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Back at the clubhouse, I kiss Delphine.
“I need a bath,” she says, heading toward the stairs. “Join me?”
I want to. I really want to. But nod for her to go ahead without me. “I’ll be up in a few minutes. I need to talk to Hex for a minute.”
She frowns, but turns to climb the stairs. I watch her leave before turning to find Hex. He’s heading toward the stairs with Cleo under his arm.
“Prez, I need to talk to you.”
Hex glowers at me but nods. He kisses Cleo and then pats her on the ass to get her moving up the stairs. “Two minutes. I need my woman.”
“Two minutes,” I agree. When we enter his office, neither of us takes a seat. He leans against his desk while I stand with my hands on a chair. “I need to go to Ireland and inform Sigil of my duplicity.”
“What will they do?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you have an idea,” he presses.
“Yeah, I do. They could kill me or just cut ties.”
“Hold on.” Hex takes out his phone and types on it. The next minute, my brothers join us.
“What’s going on?” Abra asks. When Hex finishes explaining the situation I’m facing, Abra is the first to respond. “When do we leave?”
EPILOGUE: DELPHINE
The guys have been gone for five days, but are returning today. When Dixie told me he had to return to Ireland to face the Sigil and confess that he staged the death of Vladimir, I was terrified. However, I never had the sense that his confession would have dire consequences. But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t relieved to know Hex and the others had his back. Hex called the President of the club in San Diego, Dante, and explained what Dixie was up against. Dante not only offered to accompany Dixie along with the NOLA club, but he offered them the use of a private jet that belongs to Dante’s mother.
When Hex started this club, I didn’t grasp the vastness of the Demon Dawgs MC or their resources. Not until Dice and his woman, Avery, fell into our laps several weeks ago. I knew Dante had just returned from his honeymoon, so seeing him drop everything to help a brother that he’s only met once or twice made me appreciate why Hex worked so hard to align with the Demon Dawgs.
Dixie has contacted me only twice while they were away. Once to tell me that the meeting with Sigil went better than he expected and the second time to tell me they were returning and bringing a surprise. He didn’t go into detail on either announcement, making the wait that much harder. I need a distraction. Luckily, Cleo provides one.
“Okay, thank you, detective. I appreciate your keeping me updated on the situation. No, I have no problem with the building remaining a crime scene for however long you feel necessary.”
She ends the call and turns to me. “They’ve identified all the women from the office building and notified their families.” I grasp her hand and squeeze it. She’s been handling the aftermath of the failed attempt to rescue the women. The guys thought they were rescuing dozens of women, but found only corpses when they entered the building. Whoever was running the whorehouse panicked and abandoned the place before the rescue attempt. We’ve all speculated about who could have warned them. Us women think Irish did it. Mikel had been unconscious in a jail cell at the Farm. The guys wanted to torch the place, but Cleo knew the women deserved better.
“I take it the detective believed your story about finding the women when you were doing a spot check on the buildings your company owns?”
“So, far. He could tell how upset I was about what I found inside. Not that I had to fake it. I can still see those poor women tied to the beds, their throats slit. I can’t imagine the horror they must have gone through, only to end up dead. It isn’t hard to imagine how satisfying it would be to find those men and give them the same treatment.”
“Did Mikel give the guys any names before they killed him? Did they figure out who warned them that the guys were coming?” I knew Hex had told Cleo about Mikel’s death. Mikel had been someone who tormented Cleo when he worked for her father.
“Hex didn’t say, but I think it’s because Mikel didn’t give up the information. He was a real bastard and trained by the best to withstand all forms of torture. Besides, it doesn’t matter. Irish’s betrayal proves they need to do a better job at screening future prospects.”
“They will. We can help. I never warmed up to Irish. I probably should have said something sooner. It wasn’t like he did anything to make me suspect him of treachery, but I didn’t like him as much as I do Jack and Levi.”
“You’re right. I felt the same way. The prospects are always on their best behavior around the men, but let down their guard around us. We can use that to our advantage. We should tell the other women to pay more attention as well, and to let us know if they have any concerns. Especially Nora. She sees them at their most unguarded.”
Nora has been in the kitchen all morning preparing a feast to celebrate the men’s return. Jack and Levi have been making themselves useful around the clubhouse, but the place seems empty without Hex and his men. I know Cleo misses my son and I miss Dixie. The guys can drive us crazy, but they’re worth it. I can’t wait to get Dixie alone and naked. After Maxim and the girl’s father, I never saw myself committing to another man. I certainly didn’t see myself with someone several years my junior. But I can’t deny how much I want and need Dixie in my life.
We hear the rumble of motorcycles and rush outside to greet them. Cleo and I beat Sasha and Shayna out the door. Olivia was hoping to be here as well, but she had to work a shift at the hospital and won’t be back until later tonight. She was excited about their return, not only because she’s grown closer to Lake, but because Pirate promised he’d focus on finding her friends once they returned from Ireland.
Hex barely has time to back into his spot before Cleo jumps on him. He laughs as she wraps her body around his. Not being as young and agile, I wait for Dixie to make his way to me. I wrap my arms around his neck as he buries his face in my hair.
“I missed you,” we both say together and laugh.
I move in for another kiss, but he stuns me by dropping to one knee and holding out a ring. “This was my mother’s ring. I know she would have loved you almost as much as I do. You’re the only woman I’ll ever want. Please say you’ll marry me?”
