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“What the fuck are you doing, Joslyn?” he growled low. “Get the fuck out of here before he sees you.”
“You don’t remember, do you understand?”
“What’s that going to—”
“If you remember nothing, you’re not a threat to him at the moment. Just play along until you guys can think of a better plan and take that piece of shit out.” She pushed him back against the mattress and pulled the covers up to his chest. “Act like you’re weak. Moans and groans are all that need to leave your mouth.”
Her eyes landed on me. “Put the gun away, dumbass.”
Fighting back a grin, I replaced my gun in the holster under my cut. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Check to see if Jet is still talking to the sheriff. Tell him to come on in if he wants, but that Tanner isn’t in any shape to make a statement.”
“Jos, leave before he sees you,” Tanner persisted, his eyes wild with panic.
“Relax,” she commanded, making her sound just like Raven.
I opened the door and looked down the corridor to where the nurses station was. My oldest brother was still standing there talking to Bates, his face tight with annoyance. The sheriff had his back to me, but I could tell by the set of his shoulders he wasn’t happy.
Jet caught my gaze, and I motioned to send the dirty pig back. With a single nod, he said something to Bates that had him turning in my direction.
Every instinct I had was screaming at me to pull my gun and put a bullet in that sonofabitch’s brain. Three weeks of grief over thinking we’d lost Tanner. Three weeks of my MC brother being tortured. All of that could have been avoided if it weren’t for this piece of shit.
“Is he coming?” Jos whispered from right behind me.
“On his way,” I told her as I stepped back in and closed the door. “What’s your plan, Jos? I need to know so I don’t fuck anything up.”
“Just pretend you don’t know anything. Tanner has been so sick, he can barely talk. Act normal. I’m sure you and the other MC brothers will come up with some way to take Bates out, but this will give you some wiggle room so none of you end up on death row for killing a cop in front of witnesses.”
I liked that she wasn’t blind to the fact that Bates needed to die. If anything, the rage simmering in her eyes told me she would have liked to put a bullet or two in the man herself.
“You’re going to have to watch your back until Bates is taken out,” I advised, keeping my voice low so no one outside the room would hear.
“I’ll worry about that later.”
The door opened without warning, and Bates sauntered in like he owned the place, Jet right behind him. Bates’s jowly face seemed stressed as his beady eyes swept over the room and landed on Tanner.
A pitiful moan left my MC brother, his eyelids fluttering as he shifted on the bed. “Jos,” he groaned. “Is someone else here?”
She went back to his side, gently touching his brow. “It’s just the sheriff, honey. Are you up to talking to him?”
“Not really,” he sighed tiredly.
“I won’t take up much of your time,” Bates said, sounding concerned.
“He really isn’t up for talking, Sheriff,” Jos told him, her lips pressed into a sad, grim line. Tears filled her eyes. “He’s not even coherent most of the time. I’ve tried to get him to tell me what happened, but he doesn’t seem to remember anything.”
Jet nudged me from my left, his brows lifted. I gave a quick shake of my head, telling him to keep quiet.
“I still need to speak to him, Miss Barker. The sooner I can get a statement, the quicker I can wrap up the investigation.”
Two fat tears fell from Jos’s eyes, and she sniffled. “I understand. But please be brief.”
Bates moved closer to the bed, and I had to clench my hands into fists to keep from grabbing him and throwing him out the window.
He crossed to the same side of the bed where Jos was standing, and I could almost feel the tension coming off Tanner. She leaned down and kissed his cheek, and he began to relax a little. “Honey, just try to talk to the sheriff.”
“Reid, we thought you died in the bomb that went off in your brother’s truck. We have a death certificate for you. How is it you’re alive?”
