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“You here for the donuts and coffee?” She wiped her hands on the apron and moved down the counter.
“Yeah, Red sent me.”
A pink box was produced, still open so I could see inside.
“These look amazing.”
Natty smiled and began shutting the top, so it was secure. “I have three dozen ready, and Red already paid.”
I stood there watching as she set one box on top of the other, when I heard a loud round of applause coming from the front part of the coffee shop.
Natty’s eyes thinned in the direction of the noise.
“I’m so sick of them having their meetings here.”
Curious, I wandered closer to the opening and peeked my head out. There, near the front of the shop, were three tables shoved together, and several people sitting shoulder to shoulder, while they watched someone give a speech.
“That is why we need to move up legislation. The mayor of Rose Ridge won’t be able to tell us no if we’re parked right outside his house.”
Natty was suddenly behind me, quietly speaking so only I could hear her.
“That’s the group that is trying to ban motorcycle clubs from being able to meet or gather within city limits.”
“Aren't the Stone Riders technically outside of the city limits?” Not that the answer lessened the effect legislation like that would have on us.
Natty shook her head. “No, technically we’re within them. That whole property is. Which makes this extra frustrating. I overheard Rune talking about how they’ve caught a few of these members poking around the edge of the property with video cameras.”
The group clapped again, but I had missed what they said.
A man with a red beanie and spiral curls stood up from the table. “I think we need to print pictures of some of their crimes, blow them up so everyone can see how dangerous this club is. People think they’re peaceful, but there’s too many questionable things that they’ve covered up.”
“I think they could begin to react if we do that, none of it would be admissible in court…there’s not even any way to prove they’re guilty,” a woman in a soft yellow coat countered.
Another person piped up, “I have a friend who’s been inside their clubhouse, there’s tons of proof in there. We just need to get inside.”
My stomach tilted. Did they have any idea what would happen to them if they did?
“You can’t break into a place to steal evidence, that’s not how the law works,” someone yelled, but then a man in a dark jacket yelled over them, “So what? It will piss them off enough that maybe it will create a reaction. That will be admissible in court.”
Natty pulled my arm, and we were ducking back into the safety of the kitchen.
My chest was rising and falling too quickly.
“Natty, this is bad,” I murmured, gripping her arm.
She nodded with her lips pursed.
“We need to tell Killian about this,” I said, almost to myself, but I knew Natty was likely thinking it.
“I don’t know if we should get involved, Laura. Yes, it’s where we live, but neither of us really belong there, it’s not our home. We’re just outsiders living on the fringes of it all. It’s not our fight.”
I knew she was right, but the way my chest rioted at the notion told me I had become more attached to the club than I had initially thought.
Instead of replying, I squeezed her hand and picked up the order for the club.
I wasn’t sure what to expect that night as I sat on the guest room floor and watched my laptop.
The delivery of treats for the church meeting went without a hitch, as I didn’t see Killian again. Red had been the one to deliver the boxes into the meeting, and I tucked back into the kitchen and began cleaning and then moved to the office to do the books.
