Page 40 of Redemption

“Indeed,” he replies. “You offered help, and I won’t forget it. Grace needed to understand that she’s mine now and what that means.”

“Sloane’s been climbing the walls for news,” I say, treading the waters of this conversation more carefully than I am the traffic in front of me. “She’ll be relieved. I hate to do this, but …”

“Community service.” Ford lets out a chuckle. “We’ll catch you two around.”

“Yep.” With that, I disconnect the call just in time for the turnoff for my home.

No matter how long I’ve lived there, even when I was in the house, I always thought of the property asthe clubhouse. Tonight, when Sloane said she’d be there when I got back, something clicked in the back of my mind. Now it’s our home. And I suddenly feel like I’m going to lose it.

I slow down long enough for the gate to be opened and race forward like the Devil’s on my ass. Swann appears in the clubhouse doorway and motions with his hand to let me know all is well.

“Crasher’s back and we’ve done a full sweep,” he says the moment he’s able to speak over our bikes. “Bridget is up at her house with Evon. Piercer and the prospects are watching over them. Sloane insisted on staying in your room.”

“You gonna tell me what the fuck is happening?” Roman asks once Swann stops his report.

“The men who were at the house had been poisoned, at least one dead,” I inform them, keeping my head on a swivel as I try to figure out what I’m missing. “Tyrant’s pretty certain that was Rouge’s doing. Any caught a bullet and before she died, the last two words sounded like ‘boom’ and ‘moth’.”

“Tyrant had tied up the loose ends, he should be here any minute,” Swann says, exchanging a look with Roman.

“Ford called during the ride. Grace is safe.” With those words, I step forward with the intention of throwing back a shot of tequila before checking in on Sloane. Instead, my leg gives way and I start to fall, until Roman grabs me, jerking me upright.

“Can you walk?” he barks out the words and surprising me enough that I shake my head, giving him the honest answer.

“What …” Swann starts to question what’s happening but Roman snaps his fingers, silencing him as he continues to balance my weight.

“The others are nearly here, cover us and don’t say a fucking word,” he orders Swann, pointing over my shoulder to indicate the men near the gate.

“Get Bridget to my office,” I gasp out the words to Swann, as Roman holds me to his side nearly dragging me through the door and to my office. “How long have you known?”

“I went to see you when you first got transferred back to the States,” he admits, hesitating as he decides where to put me; then carefully lowering me to the couch when I point at it. “I wasn’t on the list, but I sweet-talked a nurse, and she snuck me in. You’d just had a graft. I left. I didn’t even think you’d be able to walk again.”

“Can you get Sloane for me? She knows what to do.” Sending Roman on an errand right now is easier than making eye contact with him. My throat is tight with emotion, so I use the breathing exercises that some fucking therapist taught me during my recovery.

Moments later, my office is overstuffed with people. Bridget is in a chair near my head and she sits stoically by my side as my Ol’Lady massages the cream into my damaged tissue, and I finally tell my sister what happened all of those years ago.

“I overheard Dad one night,” Bridget says, squeezing my hand tighter than she realizes. “He told Mom that you were crippled and to get me to stop asking about you. That you weren’t coming home, and even if you did …”

Her voice breaks, so I continue. “That I’d never be able to hold onto the Grizzlies.”

“Why do you have to be so fucking stubborn?” she asks me, drawing a laugh from Sloane.

“Pot, meet Kettle,” Roman mutters from where he’s leaning against a wall.

“This stays in this room,” I repeat for the third time since she entered. I don’t know why, since Bridget would never betray me.

“Okay,” Sloane says, readjusting the towel she had placed over my ass. “Let that sit a moment, then do your stretches. What?”

I look up to see the look Bridget is giving my Ol’ Lady just before she leans forward, hugging her for all she’s worth.

“Thank you for taking care of him.”

I want to say that I don’t need anyone taking care of me. But that isn’t exactly true.

Later that night, when Sloane is curled up to my side, I finally remember to tell her that Grace is safe, seconds before I fall asleep.

Chapter 14

Sloane

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