“Adams.” He scrutinizes Chaser’s license more thoroughly. “What business do you have here?”
Chaser’s expression remains passive. “I’m here with my girlfriend for moral support,” he answers.
The guard’s gaze flicks between us for a few seconds before a slow smile of recognition spreads over his face. “You’re Chaser Adams, right? Guitarist for Kickstart?” He glances at me again. “You’re the chick from the video. I knew you look two looked familiar.”
Oh my God. I can’t afford to have news spread that my father’s a notorious crime boss. The tabloids will have a field day.
Chaser seems to understand why I’m frozen in place.
“Yeah, that’s us.” He leans in closer to the guard. “We really need to keep this visit hush-hush, though.”
The guard straightens up. “Of course. I’m a huge fan. Looking forward to the next album.”
“We’ll be working on it soon. It’s a little different from the last one.” Chaser leans in closer, as if he’s including the guard in top-secret band information. “More progressive. The label let us do some experimenting.”
“Totally awesome. Love ‘Candy Jar.’” His gaze slides my way. “The video was perfect because of her.”
Waves of possessiveness roll off Chaser, and he slips his arm around my shoulders, making it clear we’re together. “Sure is. Favorite video ever. That’s how we met.”
I flash a hesitant smile.
Finally, the guard waves us through the metal detector. On the other side, he does a quick inspection of my small purse, before leading us into a room with a long counter in the middle. Large panes of plexiglass separate the prisoners from visitors. A mesh square in the middle allows us to speak.
“Your dad hasn’t been here long, so he’s still only allowed no contact visits,” the guard says almost apologetically.
“Of course. I understand.”
Honestly, it’s probably safer that way. I doubt my father is happy with me at the moment. And I guarantee he won’t be thrilled about Chaser.
Chaser pulls out a chair for me and then drags another to my side, so we’re sitting as close as possible.
No mistaking that we’re a couple.
“Thank you,” I whisper. I don’t care if it makes me weak; today, I need the safety and protection Chaser’s closeness brings.
On the other side, a large, metal door swings open. My father enters the space.
I jump out of my chair at the sight of him. Chaser stands as well, more out of respect than shock, since this is the first time he’s met my father and has no way of knowing how much weight he’s lost since he’s been inside. Also missing is the healthy glow I remember. His skin is pale, pasty and etched with new lines.
What my father has not lost is his air of authority. He stands tall, as if he owns the room and everyone in it.
Chaser wraps his arm around my shoulders, and my father’s eyes narrow at the obvious-we’re-a-couple gesture.
His gaze slides down my body and over to Chaser, before finally taking a seat. He motions for us to do the same.
“Daughter, who have you brought to our visit?” It’s only now, after not hearing his voice for so long, that I notice the moderate accent coloring his words.
It’s not like they can shake hello. So instead, Chaser takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. “Russell Adams, sir. Pleased to meet you. I wish it was in a better setting.”
“And who are you to my daughter?” he asks with a bite to his words I’ve only ever heard him use with business associates who have fallen out of favor.
“Daddy, Ch—Russell is my...boyfriend.”
My father’s jaw tightens at the word boyfriend.
“You did not do as I asked,” he says in the same tone that used to send terror through me as a little girl. Old Mallory shivers inside.
New Mallory sits up taller and looks her father in the eye. “No, I did not. I’m not a thing you can give to one of your friends. I have my own dreams for my future that I want to go after.”
He drops his head, shaking it from side to side, as if I’m a simple, foolish girl.
“All I wanted was for you to be protected and taken care of.”
And kept under someone’s thumb. “That would mean a lot more if your goons hadn’t insisted I pay back the money I borrowed to go to California.”
My father smirks. “Had you asked me, dear daughter, I would have told you it was not all mine to let you borrow.”
“Well, I couldn’t exactly ask you, now could I?”
“You’ve paid it back, yes? The family will take care of you.”
“I can take care of myself.”
He snorts and shoots a glare at Chaser. “Are you sure about that?”
Chaser breaks his silence. “Your man tracked her down and tried to bring her home by force. That the kind of ‘care’ your people offer?”
“And how exactly will your club treat her?” he asks, obliterating the illusion that he has no idea Chaser’s part of an MC.
Chaser isn’t intimidated. “My club will protect her, same as they would any member’s old lady.”
I’ve gathered from my time spent at the clubhouse that the title of “old lady” isn’t used lightly, and among the brothers, it’s the same as being someone’s wife. But I have no idea if my father understands the term or its significance.
My father’s gaze zeroes in on my left hand. “I see no ring.” He waves a dismissive hand in the air. “Not one of your patches.” Spitting out the last word like venom.
“We haven’t been together that long,” I explain. Why does everyone keep trying to rush us into marriage and babies? “But I love him and hope you’ll be happy for me.”
My father’s face twists with annoyance. “Eh.” He waves his hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. “Love.”
Chaser pulls our intertwined hands forward, resting them on the counter in front of my father. He brushes his thumb over the back of my hand. “I love your daughter very much, sir. I will take care of her. Provide for her. Protect her.”
A crack in my father’s hard expression appears. A widening of his eyes as his head tilts in Chaser’s direction. Chaser notices it too and continues his pledges. “I want to support and encourage all of Mallory’s ambitions. Not turn her into a robo-wife or make her into my brood mare.”
I squirm from the blunt statement, but my heart swells at the conviction in Chaser’s voice.
“That’s what Vasily would’ve expected of her, right?” Chaser continues.
Ah, he went one too far. My father’s eyes harden. “You’re an outsider to her world.” He nods at me. “And she’s an outsider to your world.”
“You’re not giving me the ‘stick to your own kind’ speech are you? Come on, it’s 1989, join us in the twentieth century.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone speak to my father with such disrespect and survive. His unrelenting stare radiates hatred. “What can you possibly have in common with my daughter?”
“Our parents are in similar lines of work for starters,” he deadpans.
My father casts a glance around the empty space and leans forward. “You think your rinky-dink motorcycle club is in my league, boy?”
Chaser drops his future-son-in-law act. “You know as well as I do, our businesses are frequently in competition.” He squeezes my hand. “My father and my club have welcomed her.”
“Yes, and wouldn’t that be the perfect way to bend me to your club’s needs?”
“Daddy—”
Chaser cuts off my outburst. “I get why you might see it that way, sir. And if I was in your shoes, I’d probably be thinking the same thing. But that’s not what this is.”
I finally understand what Chaser’s father was trying to explain to me.
“Daddy, Chaser and I met in California.”
“So I heard,” my father says without taking his eyes off Chaser.
“Well, here’s the part you haven’t hea
rd,” Chaser says. His gaze searches the room as if he’s trying to come up with a way to explain the situation. “I’m going to be completely straight with you, Mr. DeLova. I’m technically on leave with my club. Brothers in my charter always have my back if I need them, but I’m not in a position to conduct business on behalf of my club at the moment.”
Now Chaser has my father’s full attention. “And why is that, son?”
Chaser’s mouth quirks as if he knows my father won’t be impressed with the next portion of his story. “Sir, before I met your daughter, I only had two loves in my life. Music and the club. My father’s been president as long as I can remember. Before that, my grandfather was in charge. So I grew up with the expectation I’d take over the club someday. I patched-in at fourteen, which you must realize isn’t that common.”
My father nods, making me believe he might understand motorcycle club life better than I expected.
“I had a band in high school with friends of mine. We were a fairly popular local band. Kodack isn’t exactly known for its music scene, though, so when I turned eighteen, I moved to California to pursue music.”
“You took off and deserted your family?” My father sneers. Clearly thinking he’s figured out something significant about Chaser’s character.
Chaser snorts and shakes his head. “Not at all. My father sent me with his blessing. I lost my voting privileges, but not my patch. Only money I had, came straight outta my personal piggy bank. I had to make it on my own. But I could come back to the club at any time.”
“And what does this little family history lesson have to do with my daughter?” my father asks.
“Let me finish. The band I went out there with didn’t last, but my friend and I met two other guys from another band and we formed a new group. We worked our asses off and finally landed a small record deal. I don’t know how much you know about the music business out there, but the competition is extreme. Videos are a big deal. The label gave us some money to shoot something flashy.” He chuckles and shakes his head. “Not quite what the band would have chosen.”
I duck my head and laugh too, thinking of the tacky video.
My father just seems confused.
“That’s where your daughter comes in. You had just been shipped off to this lovely facility.” Chaser circles his hand in the air, indicating the prison surrounding us. “And she decided that instead of being enslaved by your minions, she wanted to pursue her own dreams and become an actress.”
Cold fear at having my secret revealed to my father swirls in my gut. Knowing hell would freeze over before I gained his approval, I never shared my dream with him. Sure, I’d dabbled in the theater in high school, but that’s not quite the same as running off to Hollywood.
Surprisingly, he turns to me with softer eyes. “You never told me this.”
“I didn’t think you’d approve.”
“I wouldn’t have,” he answers honestly. “Continue,” he says to Chaser.
“Anyway, your daughter was hired to play a part in that video.” Chaser drapes his arm over the back of my chair. His hand grazes the side of my face, and he tucks some hair behind my ear in an affectionate gesture not missed by my father. “The second I saw her, I wanted her in my life.”
I glance at Chaser. He knew that first day?
He notices me watching him and flashes a sincere smile, before turning back to my father.
“What I’m trying to explain to you, sir, is that I didn’t pursue your daughter because I knew she was your daughter.” He closes his eyes for a brief second and shakes his head. “She goes by a stage name. But even if she didn’t, I don’t think I would’ve known who she was. Remember, I’ve been out of club business for four years now.” All humor vanishes from Chaser’s face, and he sits up straighter, leans in closer to the plexiglass. “I didn’t learn who she was until after Vasily attacked her.”
Anger slashes across my father’s face. “Attacked?”
“Yes, Father,” I answer calmly. “He was not kind or gentle about his intentions.”
Chaser takes my hand again. “I brought her back home to my club, because I knew she’d be safe there. My father’s the one who recognized who she was.” He glances over at me. “I love her. Doesn’t matter to me who she’s related to.”
Some of this information is new to me or at least Chaser’s characterization of it is, but oh, how my heart flutters when Chaser unequivocally declares his love for me in front of my father.
“You’re telling me your father won’t exploit this relationship for a business deal?”
“With all due respect, sir, not everything is about you.” Chaser’s mouth quirks. “I can’t speak to my father’s motivations. He’s always looking out for the club, obviously. Just as I’m sure you’re always protecting your interests.”
Something in my father’s hard demeanor finally breaks. “Honesty.” My father actually smiles. “That, I respect.”
“So do I, sir. I want to start our relationship out on the right foot.”
“And why is that?”
Chaser pulls no punches. “I plan to be in your daughter’s life for a long time, so I’m trying to be as straight with you as possible.” He glances around the room. “Under the circumstances.”
“Understood.” My father leans forward. “Where did you say your hometown was?”
One corner of Chaser’s mouth twitches upwards. “Kodack. But I’ve moved around a lot. Toronto, right outside Syracuse. Got family I stay with from time-to-time in twenty-five different states.”
My father raises an eyebrow. Somehow, I don’t think Chaser is describing a bunch of cousins scattered around the country. More likely this is some territory code.
“Toronto. It’s supposed to be nice up there.”
“It’s a beautiful city,” Chaser agrees.
“I’ve never been.”
A cat-ate-the-canary grin spreads across Chaser’s face. “Well, when you get out, maybe we’ll take a big ol’ family trip, and I can introduce you to some people.”
I can’t think of anything that sounds more unpleasant.
Chapter Forty-Three
Chaser
“I can’t believe you managed to win over my father,” Mallory says as we leave the prison and navigate the parking lot. “He’s usually as ornery as your father.”
Not wanting the extra attention, my brothers wait for us on the other side of the fenced-in parking lot.
“I wouldn’t get too excited,” I answer honestly. “I’m pretty sure he’d still gut me if he thought he could get away with it.”
Mallory doesn’t even blink. “But it’s a start.”
“Optimism, I like that.” I lean down and kiss her cheek, before opening her door. “Buckle up, babe.”
“I’m not a child, Chaser,” she complains, but does as I ask. When she’s seat belted in, I lock her door before closing it.
As I round the truck, my gaze roams over the parking lot, searching for anything out of place. We were visiting for an awfully long time. Plenty of opportunity for someone to call DeLova’s crew and give them a head’s up.
A pebble skittering over the pavement behind me has me ducking and turning around. Good thing too, because Vasily’s fist flies past the spot where my neck was two seconds ago.
“Good to see you again too, Vasily.” I smirk at him, and he grunts in frustration. I hold up my hands and back up a few steps, getting into position in case he comes at me again. “I’d rethink this if I were you. I just had a nice heart-to-heart with my future father-in-law.”
“Chaser?” Mallory calls.
“Stay in the truck!” I shout without turning away from Vasily.
His dumb-as-an-ox face screws up into a frown. “What do you mean, you spoke to him?”
“Yup. Sorry you raced up here for nothing.”
Confusion clouds his already vacant eyes. “I come every Wednesday afternoon.”
Huh, well, fuck me. Maybe her daddy didn’t approve of me aft
er all. I shrug as if it’s not a big deal, but I’m pissed DeLova never mentioned his goon might show up. Especially after Mallory told him what Vasily did to her.
“By the way, Mallory told her father how you treated her in California.”
He shrugs, but a hint of fear crawls over his face. “I was told to bring her back any way necessary.”
He continues glaring at me, but I’m not all that concerned. I already know he’s a lousy fighter. I also know if he’s planning to go inside those prison walls for a visit, he’s not armed. Most importantly, four of my brothers are waiting on the other side of that fence watching this exchange.
“Besides, she was going to be my wife. I can treat her any damn way I want.” He glances at the truck and snorts. “I assume she’s no longer a virgin, so you don’t have to worry. I’m not interested in marrying a whore.”
“Motherfucker, say that again,” I growl. My hands curl into fists, and I take a few steps closer.
“Do we have a problem, gentlemen?” A deep voice calls out from behind Vasily.
I glare at the asshole in front of me whose ass I’m about to kick and slowly uncurl my fists. Last thing I need is to get arrested and tossed in a cell next to Mallory’s father. I let out a long, slow breath, willing my rage away.
“No, sir. Just ran into an old acquaintance and was saying hello,” I answer smoothly.
“You two need to move it along. This isn’t a hangout.”
“Yes, sir. My girlfriend and I just finished visiting her father and are on our way home now.” I back away and open my door. “Later, V.” I give him a cocky wave and hop in the truck.
“What a dickhead,” I grumble as I fire up the engine.
I glance over at Mallory, who has her hand pressed tight against her chest. “You okay?”
“No. He scared the shit out of me. Thank God no one else was with him.”
“Yeah, let’s hope we don’t run into any of his pals,” I mutter. Vasily watches us pull away. I’m not worried about him tracking the license plate. The truck isn’t mine, and I’d love to see him show up at the owner’s house unannounced.
We stop at the guard shack and sign out, before pulling onto the main road. A couple hundred feet further, my four brothers are waiting at a crescent-shaped pull off on the shoulder of the road.
Blow My Fuse (Hollywood Demons Book 2) Page 20
