Page 82 of Claim Me

Wanting to get out of the hospital, I ask, “How soon can I see Siobhan?”

“Are you sure you’re altogether unbroken, boyo?” Caveman asks.

Zoot flashes the man a frown. “He’s fine. Stop being a drama llama cunt fucker.”

Caveman strokes his beard and murmurs, “I think you just implied I like to fuck dramatic women. That’s not quite the insult you think, chief.”

Zoot opens his mouth to bitch. Noble shakes his head, acting as the voice of reason. The last thing we need is for Zoot and Caveman to wrestle in the ER.

“I’ll get everything in order,” Zoot says before stomping out of the room.

Caveman grips my chin and looks over my face. “You get that eye from a baton or something else?”

“Tommy Brennan shoved my face into the cruiser’s door frame.”

“Well, let’s hope no one kills him before he answers for his crimes.”

Bear chuckles at that comment before remembering we’re supposed to be well-behaved. Shrugging, he mumbles, “I just find cops getting arrested to be funny.”

Noble doesn’t say much of anything until we’re outside and he joins me in the SUV. As a prospect drives us away from the hospital, my VP sighs.

“Zoot is proud of you,” he says, and I nearly roll my eyes. “Taking a beating like that isn’t easy. He would have lost his temper and fought back, but you kept your cool.”

“Getting my ass kicked isn’t really applause-worthy.”

Noble’s dark eyes flash with rage. “If you had fought back, they likely would have killed you. That’s probably what they wanted to happen. They’d kill you in front of witnesses, make it look justified, and rub that shit in our faces. But you held strong, even if you could have broken Tommy Brennan’s soft body in half. That took more balls than I have.”

“Well, okay, you’re welcome, then,” I say, and Noble grins.

Outside, half of the Hills Chapter rides close to the SUV, seeming overly protective of me. I hope Siobhan is getting babied twice as much as I am.

“Tommy fucked up,” Noble says as he stares out at the dusky evening. “Those videos look bad for the cops. But we’re about to make it look worse.”

As we sit at a red light, a cop car comes nearly to a stop in the opposite lane. The assholes are blocking traffic just to make a show of power. Caveman, Zoot, and the rest of the guys rev their engines. The street gets really fucking loud, and I’m glad I can’t hear well out of my right ear.

“Is Siobhan in danger?” I ask Noble. “Those fuckers chased after her.”

Noble glances at me, revealing a rage he usually keeps in check. “They crossed a line by trying to arrest her. No offense, kid, but you’re a club member and fair game. Going after Siobhan means we can start messing with their women. Can’t imagine that’ll go over well with the rank and file in the Brennan organization. Even scum like them don’t want us messing with their moms and wives.”

As our group gets the green light, I ask, “Is that the plan?”

“It would be, but you were so damn calm today. And they picked you of all the guys. That was extra stupid on Alec Brennan’s part.”

“And I’m special because of Siobhan?” I ask, not following along as the pain medicine makes my brain fuzzy.

“No because of Hunter. Our people in the media have begun pushing the idea that you were targeted as revenge for what happened on the road last year. There’ll be an insinuation that the cops might have been in on the plan to grab Hunter.”

Noble frowns at how more police cars tail us now. “Nothing blatant,” he continues. “Our people will plant the seeds by also raising questions about the cops' slow as fuck response when the Kovak family’s convoy was attacked. If the wealthy in this city think the cops aren’t working for their benefit, they’ll demand reform. The first thing the mayor will do is target every precinct chief. The chief of police might be asked to step down. Yeah, the Brennan family just fucked all their cop allies. There’s no telling how that’ll shake out for the club.”

The medicine might be wearing off because I feel worse both physically and mentally. I picture Siobhan in the SUV, wanting to help me yet needing to flee.

“I know this stuff matters. I want the club to be safe. But I’m mostly worried about Siobhan. She’s really close to having the baby. If these cops squeeze us, she might not be able to go to the hospital.”

Noble grins at me. “I like how you two fit. Sync’s a good guy, but he treated my niece like shit. For years, I worried they’d get back together and I’d have to kick his ass. You can’t know how relieved I am to see her with you.”

His words make me feel worse. I want to be the guy who makes Siobhan’s life better. Instead, I feel like I couldn’t protect her today.

“Other plays are going down in the city,” Noble continues. “The precinct chief’s vacation house isn’t the only place about to go boom. But no matter what happens, Siobhan will get what she needs when the baby’s ready. I’ve killed people for smaller reasons than to protect the family.”

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