Page 62 of Fletch

“Not good,” says Gemma. “You can’t just hang around here. We’ll make proper arrangements.”

“I’ll be fine,” says Ruby. “Go back to work.”

“No,” snaps Gemma. “You can’t stay in a biker club.”

“And why’s that?” I ask, arching a brow. “Bikers are suddenly not good enough in your eyes?”

“I’m responsible for her, Fletch. This is a biker club. Do you want her around criminals and sex workers?”

I scoff. “Wow. Now, you’re showing your true colours.”

“It’s not the place for a teenager.”

“Or a copper,” I spit, “so leave.”

“Ruby, let’s go.” Gemma heads for the door, but Ruby stays rooted to the spot. I smirk when Gemma looks back to find her not moving. “Ruby?”

“I want to stay a while longer, Gemma. I want to get to know him. You owe me after everything.”

I see in her eyes she’s going to drop it and leave. Ruby gives me a subtle smile, and Gemma rolls her eyes and stomps back out.

Once she’s gone, we talk and it’s surprisingly easy. She tells me about her childhood and how it was hard but not unbearable. She speaks of Gemma a lot, and how she’s been her biggest cheerleader. Now, it all makes sense. But most of all, she talks about how, up until now, she’s always felt something was missing, and so maybe deep down, she knew.

When Axel steps from his office with Grizz, he comes over. “She a little young?” he asks, concern lacing his words.

“It’s not what you think, Pres,” I mutter, standing. “She’s Gemma’s . . . erm, she’s mine and Gemma’s daughter.”

Both men stare wide-eyed with shock. “Are you shitting me?” asks Grizz, looking back and forth between us. “You have a kid with the copper?”

“I just found out today.”

“And now, she’s here,” says Axel slowly. “Did you check her for a wire?”

“Of course not,” I snap. “She’s just a kid. Look, it’s complicated. I’ll explain later.”

“Or we can go to the office, and you can put my mind to rest,” he insists, stepping to one side. “Grizz, go find a babysitter. In fact, get Lexi. She can sniff out a lie.”

Gemma

My mind is full of Ruby and Fletch. I can’t concentrate on work, so when I get called into my father’s office, it’s a welcome relief from the piles of paperwork I have on my desk.

“I assume this is about Operation Sapphire?” I ask as I sit down. I’ve been waiting for him to tell me the plug’s been pulled on the entire investigation.

“I think we both know that’s been a huge failure.”

“I put my report in with Karen. I tried everything and followed all the right procedures. You can’t pin the failure on me.” I already know the book stops with my father—he gave the go-ahead for the operation, and he cleared every raid and stop and search.

“Actually, that’s not entirely true, is it, Gemma?”

I shrug. “I put it all in my statement. I can’t help that the club was clean.”

“This is off the record,” he warns, and I sit straighter. He never gives me inside information, so I’m intrigued. “They found a tape at the clubhouse. It was in the safe.”

“Okay.”

“And although I’ve not seen it personally, I’ve been told you’re on it.”

My blood runs cold and the visits to the clubhouse and garage race through my mind. I wasn’t exactly careful sometimes. “I had my car done at the garage,” I say, “but Karen knows that.”

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