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Despite the evidence and conviction, something about the whole outcome of her sister’s investigation never sat right with Holly. But then, she’d been twelve, naïve, and basing her entire opinion on one encounter with a man. Since the trial, she’d formed her own fear of the biker world, letting her father’s opinion sour her view of an entire subculture. It’d been easier that way. Easier to deal with the devastation of Joy’s death if she had someone to blame. Easier to live with her father if she bought into his hatred rather than fight against it. Easier to give in to the parents who’d lost so much and demanded Holly’s safety at all times.
Easier not to form her own opinions, rock the boat, or risk hurting people who’d already been hurt so badly.
But today’s behavior? This blatant prejudice based solely on who someone associated with twisted Holly’s gut in knots.
With her hand still on the door, Shell turned and looked Doug straight in the eye. “I’m not a kid, Sheriff. I’m a fully-grown adult. In fact, I have a kid. And I’ve been through things that would turn the rest of your hair gray.”
Holly bit her lip to keep from smirking as her father’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re new around here and clearly have a false idea of who and what the Handlers are, so I’ll do you a favor and clue you in. Those men do more for this town than anyone else. They keep the citizens far safer than this office ever has.” She stepped forward and held her hand out, crossing her wrists in front of her. “If you’d like to carry through on that threat, you might as well do it now because there isn’t anything in the world that will make me walk away from my family.”
When her father’s handcuffs remained hooked to his belt, Shell turned and strode from the room head held high. Holly had the insane urge to applaud. As the door closed behind Shell, Holly whipped her head around. “Dad! What the hell was that?”
Her father speared her with his cop look as she and her siblings used to call it. It was the no-nonsense, don’t mess with me glare he claimed to use during interrogations. Fortunately for her, the look lost its power somewhere after her eighteenth year. “Police business, Holly. Stay out of it.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You just performed that police business right in front of me, and now I’m supposed to butt out? Dad? She was a sweet woman asking you to help direct traffic for an incredible cause and you acted like a total jerk.”
Her father slammed his closed fists down on the top of his desk, making his coffee mug and Holly jump. “No!” he yelled. “I acted like a sheriff telling a criminal I’m not going to jump in their pocket like the last man in my position did.”
“Do you really think she’s a criminal?”
“I think she associates with a group of outlaw bikers I’m making it my mission to disband. Before the year is out, every one of those bikers will be held accountable for their actions. Now, I tried to give her a chance to see reason, but if she won’t, I can’t take responsibility for what happens to her.”
The strength it took to clench her teeth and avoid spitting out angry words had Holly’s jaw aching. How, even after all these years, was it possible for her father to be so blind in his hatred? As Shell said, he didn’t know a damn thing about the Hell’s Handlers. All he had was a festering hatred over a decade in the making. And now he had tunnel vision and a mission to destroy any man who wore leather and so much as glanced at a Harley. Nothing about his behavior was professional. All her father saw in every biker was the man who killed his child.
And that’s what kept Holly from speaking her true mind again and again. It’s what had her eventually believing his rhetoric that all bikers were murderers and rapists. But seeing his behavior today, she had to wonder if she’d made a mistake in never challenging his opinion.
As traumatizing as it had been to lose her sister, losing a child had to be worse. No matter how she disagreed with her parent’s handling of the situation, she couldn’t fully condemn them because she knew they’d suffered and continued to suffer every day since her sister went missing.
“Look, Dad, I’m here because you wanted to talk to me about something.”
“Oh, yes!” He smiled, seeming to shake himself out of his disgust. “I have someone I want you to meet.” Still grinning, he pulled out his phone and tapped what she assumed was a quick text.
“Uh, okay. Who am I meeting?”
