Page 47 of Tuck & Roll

“How did you learn how to do this?”

“Navy.” That’s all he said before he handed her a towel and told her to get her jeans off so he could clean her knees. He and Race stepped out, closing the door behind them while she hopped off the sink and shimmied out of her jeans. They were one of the brand-new pairs she’d bought when she’d gone shopping with Tuck, Jed and Darren and this was the first time wearing them. She supposed she could either wear them with holes in the knees since it was the way people wore them now or she could make them cutoffs. Something else Race paid for that was destroyed.

She resumed her seat on the sink and yelled, “You can come in!”

Darren entered and went to work while Race took up his previous position.

“Is it normal for the Chief of Police of Redemption to accompany the sheriff’s department on a raid?” she asked.

“No.” That muscle in Race’s jaw started to tick again. “I think whatever you’re digging up on the chief and/or Chet has got someone desperate to find out what you know and to get rid of any evidence you may have dug up. From now on, you go nowhere without one of us by your side.”

Race and Darren exchanged a look that they both understood, but Kylie did not. Whatever passed between them, they came to some kind of agreement.

Darren turned to her. “I’ll lay out a pair of shorts for you on the bed. Come out to the common area when you’re ready.”

“Do you have someplace I can hide the flash drive? I’m not feeling like it’s safe for me to have it on me anymore.”

“Yeah. I gotta place in my office.” Race accepted the drive and disappeared into the hall.

“I’ll get it out for you tomorrow when I bring you in,” Darren told her.

“Okay. Great. Thanks.”

Kylie waited until she heard the outer door close then hopped off and went in search of the shorts. She pulled them on, making sure the material never touched her skinned knees. They were so big on her that not even rolling the waist helped. She had to hold them up or risk them falling to her ankles. As she entered the common area, she saw Race organizing the men, handing out instructions as to who was to do what.

“Tulsa, I want you to clear out Kylie’s office and get to building her command center.” It was funny that Race was calling it a command center, too. “Jed, I want you to pick up a new couch, an office chair and more computers. The desk in there now will work until Tulsa finishes building the new one. Her office is top priority. Darren take Kylie home for now. Kylie, we’ll have you set up and ready to go by tomorrow. The rest of you, you know the drill.” With that, everyone separated. Anyone not assigned something specific to do started the unpleasant task of cleaning up the common room.

“Come on, Kylie. I’ll take you home.” Darren cupped her elbow and started to steer her toward the door.

“Shouldn’t we stay and help with clean up? I feel bad leaving this mess to all of them.” She looked over her shoulder one more time at the destruction.

“It’s all good. They’ve got it covered. Like I said, this ain’t our first rodeo.”

Tuck received the 9-1-1 text from Race alerting everyone to trouble at the clubhouse. His first thought was he hoped Kylie wasn’t there for whatever went down. He pocketed his phone and grabbed his bike keys off the counter. “Gotta go. Not sure when I’ll be back.”

“Seriously? You’re leaving me home alone again?” Taylor whined as she not so graciously pushed herself off the couch. She followed behind him toward the kitchen.

“Yep.” He slipped his arms through his cut and headed toward the door leading to the garage and his bike. He was probably an asshole, but he hadn’t allowed her to pull her car inside his garage. He didn’t want her making herself anymore at home than she already was.

“Oh my God. It’s the club again, isn’t it?” She stood on the other side of the island, her hands on her hips, her baby belly thrusting forward.

“I don’t answer to you, Taylor.” He opened and closed the door, cutting off anything else she might say. Where did she get off? He wasn’t married to her. He wasn’t dating her. She was only here for the simple reason that she might possibly be carrying his child. Hopefully, tomorrow’s doctor’s appoint would make that possibility a little more clear.

He hopped on his bike and made it to the club in fifteen minutes. He frowned seeing the brothers dragging broken furniture outside and throwing it on a pile. That could mean only one thing.

“We got raided again?” He stopped inside the door, surveying the damage.

“Yep. Fun times,” Chris responded as he dragged a busted table through the door.

Race came from the back hallway, his mouth set in a straight line. “Waiting on Jackson then I’ll fill you all in at the same time.”

Speak of the devil. Jackson came in, took one look and said, “Goddamn it. I’m getting tired of having to replace furniture in this place. We need to set up a special account just for raids.”

Trick laughed, thinking the brother was joking.

“Okay. Someone close the door and keep a look out. I don’t think we’ll get any more visitors, but what the fuck do I know?” he stated after Chris returned, then he waited until all eyes were on him. “This little show of destruction was brought to us by none other than Chief of Police Whitener,” Race started.

“How do you know Whitener was involved? He’s city police and we’re in the county,” Jackson pointed out.

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