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?Well, I’m sorry. The police are downstairs in the lobby waiting to talk to you. The fire department put out the fire. They are processing the vehicle now.” He rubbed his belly. “I’m going to have a hell of a lot of paperwork tonight. Whoever did this knew that there was a ten-minute gap during shift changes. And they were able to set fire to the car and do all of this and keep their face away from the cameras. They wore a hoody and ski mask.
That did not sound like Tim. Showing his face was a way to claim responsibility. Even if Tim didn’t want to go to jail, he couldn’t help himself. He always wanted everyone to know how smart and bad ass he was. Covering his face meant one of two things. It wasn’t Tim, which I highly doubted or, it wasn’t his idea and he was taking orders from someone else. I knew in my heart that was what was happening. It all fit. His new behavior. The accompanying stranger. Staying away and making me feel comfortable and then getting away with everything. Tim wasn’t a strategist. He didn’t think ahead. Someone else was pulling the strings. But to what end? Another thought ran through my mind. Without my car, I was stuck here.
“How am I going to go and get my girls?”
Thomas looked bewildered. “Do you have anyone you can call?” He put his hand on my shoulder. His eyes shone with compassion. “My car is in the shop. The Mrs. drops me off every day or I would take you myself.”
I shook my head. I’m not sure what his wife driving the car has anything to do with his ability to give me a ride, but I could take a hint. “I’ll figure it out. Let me speak with the police first. That bastard is not going to get away with this.”
He nodded enthusiastically. This was probably the most exciting day of Thomas’s retirement. A reminder of the more exciting days of his youth. Or was it a grim reminder of the danger he had experienced? I thought to ask but changed my mind when he spoke up.
“I know it isn’t any of my business, but can I give you a piece of advice?” He walked with me to the elevator and pushed the button with his thumb. The elevator dinged. Although the sound was the same as every other day, today it was urgent and shrill. When your ex-husband sets fire to your car, what’s the next logical step? Do I take a stand, seek revenge, or flee?
“Sure.” Although I’m not sure what type of advice could really be applicable in this situation. However, he was a cop at one point. Maybe he was used to the drama.
“Whoever did this is dangerous. I have spent enough time chasing stalkers, crazies, and everything else under the sun. People like this do not go away. And they do not stop until they get what they want or die trying. Be careful. You’re a smart girl. Off the record, you might think about getting a gun.”
Thomas might be well-meaning, but I was way ahead of him. I was tired of running. And revenge was a waste of time. Getting a weapon was moving up in my list of priorities. But I was hoping that my new biker friends would be able to get something better. I just hoped they would be up for the job. It was time to take a stand. I got into the elevator and waved to Thomas. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”
Would the police believe me about Tim? They never have. Even if it was a risk, I had to try. First, I would tell the police everything and try to go about things the legal way. And if after all of this I wasn’t satisfied that they were taking me seriously, I would try another way. The triplets might think that I hated them because they were bikers, but that wasn’t really it. I hated them because they reminded me of the life I used to have and the one I lost. And how much it cost me. As much as I can deny my past and pretend that I’m a vanilla girl who has cleaned up her act, reality is going to find me. I never cleaned up, I just cut out. Running away didn’t solve anything. And part of being a responsible adult, I was going to have to own up to the life I lived once. Hopefully, the triplets wouldn’t be too upset about my earlier outbursts. It turns out I need more from them than a fantasy or rescue. And I was more than sure they could deliver.
Chapter 14
Frank
Jared is a real jackass. “Give me my medicine.”
“What the hell do you need this wimp juice for?” Jared teased and tossed the bottle from one hand to the next.
Oh, I don’t know, the crushing weight of existence. Loneliness. Missing Jen. And if the emotional turmoil wasn’t enough, the throbbing headache that was threating to crush my head in was the icing on the cake. “Listen, I need something to take the edge off. I want to get some sleep.” Jen’s constant presence in my dreams keeps me grasping at empty darkness. Sweaty and disoriented, I feel her begging us to come back and rescue her. Since I left the hospital this morning, I have been trying to rest with no luck. A churning in my gut and grinding in my head left me anxious and weak. I wanted to shake Jared and tell him something was wrong. She was in danger. I could feel it. But Jared wasn’t interested in ‘old-fashioned bullshit’. Jared had no interest in tapping into the wisdom of his ancestors. He felt he had all of the wisdom he needed. And he was right. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why Jen was in danger. It was us.
He tossed back the bottle and smirked. “You’re getting soft in your old age.”
That might be the case. Despite Jen’s declaration that we were pieces of shit, I still ached for her to be in the room. Her gentleness, her hands checking my stitches, helping me turn. Everything she did, it was with a smile. “You’re going to hell for trashing her car.”
“You know I’ve been here playing nurse to you this entire time.” Jared’s feigned innocent was maddening.
“I might have been hit in the head Jared, but you know that I’m not stupid.”
Jared sneered. “If you’re so smart, why did you let her walk out of there?”
“You mean why didn’t I hold her against her will in the hospital that she works in and tell her that we want her as a mate?”
Jared stood up and started pacing. “We need to keep her close. She can’t dismiss us like that. She’s the one. I know it. And you can drop the act. I know you feel it too.”
He was definitely irritated. His shoulders were pinched, and he was stalking back and forth from the coffee table to the bookshelf. Our apartment was quite small, the living room could be spanned with five steps. He was going to burn a hole in the carpet. It was quite entertaining actually. I never saw him get this worked up over a woman before. There wasn’t anything more that I wanted than to hold Jen in my arms and to kiss her soft lips, but I didn’t want it badly enough to call her ex-boyfriend and have him destroy her car. I wanted her desperately, but I wasn’t cruel like Jared. No one was really. Except perhaps that idiot ex-boyfriend of Jen’s. Tim and Jared were a match made in heaven. They both needed to be put in their places. Too bad I was too much of a chicken shit to do it. Our family means everything to me. We were supposed to be a part of an unbreakable brotherhood. That means I can’t get my way all the time. Even if it kills me.
“What are you expecting? Do you think she is going to walk out of the hospital, see her fucked up car, and think, you know what, I think I do need some bikers hanging around after all?” I barked. Jared looked down to where I was sitting on the couch in surprise. I very rarely raised my voice, especially at him.
“Do you trust me?” His words struck a nerve. Jared was always manipulative. My trust for my brothers has no bounds. We shared a womb for God’s sake. He loved to twist things to make it seem like if we hesitated in following his orders, it was because of a lack of trust. Jared leaned in close enough to my face that I could feel his hot breath. I smelled excitement, frustration and anger. I shoved him away. He only ever thought about himself. Wes and I were just work horses to him.
“Of course, I do. But it wouldn’t hurt you to let us in on your plans a little. We’re a part of this pack too. Tim is a wild card. He’s not loyal and he sure as hell isn’t one of us. Getting twisted up with him is a huge mistake. And what if Jen finds out? We’ll never get back in her good graces. How are we supposed to prove that bikers are trustworthy and reliable when
you just screwed her over?” I panted.
“You really underestimate me.” He laughed, a soulless cackle. “You’re so caught up on poor Jenny dearest that you are missing the bigger picture. Jen’s number one problem is that douche bag. She’s also trying to raise two small children on her own. We solve those two problems for her, she’ll be eternally grateful. And she’ll realize how serious we are about making her life better. You know we can make her happy. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.” The smug look of satisfaction on his face was enough to make me want to break his face. Unfortunately, I have had enough with hospitals for a while. Taking out my frustration on Jared was going to have to wait. My head was about to explode, and I needed rest. I rolled over and put a pillow over my head. Jen would find me in my dreams, but I couldn’t hold off any longer.
