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“You okay, sis?”
I’ve told Lucy all about Linc and my ex, even confiding in her about the notebook I stole and its contents. She’s been a little more tight-lipped about her past, only saying she left a bad situation, and she doesn’t like to talk about it. Why invite the demons? I can relate, so I never pushed her.
“Are you fucking serious lady?” Jude calls, getting up from the table and coming to stand next to Linc. “She’s not the one who spent the last six years in prison.”
“Shut up, Jude.” Linc gives me an apologetic look.
“I will not,” he says, turning toward me. “Where’ve you been, Charlie? Linc went to prison for taking out your trash, and you let him sit there without ever showing up for the trial or testifying on his behalf. You just took off, so it was your ex’s word against his. Did you know they had your statement to the police thrown out because they couldn’t find you? Jace’s lawyer twisted it to make it sound like Linc was a jealous lover.”
“Back off, asshole,” Lucy says from next to me. “She doesn’t need you throwing shit in her face. You weren’t there. You don’t know what she was going through. Who the fuck do you think you are to judge her?”
Jude’s icy green gaze turns to my best friend, and the arctic look he gives her chills me to the bone.
“Lucy, it’s okay. I’ll handle it.” I’d gotten used to handling men with short fuses in my life. No need to drag Lucy in.
“No, fuck that, Charlie. And fuck this guy for thinking he gets to talk to you like that.” She turns and stares Jude in the eye. “Try again, asshole. This time with someone your own size.”
It’s almost comical considering how tiny Lucy is, but that doesn’t stop her from squaring up to a man almost twice her size. Jude may be bigger in stature, but I’ve never met any man with balls as big as Lucy’s. This isn’t the first time I’ve thought if I had someone in my life like her all those years ago, things would have turned out very differently.
Linc stands and puts his hand on Jude’s chest, pushing him back a step. That’s when I take in what he’s wearing. His jacket has a patch on the back that reads the Black Roses MC, Massachusetts. He wasn’t wearing it the night we met.
“You’re in a motorcycle club,” I blurt out.
Linc whirls around, meeting my frightened gaze. I’m not stupid. I know what goes on with motorcycle clubs. They’re criminals.
“Yeah, he is, sweetheart, and you’re responsible for my brother going to prison,” Jude replies caustically.
I’m fucked.
I sent the member of an MC to prison. Even though it wasn’t because of anything I did, Jude obviously holds me responsible. Honestly, there were a lot of nights in the last six years I held myself responsible, too. In those first few months, sleep didn’t come easy.
The case never made national headlines or anything like that. Rarely do saviors of beaten women get the thanks they deserve. I knew enough details, like the arrest date and the “victim” of the case, so I was able to scour our local paper online to follow the hearing. In a town as small as Liberty, it was a big deal back then, but the paper never mentioned anything about him being involved with an MC. I was still too terrified to go back, though. Never in a million years did I think Linc would get sentenced to ten years. Not after I gave my statement to the police and told them what Jace did to me, even though the damage was stamped across my face. The police were given every detail surrounding my abuse from the last year, including that night.
When he was sent to prison, I sent Linc a letter to tell him how sorry, yet how thankful I was for everything. I never expected him to write back, not that his response would have found me. I spent a lot of time moving from town to town, making my way south. Diners or bars in little nowhere towns didn’t care that I didn’t have an ID, and I certainly wasn’t about to give them my resume. It would have only been a matter of time before word got back to Jace that prospective employers were calling about me.
“I was in an MC back then, too, Charlie, but it’s nothing for you to worry about. No matter what Jude says.” Linc’s mouth forms a tight line as he shoots his friend a warning stare that can’t be mistaken for anything other than a threat.
“Yeah, like she’s going to believe that.” Next to me, Lucy lets out a huff of disgust. “I know all about guys like you and clubs like yours.” Considering Lucy hasn’t said too much about her past, I wonder how she knows about clubs like Linc’s.
“You don’t know shit, Lucifer,” Jude spits at Lucy.
“Oh, we’re at the nickname stage in our relationship? Because I have some really good—“
I cut her off by pulling her back and stepping in front of her. I don’t care what Linc says, the look on Jude’s face as Lucy lays into him is setting familiar alarms whirling through my head.
The truth of the matter is, although I trusted Linc six years ago, a lot can change. I don’t know him, not really. Add in the fact he’s in a motorcycle club and probably doesn’t always walk on the right side of the law means I’m not taking chances with Lucy.
Linc looks at me with concern swirling in his eyes.
“Jude, you need to back off,” he tells the angry man, who is still shooting daggers at my best friend. “I mean it,” he reiterates when Jude doesn’t make a move to stand down.
“Whatever,” Jude finally concedes and goes to sit with one of the other guys he came in with.
Linc turns to the other man sitting next to him. “Wyatt, can we have a minute?”
Wyatt looks between Linc and me and nods. “Sure thing,” he replies and stands. “Can I grab a couple of beers first?”
Linc looks ready to tell him to get the hell out of here before Lucy comes from behind me and grabs three beers, plopping them down in front of him.
