Page 59 of Blade

“Yes.”

“Need to hear it,” King advised.

“No.”

King stood from his stool, towering over Rachel. “What did you say?”

“Did I stutter? I said no.”

Straightening her back to gather all of her five-foot four-inch frame, she crossed her arms over her chest and continued, “What Beck told me in confidence stays in the vault. It is her choice if she wants to tell you.”

“Rachel—”

“Got to stop you right there, Prez.” Cash growled.

King narrowed his eyes at Cash.

“My woman’s right. This isn’t about the club.” Cash held his hand up before King could say more. “She is givingher statement to Dec, and that will clear Blade. Anything beyond that is her business, and I will not make my old lady break that trust. You will understand one day when you have an old lady of your own.”

“Fuck that,” King hissed, falling back on the stool in defeat.

It wasn’t often someone got the better of King, and less so that it was a woman.

A little while later, the church doors opened, and Beck walked out, followed by the sheriff. They stopped in front of us, and Rachel reached out to wrap Becca in a hug.

“King, in about an hour I will be over at the steakhouse getting the footage from the parking lot.”

Shit, there’s a video.

I was so consumed with her last night I didn’t even think about the fact a fancy place like that would have cameras.

Dec was giving us an hour to get a hold of it before he took it in for evidence. That wouldn’t be an issue for Nav.

“Miss Washington, I will keep you updated on how things are going. Once I have that video, Grant Nicholson will be in cuffs. He won’t be getting out of the hospital for a bit, but I will handcuff him to the bed.”

King stood up, giving his brother a hug. “Thanks.”

“Next time, call me first.”

King nodded confirming he heard him.

Once the sheriff left, King started barking orders, “Get Nav on that video, now. I want to see it.”

Becca turned to me. “Why is Grant in the hospital?”

Before I could answer, King responded, “Club business, sweetheart.”

Turning away from me, she grabbed his arm and gave him a look I had only ever seen her use on her mother.

“I am not club business. This has nothing to do with you. I want you to stay out of it,” she lectured. “If I wanted any of you to know what happened, I would have told you myself.”

King hardened his look, clearly not affected by her outburst and explained to her, “The minute you called Jack, hiding in the shadows of that parking lot, terrified of going back inside to safety, you made it my business, little girl.”

“Little girl?” Becca sneered as her eyes narrowed. “Who beat the crap out of him?”

I reached over, taking her elbow. “Babe, we can’t tell you that.”

Suddenly, she realized the truth.

---