Page 48 of Blue

That didn’t go how he thought it would. Guilt coiled around Mooky’s chest, making it hard to breathe. He hadn’t meant for Blue to be arrested. This was the opposite of the plan. He thought he’d fucked up before? Somehow, he’d upped the ante. Now he’d totally destroyed everything.

Sitting on the bed in the holding cell, Mooky hung his head with the musky smell of dirty men surrounding him. Regret ate at him. He should have shown restraint. With his elbows resting on parted knees, he couldn’t believe he’d returned to jail again. To make matters worse, he’d brought Blue with him this time.

Goddamnit! He’d seen his kids for five fucking minutes before he got locked up. He’d spent more time behind bars because of his marriage than he had because of his club affiliation.

To add insult to injury, Blue sat in an identical cell somewhere. All because of him. His life was one thing, but the idea of ruining Blue’s had his eyes welling with tears. She was better than that. She deserved more than he could ever offer her.

Rolling his shoulders, he sniffled to swallow down his emotions. The pain in his ribs had faded significantly from the weak-ass kick earlier. A dull ache throbbed in its place. Uncomfortably stiff, the fabric of the jail uniform irritated his skin. He needed his cut.

He wanted a re-do on the last few weeks. Hell, with what he knew now, he wished he could go back in time and never get involved with Blue. She wouldn’t be in this position if he’d just left her be, and he’d never have experienced the bliss that was being with her.

With a snort, he shook his head at himself. His own lack of impulse control when it came to her would make it impossible for him to have stayed away from her then. Maybe he needed to try harder this time around and let go of her for good.

She’d broken up with him for a reason. He truly understood it now.

After an all too brief knock and some thunking, the slider in his cell door opened. “Hands. Your lawyer is here.”

“Thank fuck,” Mooky mumbled as he rose and stalked toward the only door. He slipped his hands into the rectangular opening so the jailer could cuff him.

Once the cell opened, he lifted his chin and made sure his expression was blank. He didn’t need the corrections officer to see any weakness.

While Mooky hadn’t done any hard time per se, he’d done a stint here and there. It was the nature of club business. Sure, his club had dropped all the drug shit and that made things less risky, but they were by no means legit. They still were shady as fuck.

The jailer led him through a narrow hallway before he got to a meeting room with a plexiglass partition. He took a seat on a metal stool attached to a half table. Nate sat on the other side wearing an all-too-displeased expression.

Great. Someone else he’d disappointed. It seemed to be his greatest skill as of late.

His lawyer gestured to the phone on the wall once they were alone.

Mooky picked up the receiver and put it to his ear.

“What in the ever-loving hell are you doing?” Nate demanded.

Taking a deep breath, Mooky actually lowered his eyes. He didn’t have an answer worth giving. So instead, he just stared at the seam in the plexiglass.

“You realize we just did this whole assault thing? Now a cop?” Nate continued.

Mooky barely nodded.

“Do you want to be in prison? I don’t mean jail, I mean fucking prison. They’re different, you know that, right?”

Mooky lifted his eyes to meet Nate’s. “He came after Blue.”

That should explain it. The lawyer had been around bikers long enough. He should understand.

Nate’s forehead creased as he peered at Mooky in disbelief. He blinked as though he expected Mooky to say more.

Mooky didn’t have anything else to say.

“Blue? The woman with the hair?” he asked, using his hand to comb through nonexistent hair.

Mooky nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Nate lowered his head and rested it in his hand. “Your wife is a maniac. Your girlfriend is messing around with cops. I’m thinking women aren’t good for you.”

Mooky couldn’t help but snort in response. “You aren’t wrong.”

The lawyer lifted his head again and rubbed his chin. He had a far-off look in his eye as though he were debating something.

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