Page 20 of Dusty and Dented
“Thank you.”He took advantage of the slower speeds while they were still in town to unwrap his burger and get started on it.They still had a bit of a drive until they got back to her place, and he knew he’d have to talk her into staying at the clubhouse, but he wanted to make sure she ate before he got into that.
Chapter Fifteen
Andy ate her burgerand fries with more interest than she’d had for any food in the last week.When she was done, she gathered all the trash and put it in the bag it had come in before setting the bag next to her feet to deal with when they got back to her place.Once she’d done everything she could think of to occupy herself, she settled into her seat and twisted slightly so it was easier to watch Dagger.
“What?”he asked after a couple of minutes and glancing her way several times.
“I don’t know if I can handle staying at the clubhouse.”He started to say something, but she held up one hand to stop him.
“I know I would be safer there, at least from a repeat of what happened today.But I had a hard time being there today after the service.All I could think about was that it was where Travis had died.At the time I kind of hoped it would happen again so I could see him again.”
“But you’re not wanting that anymore?”He watched her from the corner of his eye.
Andy shifted in her seat as she tried to find the right words.
“I think this,” she waved one hand in a circle, “made me realize I don’t want to die.I miss my brother more than I ever thought possible.I mean it’s not as if we were never separated.I lived in Denver for over a year before I came back, and I think I saw him once in all that time.But now, knowing he’s gone and that I’ll never see him...Never feel his arms around me when I need a hug.Never hear his voice again, even if it were just to tell me I’m being a baby and to grow up, it hurts.”There were tears streaming slowly down her face.She didn’t bother to stop them or wipe them away.She’d given up on that days ago.But at least she was able to keep it to just the slow fall instead of the wracking sobs she’d been unable to hold back before.
Dagger reached over, picked up one hand, and squeezed it as he spoke.
“I know it hurts.I wish I could take that for you, but I can’t.I will do my best to help you get through it, though.”he paused, glanced at her then back to the road.“As for the clubhouse, I wasn’t sure if you’d heard that, and I didn’t want to bring it up because I didn’t want you worrying about it until you had to.But since you know.I thought I’d put you in my room so you’ll have fewer reminders of him.”
She watched him with a lifted brow.Did he think she would share his room just because he’d climbed onto her bed, held her while she’d cried then fallen asleep in his arms?Did he think that was all it took to get into her pants?
“You don’t have to look at me like that.I wasn’t planning on making you share the room with me.I’ll stay in Panther’s room.We’ve also got plans in place to build a brick wall between the clubhouse and the highway.Not that construction has started yet, but it will soon.That will help make the place safer.”
“If only it had already been done.Then Travis might still be alive.”She couldn’t help the resentment in her tone.
“While that might be true, it’s also just as likely that whoever did this would have found another way.And while I’m not saying that Panther’s loss wasn’t significant, and that it doesn’t hurt, because you’re not the only one missing him, we all are.Whatever other way they found to hurt the Fallen Angels, could just as easily have killed more than one.And if they’d done a drive by while we were out and about in town they could easily have killed more than just Angels.They could have taken out innocents.And while I hate the idea, it’s something we have to consider.”
“But you’ll still build the wall?”
“We will.Because we have innocents too.We have mamas and old ladies.If we don’t build the wall and they do it again, next time they might kill one of the women.What if by then we’ve got kids or that woman is pregnant?That’s not a risk we’re willing to take.”
“What about who did this?Do you know who it was?”
“Not yet.We’re working on it and we will find out who was behind it, and I don’t just mean who pulled the trigger.We’ll find them but we’ll also find who gave the order, if they weren’t on the crew that actually performed the drive by.”
