CHAPTER 9

Convincing Dan to let me out of the house proved harder than I’d thought. Sure, I knew Papa would pitch a fit when I wanted to go back to work three days later, but I thought Dan wouldn’t get so mad he refused to speak to me. I mean, I can’t hide. No matter how much they want me to. It’s not in me to hide. Granted, I did hide from everyone after Mrs. B, but that was different. I was different.

Evan threatened to lock me up in an iron room where he knew I’d be safe. Dan nodded his approval. Papa even thought about it. I was not amused then, and I’m not now.

Dan pulls over in front of the shop, the fury radiating off him enough to make me hesitant. He’s terrified. I know that fear all too well. I held him while the life bled out of him when his mother shot him point blank. That fear is not something to take lightly or to try to make it seem inconsequential. It’s real and can be debilitating.

“You will not leave this shop until I pick you up.”

“I already promised to stay put.”

His jaw clenches.

“Dan, hiding is only going to make it worse. What if they send someone back to the apartment complex next? Do you really want to put innocent people at risk?”

“If it means keeping you safe? Yes.”

I wince, knowing he’s speaking the complete truth. Part of why the Powers That Be are scared of us is because we will always put each other first, even to the detriment of innocents. I know the good we do balances that out, thanks to the chat we had at the train station when we died. I at least like to think so.

Sometimes I still feel so guilty about the innocents who get hurt around me. I never mean to cause death and destruction; it just follows me around. It’s part of why I stay away from Dan’s other family, the Malones. Heather and James are afraid of the pain I bring, and I don’t want to hurt them more than I have. It’s easier to not interact with them. Dan talks to them regularly, and he’s gone to visit them a few times as well. I encourage it, but I never go with him. Like I said, it’s easier for everyone.

“There’s a reason no one tried anything while I was in the shop. This place is a green zone for Supernaturals. I’m safer here than anywhere. Our apartment is warded against everything, and I still say I’m safer here than there.”

He wants to argue, but I’m right even if he doesn’t think so.

RJ steps out and walks over to the car. “You coming in? I have six people waiting to talk to you about designs.”

“Yeah, be right there. Give me a second.”

He nods and steps away, but he doesn’t go back inside. He leans against the building and studies the area. He’s a human, but he’s been around Supernaturals long enough to pick up on a few things, and he’s been around criminals even longer. He knows more about the criminal world than any police officer, including my husband.

A motorcycle pulls up, and I glance in the mirror, recognizing the rider when he pulls off the helmet. It’s a friend of mine—Blade. He got his road name by skinning his enemy with a knife. He may be human, but even the Supernaturals in the city steer clear of him. He’s as vicious as they come. Except to me. He has a soft spot for me. Dan even likes him, believe it or not.

He comes over and knocks on the window, and I roll it down again. “Yeah?”

“I have a bone to pick with you.”

“Who doesn’t at this point?”

Blade’s frown turns more severe. “You almost died and didn’t call to say you’re good.” He turns his accusation Dan’s way. “Neither did you. You left me hanging after that first call to say she was in surgery and to start looking for leads.”

“My bad,” Dan says. “I’ve had my hands full trying to keep her inside.”

“About that. I got some news. Come on into the shop. We’ll use the office.”

Dan’s entire demeanor changes, and an air of anticipation settles around him. He can’t get me out of the car fast enough at this point and hurries me inside and to the office. RJ and Blade follow us, closing the door. I cast a simple spell that encloses us in a bubble of silence. No one outside of this office will hear what I say.

“Lock the door,” I tell RJ. If someone opens it, the spell will be broken, but you can’t open a locked door unless you either unlock it or break it down.

“Tell me.” Dan sits behind the desk and pulls me into his lap. RJ doesn’t even blink about Dan using his chair. He sits in one of the chairs facing it, and Blade takes the other.

“As I said, I put out a few feelers when Dan called to tell me what happened.”

I glance up at him, and he shrugs. “He knows people Evan and I don’t. I forgot to check back in with him.”

Fair enough. I settle into Dan, seeking comfort, and he wraps his arms around me. I can feel the tension in him, and he’s still spitting mad, but I know it’s not directed at me. It’s directed at circumstances and his fear of not being able to keep me safe.

“I met up with a dealer down on the south side. Cricket gave me the name of a man who was bragging about taking out a bird.”

“A bird?” RJ frowns, not understanding, but Dan does.

“He means me,” I say softly.

RJ still doesn’t understand.

“My last name. I’m a Crane, which is a bird.”

Poor RJ. His eyes widen when he finally gets it.

“Did you track him down?”

“I did, but he was dead when I found him.”

I elbow Dan in the stomach when he starts cursing. He knows I can’t stand that.

Blade grins, his green eyes twinkling. “Have to donate to the swear jar frequently?”

“No.”

His hard tone wipes the amusement off Blade’s face. “I found him gutted in a dumpster. I assume because he had loose lips.”

“Call the police?”

“Fu…uh, no. He’s trash, so I left him there. I’m sure somebody will call when they go to throw their garbage out later. It was behind a row of greasy hole-in-the-wall places.”

“Well, there went that lead.”

“Not exactly. I know him. He hangs with the Carnage boys. They run that part of town. I called up their SAA and asked what happened.”

“They were involved in what happened to me?” I ask softly. I’d created a club tattoo for them that no one else in the city would wear, as well as personal designs for every member of their club.

“He hurried to assure me that they weren’t, but as soon as they heard him talking, they hauled him in and got the story out of him. He was hired to simply watch the shop and text them when you were coming out.”

“The one in the shadows that never moved.”

Blade nods, his dark hair falling into his eyes.

“Who hired him?”

“A guy in leather.”

“One of the other MCs?” RJ moves closer, leaning until his arms are braced on the desk. “Tell me who, and they’ll be banned from my shop and the other two shops who do spelled ink.”

“No one’s admitting that, but I’m guessing yes. Chainsaw said he tried his best to get him to name the MC, but the guy told him he wasn’t wearing kuttes, just a leather jacket and leather pants with military boots. Gave him ten K to look out and let him know when she got in the car. Idiot didn’t know enough to keep his mouth closed.”

“His own people murdered him?” Dan’s eyes are fixed on Blade, but to Blade’s credit, he doesn’t flinch.

“Chainsaw said he didn’t even know the prospect was dead.”

“So, he wasn’t a full member yet.”

“Nope, Rach, he wasn’t. I don’t think they’d take a prospect on a job that big, but again, I don’t know the inner working of their club either. My boys would never trust a prospect to do that kind of job. Loose lips sink ships. Prospects have to prove themselves before we’d trust them, and they’d be patched if we trusted them.”

“Why do you think they had a hand in this?” Dan asks.

“Gut feeling.”

“Always trust your gut. It’s a lesson not many learn.” I hug Dan tighter. “Can you bring him down here?”

Blade’s smile is tight. “I got my boys picking him up as we speak.”

“Your president didn’t argue?”

“Nope. We got a new one, and he don’t want to get on your bad side.”

“A new one?”

Blade nods, his smile widening. “I’ll tell you the story of how that happened another time.”

Meaning not in the presence of the police.

“I’ll hold you to that.” I didn’t really like his old leader. He didn’t put his people first. It was more about him than them. It should be club first, not me first.

“We need to head back to the clubhouse. They’re taking him there.”

“No.” Dan shakes his head. “If you’re kidnapping a member of another gang…”

“Motorcycle club,” RJ, Blade, and I say at the same time.

Dan sighs. To him, a gang is a gang. “Whatever. You can’t take them back to your main place of business. That’s the first place they’ll look.”

“Take him to my warehouse.” It’s empty right now, so Dan won’t look at me like he’s disappointed in me for my thievery. I mean, he can give me that look all he wants, but if I want to steal something, I will. I’m good at it, and I enjoy the thrill. Papa is quite proud of how good of a thief I am.

“You own a warehouse?” Blade’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Of course I do.” I give him directions, and Blade says he’ll let his boys know the plan’s changed.

“See you there, Rach.” Blade knows I’m Emma Crane, but like RJ and Evan, he calls me Rachel simply because he knows me as Rachel. I don’t mind.

After he leaves, I look to RJ. “I’m not going to make those consultations sitting out there.”

“I figured.” He smiles. “Come back when your business is finished. They’ll grumble about having to come back, but they’ll be back. You’re worth the wait.”

“She is,” Dan agrees, standing and then putting me on my own two feet. “Maybe you should wait here, though. I don’t want to put you in the middle of a potential gang shootout.”

I snort. “Trust me, I can take care of myself.”

Except for being rammed by cars on all sides, ending up in a major car accident, and almost dying. Barring that, I can take care of myself. Dan doesn’t have to say it, but he’s thinking it. I know him better than he knows himself, but the same can be said about me. He knows I know what he’s thinking, and he knows I’m not going to stay behind.

“Then let’s go. I want to get there before Blade and his boys. There are security measures I need to deactivate so they can enter the lot.”

He frowns but doesn’t say anything.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours,” I tell RJ and follow Dan back out to the car. He’s not happy, but at least he didn’t suggest we call the police. I’m happy about that. It’s one less argument to make my head pound harder than it already is.

Yeah, the headaches are back, but I’m not saying a thing until they get bad enough to warrant a call to Rhea. I’m surprised she didn’t heal them when we were at the hospital. Then again, the headache did go away after she sent all that warmth through me, so maybe she did and they just came back lightning fast.

I’m not worried either way.

I know if they get bad enough, she’ll fix them.

And for that, I’m grateful, but for right now, I need to focus on figuring out who tried to take me out.

And to do that, I need all my focus on this upcoming meeting.

Sighing, I settle into the car and close my eyes after giving Dan directions. A little nap will help, and I trust him to get us to my warehouse in one piece.