning. “What is it?”
“Trey Fox is the name Fox uses sometimes,” I tell him, brow furrowing. “My ex-boyfriend Fox. His real name is Trey Bates.”
I can see the moment he pieces it all together. “Are you telling me that your biker piece-of-shit ex was the undercover cop in the Wind Dragons?”
Fuck.
I think I am.
I nod. “It explains why he was at the police station and able to get that note to you.”
It also explains why he didn’t want me to meet anyone in his MC, not that it matters now.
Wow.
“Fuck,” Rogue mutters, pulling me closer. “At least now I can say I’m the only biker you’ve been with, because that asshole is definitely not a biker. He’s a cop.”
I slap at his arm. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now? Seriously?”
“Yes, it fucking is.”
Erin and Celina arrive and greet their men, each with a baby in their arms.
Vanessa finally manages to park and walks over to us. “Oh, dammit, I missed the whole reunion! Nice to see all you guys out of prison.”
“Thanks for the help, Vanessa,” Rogue says to her, reaching out his free arm and pulling her in for a hug. “You’re the best.”
“Damn straight I am,” she replies, smiling. “Aren’t you happy it’s the school holidays? Otherwise I’d be at work and unable to call in favors from men I’ve slept with. Anything to make my sister happy, though. Should we get out of here, or do you guys want to hang around longer? I’m sure they’d be more than happy to take you back.”
Rogue chuckles. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. Do you want me to drive? I watched you struggle there.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she says with a hair flick. “Let’s go, fam.”
Rogue, Ace, and Erin come with me and Vanessa, and Knuckles goes with Celina and the two babies. After dropping Ace and Erin off, we head back to my apartment, and I cook dinner while Rogue has a shower and makes phone calls to let everyone know what’s going on. We went from not knowing if Rogue was going to be let out to me cooking like nothing happened.
There’s a reason biker women are known for being so tough.
They have no other option.
After Vanessa heads home, Rogue and I climb straight into bed and just enjoy being wrapped up in each other.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, regret and guilt in his tone. “I told you nothing would happen. I guess I should have told you sometimes shit does happen, but we always handle it somehow.”
“I know you can’t control everything. I actually had a bad feeling before you left, but I didn’t want to say anything. I’d have sounded crazy if I had,” I admit, burying my face in his neck and pressing a kiss there. “I felt so helpless. I had no idea what to do or how to help you
. It was hell.”
“I don’t expect you to help me, Zoe. Just be there for me after I sort it all out, like you’re doing right now. You’re not angry or giving me any shit, and I have to say that I really fuckin’ appreciate it,” he says softly, rolling me over onto my back. “I didn’t know a woman like you existed.”
“Well, here I am,” I tease, my gaze dropping to his lips. “And boy, did I miss you.”
He slams his lips down on mine, lifts and pins my arms into the mattress. The kiss isn’t quick; it’s deep, lingering, and passionate. It’s hungry, somehow both giving and demanding. I can feel myself get damp as his tongue touches mine, searching my mouth and tasting me. I can’t kiss him long enough, hard enough; it’s like I always want more of him. Letting go of my wrists, he moves back and spreads my thighs apart, nestling himself in between them.
“All last night, this is what I was thinking about. You, naked and at my mercy.”
He licks his lips and stares down at my pussy like it’s the most delicious thing he’s ever encountered, then lowers his head and has a taste, but just a little one.
“Mmmmm,” he hums in a deep growl, licking upward, taking his time. I squirm a little, hoping that he gets the hint, wanting him to go deeper, but he keeps on teasing me.
“You’re driving me crazy,” I tell him, a bare whisper. I moan and lift my hips up, so he decides to roll me over onto my stomach, spank my ass for being so impatient, and go down on me from behind, where he has more control, and all I can do is push back on him.
So I do it.
Another slap on my ass, a little harder this time.
I do it again, because let’s be real, him spanking me is fucking turning me on even more, and I want more of it.
And then his tongue is doing that thing on my clit, licking it repeatedly in quick succession, and it’s all over for me.
For round one, anyway.
He fucks me slowly from behind, then rolls me back over and slides inside, all while looking me in the eyes.
“The back view is fuckin’ amazing, but I missed looking at you,” he murmurs, thrusting in and out slowly.
He comes inside me, and I can see how women end up with unplanned pregnancies, because in this moment, with him looking at me like that, the connection so strong, the tension insane, that even if I hadn’t been on the pill, I probably wouldn’t have told him to pull out.
I watch his face in his moment of pleasure and vulnerability, and I relish it.
I could watch him come forever, and if it’s meant to be, I’ll be doing just that.
26
I’m back at work the next day, as if nothing has happened since the last time I was there. Rogue said he will be visiting his mom today, with lunch for me, which gives me something to look forward to. He asked me if he brought his mom’s favorite meal this week, can I pretend that I don’t see him giving it to her, and I agreed, even though it’s against the rules and I could get into big trouble for allowing it. I figure with everything that’s going on with her, anything to cheer her up is a good thing. I’m willing to turn a blind eye and keep myself occupied in someone else’s room while he has a meal with her. The home doesn’t allow outside food because of allergies and other health risks, but Rogue would know about any of those, and I’m sure that one meal, no matter what it is, won’t hurt her.
“Did you think about what I asked you?” Mrs. K asks me after her shower, when she’s changed and sitting down in her chair. Unlike most of the residents here, she can do most of the tasks herself; I’m just here to assist and make sure she’s okay. That makes it a lot easier for me, but because of her heart condition, it’s also quite stressful because you never know what can happen. Some dementia patients can also get very irritated, lashing out physically and verbally, but Mrs. K tends to just zone out and go quiet, almost like she’s lost in her own world, unable to use her body and voice. She’s obviously very much herself today, and apparently, unlike I had hoped, she didn’t forget what she had asked me.
“What do you mean?” I ask her, not wanting to talk about this, hoping that she’s referring to something else. She did ask me to call Rogue; maybe she forgot that he visited and wants me to call him again. I don’t know. A girl can dream.
“Don’t play dumb, Zoe, it doesn’t suit you,” she says with a huff, looking me dead in the eyes. Her blue eyes familiar yet so different—hers worn and fragile, unlike the determined, youthful gaze of the man I love.
I puff out a breath and sit down opposite her. “I was hoping you’d forgotten about all of that. You’re not thinking clearly.”
“I’ve never thought more clearly in my life. People don’t just forget that they don’t want to live when they cannot breathe on their own, Zoe,” she replies, pursing her lips. “I’m not going to forget that I’m just sitting here waiting for the grim reaper to arrive on my doorstep, with no freedom. Only one of my children visits me, and he’s the only visitor I get. I’m not the easiest woman, but Jesus, I do have more family out there.”
“You are a lovely woman,” I tell her, biting the inside of my cheek. “You only need one good visitor, rather than twenty terrible ones who don’t even know what to say to you and stand around in your room awkwardly.”
“You speak the truth,” she agrees, nodding. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to be here. I’m sick, Zoe, and you know this. My mind is sick, but so is my body. My heart doesn’t want to fight anymore. If I have another heart attack, I don’t want to be revived. And if I’m put on life support, I want you to make sure that Rogue knows I want it to be turned off.”
“I feel for you, Mrs. K, but I’m not the person you should be having this conversation with.”
“You’re my nurse. You’re exactly the person I should be having this conversation with.”
The look on her face has my guilt soaring sky-high. She’s looking at me like I’m her only option, like I’m going to be the one to save her from her own life. If this were any other patient, I’d talk to the family and convince them to think of what’s best for her. But this isn’t just any other patient. “Have you spoken to Rogue about this?”
Or does she want me to tell him? If so, she has put me in a very awkward situation, one I’d rather not be a part of.
“Yes. I’ve expressed what I want, but he doesn’t think I know what I’m talking about. I’m his mother. It’s hard to ask that of my son, force him to allow me to give up,” she says, sighing. “But it’s easier for me to tell you, and he will listen to you. Most women want to get rid of their mothers-in-law; you should be jumping at the chance.”
“First of all, I’m not most women, and second, I liked you and cared about you even before I knew you were Rogue’s mother, so don’t say things like that to me. I don’t want you to leave us any more than Rogue does,” I tell her, frowning. “I know that your health isn’t looking the best, but I don’t understand why you can’t enjoy the time you have left, especially with your son.”
“My mind is deteriorating, Zoe. Every day it gets harder. Soon I won’t remember my son. I won’t even remember my own boy,” she says, then starts to cry, and I can’t help it, I cry with her.
We’re all going to lose her. If her heart doesn’t give out first, the dementia will win, and she will be a shell of the woman she was.
She’s right, I guess: I can see why she’d prefer to leave this world with her memories and on her own terms. She’s scared. She can’t control this, and it’s a losing battle. I can’t think of anything worse than not remembering, because your past is who you are, and memories are the most treasured things in the world. They’re also something you think can’t be taken from you.
I don’t know what else to say, so I just give her a hug and tell her it’s going to be okay.
“Is it?” she asks, and this time I don’t reply.
How many times can I lie in one day?
After work I drive straight to the clubhouse, and everyone who isn’t locked up is a
lready there. Rogue lets me in and kisses me as soon as I’m out of the car.
“How was your day?” he asks me, cupping my face in his hands and looking into my eyes. I think of the conversation I had with his mother and want to cry again.
Instead, I muster up a smile and reply, “It was fine.”
Fine.
How many times have people used that word when everything wasn’t even close to being fine? How many times have I?
Countless.
Except this time I’m with Rogue, a man who actually pays attention. He murmurs, “Are you sure?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’m just a little tired is all. Do we have any news from Jaxon?”
He hesitates, scanning my face, but lets it go. “Yeah, he figured out the whole surveillance situation. He even got someone to come in and take fingerprints, so maybe we can prove that the police have tampered with our shit and made no note of doing so.”
The messed-up thing is, the cops probably think they’re doing the right thing, bringing down these “hardened criminal bikers” by any means possible, when in reality they’re just messing in shit they shouldn’t. Like, fine, if you find something incriminating, then of course someone has to take responsibility for that, but to potentially plant something and frame people for something that wasn’t theirs? That’s just abusing power.
“So what is Jaxon going to do with that information?” I ask as we walk inside.
“Honestly, I don’t know, but I think he’s hoping if he tells the cops he’s investigating, they’ll just let the men go instead of us having to go to court and drag all of this out. This whole thing is over their undercover operation, and now they’re being salty. We need to let them know that we’re not just going to take it sitting down.”
We find everyone sitting in the living area, watching TV and having a beer. Walker and David are playing on the floor on two of those little baby mats, and both are dressed in matching camouflage outfits, looking absolutely adorable.
Going Rogue Page 15
