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“I will.”
A pause settled over the line. We knew we had to hang up but neither of us wanted to.
“I’ll fix this, Jules,” Tank said. “I promise. I’ll keep you and your family safe.”
But what about you?I wanted to ask.
Who would keep him safe?
Chapter Five
Tank
I wanted to stay by Jules’ side every second of the day. But I knew I couldn’t. Whenever Lars decided to contact me, I needed to have some distance. Jules didn’t deserve to get caught in the crossfire. It was bad enough she was tangled up in this already.
I assigned Crow and Bear to keep an eye on Jules and her family. She had a nice spread – a greenhouse, several acres of fruit trees, and a farmhouse tucked away into the land. I hoped one day I could visit when things weren’t so tense, when I could really appreciate the place and Jules could show me around properly.
After that, I waited for Lars to contact me. I didn’t have his number, so I used a few snitches who were loyal to the Alpha Riders and sent a message word of mouth. Eventually, it would reach Lars’ ears, given his reputation for keeping company with criminals, outlaws, and addicts.
“I’ve never seen you so serious before. Didn’t think it was possible for you to lose that Prince Charming smile.”
I glanced up at Alexandra’s voice. Ever since she’d moved in with our president, Brewer, she’d started slinging drinks here at the clubhouse instead of the seedy bar where she used to work. She was a good woman, shrewd, kind, with nerves of steel, especially after confronting her abusive ex-fiancé.
“Just got a lot on my mind, I guess,” I replied.
She nodded, folding her arms atop the bar. The heavy clack of balls striking each other echoed from the corner where Mack, Rooster, and Brewer were locked into a friendly game of pool.
“Jules, right?” Alexandra asked.
I nodded, scratching at the label of my Budweiser with my thumbnail. It had long since grown warm, condensation leaving a damp ring on the coaster.
“Must be a pretty special woman to have you falling head over heels for her,” Alexandra added with a knowing gleam in her eye. It had been the same way with her when she met Brewer. A whirlwind romance, bullets flying and blood spilled. Yet somehow, they stayed together through it all.
“She’s being brave,” I replied. “But it’s still new between us. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m going to lose a real damn good thing before it even has a chance to get started.”
A large hand settled on my shoulder with a reassuring squeeze.
“Then you fight for her,” Brewer said, taking the bar stool beside me. “We’ve got you covered. You know that.”
Alexandra poured him a whiskey and circled around the bar, setting the glass on the counter before Brewer. Then she hugged him from behind, resting her cheek against his back with a small smile of contentment.
“I can’t say this life is easy,” she said. “But if Jules is the right woman, she’ll go through hell or high water to stay with you. God knows you’d do the same for her.”
“You should invite her to the barbecue this weekend,” Brewer put in.
I considered for a moment, thinking of Jules in that sundress, her kisses tasting like strawberries. I tried to picture her hanging out with my tattooed, leather kutte wearing brothers, but I couldn’t imagine it.
“It would give you both a break,” Alexandra put it. “From this business with Lars. Give you something good to look forward to.”
I had to admit that was a fair point. I couldn’t imagine how much stress this would be putting on Jules. An afternoon with good food and friendly atmosphere would probably be helpful for both of us.
“You just want to have an excuse to meet her,” I said in a wry tone.
“Damn straight,” Brewer replied. “My VP deserves only the best. She will have to meet your MC family eventually. Might as well rip off the band-aid and get it over with as soon as possible.”
I rolled my eyes good-naturedly at Brewer’s comments. But I appreciated that he was looking out for me. Retrieving my phone from my pocket, I rose from my seat.
“I’ll give her a call. See what she says. Try not scare the hell out of the poor woman, would you?”
