Page 14 of Mad Love

It wasn’t possible that she was just gone. No way. There had to be a trail somewhere, and we had to find it.

Ash was running himself into the ground, barely sleeping and living off energy drinks as he exhausted every avenue he could think of. If I hadn’t been more worried about my wife and what her fucked-up excuse of a father might be doing to her, I would’ve asked my best friend to take a break.

A grimace twisted my lips as I clasped Linus’s hand. “Thanks again.” I cleared my throat and glanced around the mostly empty courtroom. Apparently it wasn’t nearly as exciting to watch the CEO of a top-ten Fortune 500 company be exonerated from trumped up charges as it was to see him charged.

Barely a week as the new president of Cain Industries, and I already had our PR team jumping through flaming hoops into a vat of acid.

Unfortunately, unless Maddie magically appeared on my doorstep, I had a feeling I was going to need to give them all raises for the shit they’d be dealing with in the coming weeks. I would do whatever it took to bring my wife home. I’d burn any bridge, sacrifice anyone, if it brought her back to me.

My other hand clenched at my side, a wave of helplessness threatening to drag me under once again. I shook my head and focused on Linus. “Where are we with the other charges?”

He shoved some papers into his briefcase before extracting a file for his next clients. He scowled at it. “It would be easier if their previous attorney hadn’t been an absolute idiot.”

“But?” I prompted.

“But it shouldn’t be a problem,” he finished with a thin smile, meeting my eyes. “I’ll have the Rippers out by the end of the day.”

“Good,” I murmured, knowing I still owed them all a debt. Part of it I planned on repaying now.

The side door of the courtroom opened, and Grinder shuffled in, looking out of place in a suit that covered the majority of his ink. His eyes focused on me and narrowed, heavy with suspicion.

“The fuck is this?” he grumbled, his gaze swinging from me to Linus. His fists clenched, tugging against the metal cuffs that bound his arms in front.

“Me keeping up my end of our deal,” I replied. I inclined my head toward our mutual attorney. “I asked Linus to take you on as a client. You, and your friends.”

Grinder’s massive shoulders straightened as he glared at me. “I don’t need a lawyer. I need what you promised me.”

I stepped forward and lowered my tone. “You need both.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, which I passed to him. “Here’s the address, but you have to know your… friend is expecting you.”

He took the paper, crumpling it in his hand. “Good.”

The corners of my mouth tipped up in a humorless smile. “It’s a long drive,” I added.

“Then I’ll have plenty of time to plan our reunion,” he said, a familiar, dark look in his eyes.

I doubted he had much left to plan; if Grinder was anything like I expected, he’d been plotting what he would do to Watts ever since he’d found out the man had touched Grinder’s sister.

“Still,” I added, shoving my hands into the pockets of my pants, “I’d like to extend the use of my plane when you make your final arrangements.”

His gaze sharpened. “Why?”

I shrugged. “Because it’s the least I can do. I’m not your enemy, but I’d like to be your friend.”

“Got plenty of friends,” he replied.

“Truth be told, so do I,” I admitted, liking that he wasn’t a man who was easily swayed or bought. “But I can always use an ally.”

He met my gaze, and whatever he found there must have been enough. He gave a slow nod. “It’s not necessarily my call.”

No, it wasn’t. The MC had protocol and rank, but I knew Grinder was a solid guy and someone they trusted. Ash’s intel was never wrong, and all signs pointed to Grinder being a key figure in their club in the coming years.

“Understood,” I answered. “But the plane’s yours all the same.”

“Why?”

“Because I know what it’s like to not be able to protect someone you love.” My voice came out rough and raw. “I know how it eats at you. Rips you open inside.”

His head tilted to the side, understanding in his eyes, and maybe a glimmer of grudging respect.

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