Page 25 of Cruel Savior

It took me a second, but my brain finally caught up to what he’d said. “Tel got something? Already?”

“Is that even a question?” He slapped me on the back and walked me off the porch. “I’ll send Patty over to check on her. She’ll watch over your girl.”

Calling her my girl felt like a stretch. But my brain was fucking scrambled and I wasn’t sure about anything at the moment. I did agree, however, that we both needed some space and having Patty nearby seemed smart.

Patty wasn’t just an old lady to one of our longest standing members who’d been around from the beginning with JD and Houston’s dad, she was a licensed psychologist who specialized in abuse cases. This was not the first time we needed her services and it likely wouldn’t be the last.

We walked in silence to the clubhouse, my stomach still churning from the shock of Turner’s revelations, and Mandy’s subsequent breakdown. I wasn’t sure I’d be much help tonight, but at least there was liquor in the clubhouse. I was ready for a shot or ten.

And the sooner I got through this, the sooner I’d get back to her. The amount of space I could give her had a limit and it was already counting down.

Walking into the building, I was surprised to see so many members in attendance. “What’s going on?” I asked. “Why is everyone here?”

“I called everyone in. We need all hands on deck right now. We’ve got multiple problems, and I believe they are about to intersect.”

“What does that mean?”

Before JD could answer, their arrival was met with the shouts and greetings of their club brothers that hadn’t had a chance to gather as a group like this in far too many weeks.

“Axel, brother.” Cash, one of the biggest brothers at six foot six, and at least two hundred and fifty pounds, greeted him with an arm shake and a display of strength that he returned enthusiastically.

“Good to see you,” I said. “When did you return?”

Cash laughed and handed him an oversized mug of freshly pulled beer. “Only last night. And it’s fucking good to be here.”

“Breakfast of champions?” I asked, laughing as Cash finished off his own glass.

“Damn right. It sounds like we might not have another chance to drink together for a while. Word is we’re going hunting for a killer.”

I spied the bloodthirsty look in Cash’s eyes, understanding that feeling well. There was a man out there, possibly closer than was comfortable, looking to kill Mandy, and I planned to do anything it took to keep that from happening. I didn’t care who I had to hurt, or how many laws I had to break to get it done, but get it done I would.

I tapped my glass to Cash’s. “Every man needs a hunt now and then. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to it.”

“Looking forward to what?” Zook joined the conversation. He’d just come from his shift at Turner’s place so he knew better than most of them what we would be up against.

“The hunt!” Cash laughed.

Zook gave me a side eye, while neither of us laughed. Cash hadn’t been involved thus far so his exuberance couldn’t be faulted. He’d not seen the evidence of what had been done to Mandy’s coworker, or the pictures that had arrived at her doorstep.

And only JD and I knew about the rest.

Not to mention he was a crazy fuck when it came to danger. He wasn’t stupid or reckless, but he always ran towards danger versus avoiding it. However, when the time came to fight their way out of a situation, having Cash on their side always presented an advantage.

It was important to remember that.

I finished my beer, thought about a shot of whiskey to follow up and changed my mind. Today promised to be a long day, and I preferred to face it with a clear mind and an angry heart. I refused to dull the pain when I needed clarity.

“I gathered us here, so we could talk about what’s coming.” JD interrupted his thoughts and ended the jovial conversation with Cash and Zook. “We don’t have all the details, but Tel has found a connection between what’s going on in Seattle and what’s going on here in our own town.”

I sucked in a breath, shocked that JD hadn’t told me this in advance. “What the hell?”

“I know. I know. I just found out.”

“We need to bring Amanda in on this.”

JD threw me a narrowed look. We both knew that couldn’t happen right now, but we’d need to bring her into the loop as soon as possible. I may not know everything about her, but I did know she was capable of being a part of this fight. Would insist on it.

As much as I may prefer to keep her safe on the sidelines, it was never going to happen.

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