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“I know,” I tell him. “I just think—”
“Sophia, Dominic’s daughter, was held at gunpoint by a deranged man who had killed his lover not long before he broke into Colton’s house. When Colton’s son, Rick, and Kid’s son, Landon, showed up, they were included in that deranged man’s plans.”
“I didn’t know.”
“It happened a long time ago, but that isn’t it. Mia was abducted. April came from a cult. Faith was abducted by a woman because of a family court case. Grace was abducted, and she was linked to Alyssa’s abduction. Sylvie was stalked and hunted by a madman. Just recently, there was a series of murders right here in town.”
“Jesus,” I mutter.
“Rick and Landon were held hostage right in that small hometown of yours. I bet you didn’t even know about that.”
“A long time ago?”
“No, Beth, last year. Those were all issues that had nothing to do with the club. Your connection to us makes it even more dangerous for you. The reason we want someone with you isn’t to try and control you. We want you safe. Fuck, sweetheart, I want you safe.”
Tears prickle at my eyes. I’ve met a lot of the people he has mentioned, but I still had no idea that their histories were filled with such violence and pain. They’re always smiling and laughing. They have welcomed me with open arms and although Gigi isn’t afraid to step up and ask questions, most everyone else seems quite content for me to be sharing space with them. There hasn’t been a single moment since I arrived that I’ve felt like someone didn’t want me there.
“As long as you’re my wife, I need you to follow the same rules. If we’re out looking for you, it could pull manpower from something else. There are a lot of cogs in the machine that is Cerberus, and it’s dangerous for more than just you when you decide you can’t wait and head into town alone.”
“Is that what this is?” I snap. “I think this has more to do with you looking bad because you can’t get me in line like everyone else is.”
He closes his eyes, wiping a hand down the front of his face. His deep breath and the slow release of it speaks loudly of his frustration with me.
“It isn’t about control. It’s about protection.”
“I made it to the shelter just fine.”
“I know you did.”
“But I’m also getting the vibe that you might wish that I hadn’t just to prove your point.”
“What?” He shakes his head.
When he reaches for me, I pull my hands away. Although he doesn’t force his touch on me, I can see in his eyes that he isn’t impressed.
“When Harley first arrived as a Cerberus member, he came here with his wife.”
“I’ve met Alyssa. She’s lovely.”
“Lana,” he says, confusing me. “When he joined, he was married to Lana.”
For some reason, his tone makes breathing a little more difficult.
“Lana was killed by a drunk driver on New Year’s Eve.”
“Oh God.” The words escape before I can stop them. The tears prickling my eyes take the opportunity to roll down my cheeks.
“Horrible things happen to people all the time. Us being with you when you leave Cerberus property mitigates some of that.”
Silence fills the inside of the vehicle. I have no clue what to say. There’s an overwhelming urge to apologize for leaving by myself, but at the same time, I can’t wrap my head around needing to be supervised. I’m a cautious driver, and there’s nothing about me that would make someone else think that hurting me would hurt the club. I’ve been married to Derrick for less than a month, and although he feels obligated to protect me, it’s not because he loves me. If something happened to me, he might avenge that wrongdoing, but he’d do so more out of pride than anything else.
“If you’re going to stay here in Farmington, I need you—”
“To obey?” I snap, his words coming at exactly the wrong time to sound like anything other than an egotistical command.
“Beth.”
I ignore the frustration in his tone. Taking his feelings into account right now is only going to end up with me being completely bulldozed.
“Can you take me back to the clubhouse, please?”
He doesn’t argue, but the snap of his seatbelt clicking into place is much louder than it was outside of the shelter.
Neither of us say a word for the entire drive back to the clubhouse.
Yep. It’s the beginning of the end, and I shouldn’t be surprised at all.
Chapter 29
Oracle
Every instinct in my body is screaming out to me when she climbs out of the SUV in the Cerberus parking lot.
She doesn’t look back before climbing the steps and entering through the front door.
I’m irritated and feeling more than a little hopeless right now, but she’s so fucking stubborn.
