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“You sure?”
“Is he going to bother me…” She hesitates, then draws a breath. “Us. Is he going to bother us again?”
I eye the mayor up and down. His nose is broken, probably Troy’s doing but it could have been done inside the bar. He’s struggling to breathe. His suit is a mess. “I don’t think so, but there’s only one way to be sure.”
As I take a step towards him, he shakes his head violently. “No. Please, stop! I’m the mayor of Temple Bluff, do you know what will happen to you if you do this?”
Troy leans into his ear. “Only if they find you.” He chuckles.
I raise my eyebrows. “So, what’s it going to be, Frank?”
He shakes his head. “I’m out of here. If you let me go, you’ll never see me again. Please.”
With a sigh, I turn my lips down. “I’m not sure. I think maybe it’s safer just to get rid of you. But then again, Meadow thinks we should let you go. Seems like you’d owe her a debt if we did.”
“Sure, yes!” He winces in pain as Troy tightens his grip. “Patrici…Meadow is off limits. I’ll never, ever see her again. I’ll forget she exists. Who cares, right? She only took a little money, forgive and forget, that’s my motto.”
“She tells me you stole half a million from animal shelters and fucking kids playgrounds.”
“I didn’t steal it, it was—” His eyes go wide as I take a step forward. “I’ll pay it all back, every penny, I’ll tell them it’s a tax rebate.”
I hear a grainy voice from over my shoulder. “With interest.”
Surprised, I turn to find Bullet standing there beside Meadow, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
He shrugs. “What? I didn’t know anything about this. Taking money from animals and kids? That’s fucked up, man.”
Turning back to the mayor, I see him nod. “Sure. Five percent interest.”
“Twenty percent,” Meadow counters.
“I can’t afford that! I’ll make it ten percent. Please, just let me go.”
“The lady said twenty.” I fold my arms over my chest and stare him down, and eventually he nods, dropping his gaze to the floor. With a sigh, I nod to Troy. “Let him go.”
Troy releases his hold, and the mayor rubs his arms as he turns, dejected, and starts towards his car.
“Hold on, take him with you.”
Someone shoves a man forward out of the gathered crowd, and laughter erupts all around as the police chief, naked from the waist down, stumbles forward across the parking lot. His cupped hands barely cover his dignity as he waddles after the mayor, and even Bullet and Meadow are quietly chuckling to themselves.
But the show’s over, and Troy meets my eyes. His expression turns serious as he nods at the bikes. “There are things we need to discuss. Back at the clubhouse.”
Chapter Fifteen
Meadow
“There are some things I need to know before I go in there.” Chain meets my eyes, unblinking, as we stand outside the clubhouse.
I nod, trying not to cry. These guys just stood up for me when they didn’t have to. They fought for me, and they took my side. Nobody has ever done that for me, not since my parents died. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel except grateful.
“What’s your real name?”
“Meadow Greene.”
“Those motherfuckers called you Patricia.”
“That’s the name I used when I conned them. If you look at the fake service order I handed to your guards when I came here posing as a utility worker, you’ll find that I used the name Chloe Valley. I always use a fake name for cons. But when you asked me, I told the truth.”
He nods. “Okay. Are there any more issues we need to know about? People that might want to come looking for you?”
I think for a moment, then shake my head. “I don’t think so. Usually I don’t go for such high-profile targets. In and out, take what I need, nobody remembers I was even there. I think we’re safe.”
“And you were telling me the truth about your parents? They’re both dead?”
I nod. “What are you going to do with me?”
“Meadow, I won’t let anyone hurt you. If Troy decides to call a vote, and it goes against us, I will get you out of here. You have to trust me. I can’t be without you. I can’t. I’d rather die.”
“I love you,” I say without thinking, and he pauses. For a moment, I think maybe I’ve said something wrong. But then he nods.
“I love you too, baby. It’s all going to be all right. Trust me.”
***
Two hours later, we’re sitting in Chain’s living room, and I’m breathing a sigh of relief. Apparently, Chain explained to them everything that had gone on, and they took a vote.
It was unanimous.
“So, I really get to stay?”
He nods. “You want that? I mean, I’m glad you do, but aren’t you kind of a nomad?”
