Page 62 of Wife Number One

Rebel glanced over at me. “Are you okay?” She put the back of her hand to my forehead. “Shit, Kara, you’re all pale and clammy. Was it something you ate?”

I shook my head quickly, one eye on the three men huddled together on the other side of the yard, their faces lined with concern and voices low.

They all looked in my direction.

I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.

There would be a punishment the way there would have been back home if I had accidentally stumbled across one of the men doing…that.

Hawk would be within his rights to punish me.

My heart pounded as War and Fang nodded, and Hawk lifted a walkie-talkie I hadn’t noticed before to his mouth.

His gaze burned mine as he mumbled something into it I couldn’t hear.

War moved back to stand beside Bliss and stroked a hand over her auburn hair. “Okay, listen up, you guys. I need someone to take the kids inside—”

Rebel stood. “I’ll grab them.”

But War shook his head. “Queenie, you, please. I need Rebel and her family here with mine. Everyone else, inside. Don’t panic, but we have cops on their way in.”

I froze. “Police?”

Some of the guys swore loudly, but War waved them toward the clubhouse impatiently. “Keep your shit together. They don’t have a warrant. Ratchet is on the gate and he checked. They won’t tell him what it’s about, but I think we can probably safely assume it’s to do with Kara.”

I dropped my gaze to the ground, knowing he was right. Josiah had probably called the police on me for kidnapping or something equally horrible. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I should have never come here.”

War shook his head, steadying me with his sincere expression. “Hey, no. That’s not what I meant. You’re safe here. You and Hayley Jade. It’s good the cops are here. We can find out what Josiah has reported to them.”

My gaze flickered around the smaller group of people. Bliss and her men. Rebel and hers.

Hawk.

His eyes held anger that burned bright as molten lava. “They forced you to marry some guy you didn’t even know? All these fucking years, he’s been keeping you prisoner?”

Fear trickled down my spine as two cop cars trundled slowly along the dirt road that led from the gates to the clubhouse, but I nodded. I couldn’t lie to Hawk, even though the truth ate a little piece of my soul every time I thought about Josiah.

Hawk turned away, but not before I caught a glimpse of pure fury in his expression. When the door on the first cop car opened, Hawk stepped between me and the tall officer who emerged.

“Howard,” Hawk greeted without much warmth in his voice. “To what do we owe the pleasure? Planning on arresting me again? Twice in as many days is a bit much, even for me, don’t you think?”

War raised an eyebrow at the officer they were clearly familiar with. “That better not be what you’re here for. If we need to call a lawyer, tell me now.”

The officer held up his hands in mock surrender, and a second cop from the car behind joined his friend. “It’s not about Hawk.” His gaze landed on Fang. “Your legal name is Milo Garrisen. Correct?”

Fang didn’t say a word. Neither did anybody else, distrust hanging in the air between them.

The cop sighed and carried on. “I don’t know why I asked. I know that’s your name and this place is still registered as your last known address.” He sighed heavily. “Sir, are you still the current de facto partner of a Rebel Amanda Kemp?”

Rebel shifted slightly but didn’t say anything.

Vaughn and Kian both moved in front of her.

Fang, to his credit, didn’t even glance in her direction. “Who I’m shacked up with is of interest to you why?”

The cop took off his hat and fingered the brim of it. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but we believe your partner to have been the victim of a murder last night.”

The tension fell out of the group, and Rebel snorted on a laugh, pushing Vaughn and Kian aside. “Do I look dead to you boys?”

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