Page 621 of The Tempted

“Look, I don’t know all the details but she left a bar with some guy, the next minute someone comes into the bar screaming there’s a fight in the parking lot. By the time me and the guys got outside, Blackie was beating the fuck out of the guy Lacey was with,” he recounted.

I narrowed my eyes at Stryker, trying to comprehend everything he was saying as he continued to talk.

“Bulldog, it’s bad…real fucking bad. Blackie went fucking nuts and rightfully so the little fuck was going to rape her.”

Everything stopped.

I stepped backward and pinned Stryker with a glare.

“What did you just say?”

“He didn’t get a chance too, man,” Stryker proceeded, cocking his head to the side as he peered back at me. “Did you hear me? Blackie got to him before he could hurt her. Jack, he saved her,” he insisted.

I fell in love with Blackie but you don’t have to get all bent out of shape about it because he doesn’t feel the same way.

“Where is he?” I demanded.

“The cops came and arrested him,” he said as I brushed past him and into the house, looking for Lacey.

“Lace?” I called, following the sounds of her sobs and found her in the living room, pacing back and forth in front of Reina.

“It’s all my fault! He’s going to go to jail because of me!”

Can’t order me to protect her one minute and not the next, can’t give me her life, tell me it’s precious then expect me not to put her high on my list of priorities.

“Lacey,” I shouted. “Baby, look at me,” I demanded, as I watched helplessly as she unraveled, and we swapped roles. I was the person on the receiving end of a manic breakdown and she was the one with no control.

“Dad?” she questioned, turning around abruptly to stare at me. “Oh, thank God! You have to take me to the police station!” She ordered, grabbing my shoulders as I stood there unsure how to help her.

“Why aren’t you getting dressed? Did you hear me? You have to take me to the cops, I have to tell them what happened so they can release him.”

“Lacey,” I croaked, my heart breaking as I watched her lose her battle with her maker

“No! You’re not listening! He saved me,” she cried. “He saved me, again!” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Brandon would’ve raped me, Dad. Do you understand? Rape! Blackie stopped him and now we have to help him. I have to help him!”

I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her, looking over her shoulder at Reina.

“Call your doctor,” I ground out, knowing Reina might have better luck reaching her doctor than I would have reaching mine at this hour.

She nodded, starting for the stairs to retrieve her phone.

“Grab my clothes,” I called after her, pulling back from Lacey, I brushed the hair away from her face with the back of my hand and wiped the mascara that ran down her cheek. “Dry your eyes,” I said, blowing out a breath. “Blackie wouldn’t want you crying.”

I never thought I’d be pleading Blackie’s case to my daughter.

Never.

“I’m going to go down to the station and get it all straightened out,” I promised, already working out what I needed to do in my head. I looked over at Stryker. “Get Pipe on the phone, he needs to meet me at the station,” I told him, in case a judge took pity on our vice president and granted him bail Pipe would need to get our finances in order.

“Okay, well let’s go,” Lacey said, pulling out of my arms.

“You’re not coming,” I told her as Reina bounded down the stairs with my boots, jacket and shirt in her hand.

“The hell I’m not!” She protested walking towards the door. Stryker was quick to block her exit as I pulled my shirt over my head. “The cops need to hear my side I was the one attacked, I’m the one who can make it better,” she cried, digging her index finger into her chest. “Me! I have to make it better.”

“Listen to me! You need to let me get down there and handle this my way. If there comes a time when I need you to talk to the police then I’ll have one of the guys bring you down to the station but for the love of God, Lacey I need you to stay put!”

“Lacey, come on, let your father do his thing,” Reina comforted, taking Lacey’s hands. “He wants Blackie out just as much as you do,”

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