Page 57 of Dodge

Dodge’s anger simmered below the surface, but he kept it in check. At least for now. “Brick is on it.”

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

He moved and wrapped her in his arms. Tears flowed from her eyes, and she clung to him. “We’re gonna get to the bottom of it, sweetness. Whoever this guy is, he better pray the police get him first. Even then, he might not be breathing by tomorrow morning. Katie Grace is well loved in this community, and Blue might wear a badge, but he’s still a Dragon Runner.”

“I love you.”

His heart jumped at the impromptu confession. He didn’t expect it, but he’d take it. “I love you, too, sweetness.”

She pulled back, and he regarded her splotchy face. “Do you love me enough to help me get the dishes done and close the place down? I want to get to the hospital, then go see Macie. I can’t leave him in jail tonight.”

“He said Dewey would come get him later.” Dodge picked up a set of plates and scraped them into the bin.

“That’s right. Dewey was here tonight. He said he liked my coq au vin. You should have heard the way he said it. I think he was trying to make a joke. I don’t know where he is now, though.”

“Plan B. We clean up and close up, then go to the hospital. Betsey is probably already there with Katie Grace’s parents. After, we’ll call the jail and see if Macie has been sprung. If not, we’ll go get him. If there’s a bond, I’m sure the Runners will cover it.”

“You’re gonna need to modify that plan.” Weatherman appeared in the doorway. He’d been spending most of his days lately taking care of his mother as she dealt with chemo treatments. Dodge hadn’t hung with him much at all, but when the call went out, everyone responded.

“What do you mean?”

“Mom is at the hospital right now getting an IV drip for dehydration. I saw Katie Grace was admitted. Someone else got admitted recently too. Mallory is there in ICU as a Jane Doe.”

The world tilted on its axis, and Dodge almost fell over. Mallie? ICU?

Before he processed that piece of news, another highly irate voice pierced the air.

“Fauna Somers, what have you done now?”

A speechless Dodge looked up to see a conservatively dressed Black woman with a severely tight bun on her head and snapping dark eyes.

Why does the world have to have such shit timing tonight?

Fauna’s mother had come for a visit.

CHAPTER29

Of all thefucked-up things I had to handle today, my mother hadn’t been on that list. Yet here she was in all her glory. Harriet Somers, in the flesh. My father wasn’t with her, which was a small comfort, but dealing with my mom was bad enough.

I was by myself with my mother strolling casually around my place. Dodge stood by me when she made her appearance, and she dismissed his presence almost immediately. He just had a major dumpage laid on him after a messy night, yet he still stayed with me until I shooed him out the door.

“You need to go take care of business at the hospital.”

He pressed his lips together and inhaled sharply through his nose. I recognized the signal that he was worried. “I don’t want to leave you alone right now.”

Warm fuzzies bloomed in my belly at the thought that he would rather stay with me and have my back than go deal with the recent shitstorm. But he was needed elsewhere. Trust started at the beginning, and if we were to make a go of it, I had to believe he’d come back to me. “I’m good. I got this. Go where you’re needed most and keep me informed. I’ll see you later?”

“I’ll come home as soon as I can.”

Home. That sounded so damn good, even if it was more of a squatter’s crash pad upstairs than a real place.

“Who was that man? The one with the vest?” my mom asked.

“It’s called a cut, and it shows he’s a member of the Dragon Runners MC. His name is Dodge.”

“What’s an MC?”

“Motorcycle club.”

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