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“It’s an empty drawer. I’m fine.” I point to the mattress. “I wanted to get that off the floor but definitely can’t pick it up on my own.”
He looks around the room. “How bad was it?”
“Nothing like the rest of the place. They must’ve thought it was just some chick staying here and moved on.” I point to my dress, then tilt my head toward the bathroom. “My makeup and hair stuff weren’t even touched.”
“That’s good.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “They sliced and diced Wrath’s mattress but looks like they left Trinity’s clothes and stuff alone too.”
Someone knocks on our open door and we both turn. Dex flashes a grim smile. “You two okay?”
“Rooster got us to safety in time.” Gray nods at him. “You?”
“Got the royal pat down treatment. My room is trashed but otherwise, everything’s fine.” He tilts his head to the side. “Z wants everyone in the main room in ten.”
“We’ll be there,” Gray promises.
Loud voices, banging, and chaotic noises echo through the hallway. Even though it won’t lock, Gray closes our door.
“Jesus Christ. What a mess.” He runs his hands through his hair. “I feel like I jinxed the whole fuckin’ club by coming down here this weekend.”
“What? Why?” I touch his arm. “It had nothing to do with you.”
“This kind of thing used to happen a lot back in the day. Club used to be involved in some…stuff that kept us on law enforcement’s radar. Rock’s worked hard to pull the club away from that. Sounds like Z’s been fixing the damage Sway caused down here. First time I show up, they get raided? It’s like the bad luck of my past followed me here.” His strained voice tugs at my heart. He’s really worried he caused trouble for his brothers.
“Gray, I love you, but don’t you think that’s a bit much?” I pull his arm down so I can see his face. “From what Rooster said, the warrant had nothing to do with you.”
His lips twist. “That your way of saying, it’s not all about me?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Thanks, buttercup.” He kisses my forehead. “I’m sorry this has been such a shit weekend. I’m sure you never expected to hide out like fugitives.”
“Sounds like we were better off down there than staying up here watching the cops destroy the place.” I shrug. “I liked hanging out with Shelby and getting to know her more.”
A relieved smile stretches across his face. “At least something good came of it.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Grinder
The main room of the clubhouse is chaos when we arrive. Cops trashed it so thoroughly it barely looks like the same space we were celebrating in last night. Club girls are busy cleaning up behind the bar area. Brothers are turning furniture upright and replacing cushions. Serena moves to help with the cleanup, but I hold her tight to my side.
“Gray, I should—”
“No. Stay with me for now.”
“Okay.” She wraps her arm around mine.
Z’s talking to Rooster in his office, so I approach Rock first. “Are you whole?”
“Yeah, Hope and Heidi are at Z’s place with the kids.” He lifts his chin at Serena. “You’re welcome to head over there with them if you want to get away from here. Lilly’s making a run in a few minutes.”
“I—” Serena looks at Rock, then me. “I’d like to stay and help out, unless you don’t think it’s safe?”
“Trinity’s sticking around. Shelby’s here. Charlotte should be back in a few,” Rock says. “I’m sure they’d appreciate the help.”
“Okay.”
Z emerges from the office with a scowl firmly in place. “All full-patches to the war room table in five.”
“That include me, Prez?” Ice shouts.
“Yeah, that includes you, smart-ass.” Z flashes a quick smile. “If you don’t mind.”
Wrath and Trinity join us. “You need me to go grab Teller?” Wrath asks.
Rock shakes his head and holds up his phone. “He says he’s on his way.”
“How bad was your room, G?” Murphy asks as he ambles over to us.
“Not that bad.”
“Good.”
Charlotte joins us as the guys start moving toward the war room. She and Trinity pull Serena aside.
“Will you be all right?” I ask her.
“I’ll be fine. Go ahead.”
Trinity nods at me.
Uneasy but unable to say no to my brothers, I follow Rock to the table. Z takes his place at the head of the table, while Rock takes the chair at the other end. Upstate fills the spots at that end and Z’s guys fill in the chairs near him. I end up somewhere in the middle between Jigsaw and Dex.
“All right.” Z claps his hands to indicate he wants us all to shut up. “What I didn’t want to discuss in front of everyone out there is that Tiny’s not the only one who got taken in. They arrested Sway and Tawny on suspicion of child pornography. Confiscated a lot of tapes, DVDs, photos, and shit from their suite upstairs.”
