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“She’s sticking to her story. Says you didn’t do this. Says it was Schwartz,” the sheriff said.
LJ nodded. “It was.”
The sheriff scoffed.
“You saying your daughter’s a liar?”
Sheriff’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t take the bait. “Spoke with Schwartz a few moments ago. Poor guy is nursing the hangover from hell. Doesn’t even remember seeing Holly last night.”
“Convenient.”
“The deputy is quite taken with my daughter. Has been since their first meeting. And instead of dating her, he’s forced to sit back and watch her be with you. A biker. A loser heading nowhere in life but prison. A scumbag who couldn’t be less deserving of her affection.”
The words hit his battered soul like bullets, but LJ forced himself to ignore them for now. “You saying his actions are justified because he’s pissed he didn’t get the girl? That’s your daughter he hit.”
The sheriff’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “No. No, of course not,” he said with a shake of his slightly graying head. “Of course, it shouldn’t have happened. But you have to admit you can understand the guy’s need for a few drinks.”
LJ stared at the man whose hatred for bikers ran so deep, he preferred a man who’d punched his daughter over the MC member who’d rather die than hurt her.
But he had hurt her. Unintentional, but then again, Schwartz hadn’t purposefully harmed her either. “And if I’d been the one to get blitzed and fuck up Holly’s face?”
The same blue eyes he loved so much on Holly stared at him with so much revulsion, it practically oozed from his sockets.
“Thought so.”
How he could lose himself in those eyes on one person and despise them on another was a mystery.
As he stepped around the table, the sheriff said, “You’re free to go.” He unlocked the cuffs. “Deputy Brown will give you a ride home.”
Not happening. “That’s a hard pass. Spent about as much time with that douche bag as I can take. One of my brothers will be here by now.”
“Brothers,” the sheriff said with a scoff as though the concept was completely unfathomable.
As soon as the cuffs were off, LJ veered straight for the open door.
“Your club’s done,” the sheriff said from behind him.
LJ froze but didn’t turn.
“It’s only a matter of time.”
“Whatever you say, old man.” With a shake of his head, LJ took another step forward.
“If you care about her at all, you’ll let her go before she’s caught in the backlash.”
They agreed on one thing, he had to let Holly go, only not for the reasons the sheriff wanted. What kind of future could they have if he couldn’t even fall asleep next to her? A life of separate bedrooms and Holly waking in the night to the screams of LJ’s haunting past?
He could have killed her. Easily.
Killed her.
The thought had his steps faltering as pain slammed into him. Shit, what the hell was he doing thinking in terms of a future? Years ago, he’d resigned himself to quick fucks and blowjobs from random women to take the edge off. Not even one-night stands since that implied sticking around for the night.
And it had been fine. LJ had been fine. He had his work and his brothers with plenty of willing women to step into the role he’d allow them to fill when the itch struck. Then Holly had to go and fuck it all up with her sweetness, and her irresistible body, and her warmth. Now, all he could think about was how she brought him those goddammed Nutella cupcakes at work. And how she called him every morning, the second she woke up. How well she got along with his brothers and their women. The way she curled her fingers into his ass and held him deep inside her even after they’d both come. And now, the way she fucking felt clinging to him in sleep.
“Stop at the desk on your way out,” the sheriff called behind him. “There’s some paperwork for you to sign.”
Fuck that. LJ lifted his middle finger, strode straight past the geriatric manning the desk, and out the front door. The morning sun had warmed the air in the hour since he’d been dragged to the station.
“You okay, brother?” Rocket called from across the lot.
Relief shot through LJ at the sight of his bike ready and waiting for him.
“Ain’t a thing,” he replied as he crossed to where his Harley and his brother waited.
“Bullshit,” Rocket said. Sunglasses blocked his eyes, but LJ bet they were dark with anger. “Are. You. Okay.”
“They thought I hit her.” Christ, those words made him want to tear something apart. Tear someone apart.
“Figured. Fucked as it is, figured they’d pin that shit on you. Holly stand by you?”
LJ nodded and rubbed his gritty eyes. “Yeah, she was…incredible. But it’s more complicated than just that.”
