Page 82 of Beautifully Reckless

“Tell me she’s safe.”

“She’s safe,” I snap, always the arrogant fucker. “Now you tellmewhy the fuck the cops are raiding my club under an Amber alert saying Abbey is underage?”

“I don’t know,” Lexi huffs. “They said the same thing when they raided Ayden’s dad’s apartment and recording studio. But Abbeyiseighteen, Ringo. Her birthday is in August. In less than five months she’ll be nineteen.”

“Jesus fucking Christ. Either Allen’s got friends in high places with the ability to forge records, or the Amber alert raids aren’t even fucking legal.”

JD’s phone starts ringing then, and he holds it up to show me, Prez flashing across the screen.

“Gotta go, Lexi. I’ll have Abbey call you later.”

“Okay, thanks.”

She hangs up, and JD accepts Smitty’s call, putting it on speaker.

“Hey, Prez. We’re both here.”

“You reach your destination?” Smitty barks, voice tight like he’s been smashing up more fucking furniture.

“We have.” I step closer to make sure he can hear me. “Tell me the raid on the Western wasn’t too bad.”

“Can’t fucking do that,” Smitty snaps. “Six of our men got hauled away for possession. Darla and Casey got roughed up. And, theyfucking shot Molly!”

My fucking eyes bug out of my head as JD gasps in a way that sounds more like he has a pussy and not a cock.

“They shot Molly?” I growl, needing fucking confirmation, because surely I heard him wrong and the cops didn’t shoot a fucking dog.

“THEY FUCKING SHOT OUR QUEEN!” Smitty roars, and something crashes in the background.

“She’s in surgery now,” Spud cuts in, our VP taking over. “Allen fired the shot after Molly went for his leg. The bullet clipped her side. Passed clean through, but she lost a lot of blood. The vet and his team are doing everything they can.”

“Fucking hell,” JD mutters, before Smitty rejoins the conversation.

“Tell me why we are protecting this girl,” he snaps. “Why the fuck are we bleeding for a stranger who isn’t even club?”

I fucking stiffen.

This is what I’ve been afraid of. It’s why I claimed her as mine.

“What the fuck, man?” I snarl. “We spoke about this. Three fucking weeks ago. I claimed her as mine. You said you fucking liked her. You told me to do what I had to in order to keep her safe.”

“THAT WAS BEFORE THEY SHOT MY DOG!”

More smashingechoes through the line, and I rake a hand through my hair in frustration.

“Tell me why my Queen is bleeding out because of a knocked up runaway teen?!”

I. Fucking. Snap!

Snatching JD’s discarded beer bottle off the counter, I hurl the fucking thing at the wall with an exploding shatter.

“I fuckingtoldyou what happened to her, Nate!” I roar, using his real name. “You were on fucking board with protecting her. And now you’re fucking backtracking?!”

“I guess I fucking am, given the shitstorm she’s dragged us into!” Smitty bellows so loudly that the speaker on the phone crackles.

I glare at the fucking phone, picturing his face and my fist caving it the fuck in.

“I’ve given this clubeverything, Smitty! You fucking know I have. And now, when I need backup, you’re gonna leave me hanging?”

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