Page 152 of Break Out

“My lawyer and I will be there,” Steel said.

I heard a different voice say, “It’s just questioning, but it’s your call.”

The door clicked shut and Steel took his seat next to me.

Nelson leaned against the breakfast bar adjacent to the dining table. “‘Just questioning,’ my ass. Why do they bother with that? We all know the score.”

Uncle Cal shot Nelson a wry look. “Believe it or not, lots of people don’t know the score. That’s why they bother with that.”

Nelson tipped his head to the side. “Fair.” He looked at Steel. “Do we even have a club lawyer any more?”

Steel slung his arm around my shoulders. “We do. They’re new, and it looks like I’ll get to see what they’re made of first hand.”

Uncle Cal caught Steel’s gaze. “Are you sure you’re cool with us staying here? I don’t have a problem hitting the road if I get my hands on some Café Bustello before I go.”

Steel grinned. “It’s no problem, Callous. The better question is if you have a problem bunking with Rafferty.”

“I’m not bunking with him. He’s sleeping on the floor.”

“Or I’ll just sleep on the sectional,” Rafferty said, coming in through the sliding glass door.

“You plan to prospect with any club, I think sleeping on the floor is exactly where you belong,” Dad said, following him inside.

Rafferty shook his head and stopped next to me. “Did you call Alexandra?”

I dipped my chin. “In his truck. It was brief. I’m gonna call her in the morning.”

“Good.”

Before he moved away, I grabbed his hand. “Thanks, Raff. I mean it. Not everyone would think to listen to Alexandra or Jasmine. I don’t care what Dad and the others say, that’s really admirable.”

He gave my hand a squeeze. “Glad you’re okay, Simone. We all love you.”

Everyone had gone to bed. Blood and Abby were in a guest bedroom on the same side of the house as Steel’s bedroom, while Dad and Mom were in a bedroom on the other side of the house. Cal had taken over the room Rafferty had been using… and I had no idea if Raff had opted to sleep on the floor, the sectional in the living room, or take his chances at the Devil Lancer clubhouse.

I’d never been so exhausted. Yet, as excited as I was to go to bed, part of me feared that I wouldn’t be able to sleep because I wanted it so desperately.

Steel climbed under the covers, twisted toward his lamp and turned out the light. “Hit your light, babe. I’m wiped out.”

I ignored his request and twisted so I could snuggle up to him. “Are you really going in for questioning tomorrow morning?”

He wrapped his arms around me. “Sweetheart, the less you know—”

“Nope. I’m not putting up with that. I was there for some of this shit. I know that you took care of it, which means I’m not going to rat you out or anything. Give it to me straight. Is there any chance they have something on you? I’m sure you concocted an elaborate plan against Knuckles, but for all we know some informant sold you out.”

He rubbed his hand up and down my back. “Jade, slow down. Yeah, you were there… for some of it. The news reported that Knuckles and his drug supplier had an altercation after Knuckles learned Sledge and Mug had been killed.”

“After?” I asked, since I knew Mug and Sledge had likely been killed at the same time as Knuckles.

He dipped his chin, his lips quirking upward. “That’s what the news reports.”

“So, what about the supplier?”

“He was found dead at the meeting site, so were the few men who were with him. The cartel isn’t claiming Manuel or the others, because he’d gone rogue, but that won’t be in the news.”

I nodded and stifled a yawn. “Bottom line, am I gonna have to visit you and wish you weren’t wearing the drab prison uniform? Everyone thinks it’s orange all the time, but really, it’s the color of oatmeal.”

His body shook with laughter. “You got a problem with oatmeal, Jade? I heard toddlers like it.”

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