Chapter 3

My hands shook during the drive home. I couldn't wrap my head around the evidence Knight had shown me…or my reaction to the sexy biker. If even half of the things the Silver Saints had dug up on my dad were true, he wasn't the man I thought he was. He had taught me how to ride a bicycle and blown on my scraped knees before bandaging them. Framed my artwork and put it up in his office.

How could he have also sentenced people to jail for longer terms than they deserved? And even worse, he may have helped send the innocent there, too. Defendants who hadn't broken any laws but had the bad fortune to find themselves in a crooked judge's court…my dad's.

No matter how I turned everything around in my head during the drive, it just didn't seem possible. Luckily, my mom wasn't downstairs when I got back to the house, and I was able to head straight into my dad's office without her grilling me to make sure I hadn't gone out and told the entire town about Dad's suspension. Her head would have exploded if I told her what I'd really been out doing.

So would my dad's but there was no keeping this from him. I had too many questions that needed answers, and he was the only one who could give them to me.

This time, I didn't bother knocking on the door. I just stormed into his office, stalking over to his desk and planting my hands on my hips. "It isn't all lies? You're really a dirty judge who takes bribes?"

"How can you ask me such a thing, Kiara?" He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm your father."

My nostrils flared as I lifted my chin. "That's a lot of blustering, but I didn't hear an actual denial."

He pushed his chair back and got to his feet with a sigh. "Because I didn't think you needed one."

"I didn't either, until I went to the Silver Saints compound and saw the evidence that they have against you." My voice wavered as tears filled my eyes. "I was so righteous when I went there, planning to confront their president. Instead, one of them showed me proof of what you did. Stuff that couldn't be doctored—actual court records."

"You don't understand." There was a deep growl of an engine outside, and Dad strode over to the window to peek through the blinds. Jumping away from the window, he turned back toward me and hissed, "Please tell me your car is in the garage."

"What in the world does that have to do with anything?"

He hurried over to me and wrapped his hand around my arm, dragging me toward the closet. "I heard the garage door open and close. If your car is in there, he won't know you're home."

My brows drew together as my gaze darted toward the window. "He who?"

"A very bad man who's not happy about my suspension since I was supposed to hear his son's case." He flung the closet door open and shoved me inside. "You need to hide. He needs to think you haven't gotten into town yet."

I didn't need him to answer my questions anymore. His reaction had already confirmed what Knight had told me.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I dropped to the floor and wrapped my arms around my knees, whispering, "Yes, I parked in the garage."

"Good." His eyes were pained as he stared down at me. "No matter what you hear, stay quiet and don't come out."

"What about Mom?"

"She should be fine." His gaze darted toward the ceiling. "She's passed out upstairs and won't hear a thing. He'll be long gone before she wakes up again."

I took some small comfort in the fact that my mom's heavy drinking had the unintentional benefit of keeping her safe during whatever was about to happen. I held on to that as I listened to the doorbell ring and my dad greeting the bad guy who'd come calling. "You shouldn't be here, Bickle."

"You gave me no choice, Judge Timkins," a deep voice replied. "Or should I call you Mr. Timkins now that you've been suspended?"

"I'm still a judge," my dad insisted. "The suspension is only temporary. Once I've successfully defended myself against the accusations made against me, I'll be back on the bench."

"Maybe, but that doesn't do my son much good, now does it? His case has already been assigned to another judge. One who my sources tell me isn't for sale, unlike you."

The voices came closer, and I shrank back against the wall, pressing trembling fingers against my lips to keep from making any noise.

"Your sources are correct. Thompson has earned his reputation for being a stickler," my dad confirmed.

"That's unfortunate for you," Bickle replied. "If I lose my son to prison, I'm not going to be a happy man. And like Judge Thompson, I've earned my reputation. But mine is for retribution—something you will have earned if you don't figure out a way to come through for my boy. Nobody crosses me without paying a steep price."

"There isn't much I can do while I'm suspended except give back your money."

"The cash isn't what's important, my son is. Returning my cash isn't good enough when I can't turn around and use it to bribe the other judge. So you better figure something else out, or else your daughter is going to pay the price for your incompetence," Bickle warned.

"My daughter?"

"Your little princess, Kiara." I shuddered at the malevolence in Bickle's tone as he said my name. "She should be home from college for winter break any day now, isn't that right?"

"I…uh…" my dad stuttered.

"I'm not a fool," Bickle growled. "Don't try to take me for one."

"I'm not. I swear, I'll figure something out. Just don't hurt my daughter."

"Unfortunately for you, your promises no longer mean anything to me. Which means I need to make sure I've made my point, loud and clear. And experience has proven to me the quickest way to do that is through pain." There was a loud thud, followed by my dad screaming. "Be sure to tell the doctors that you injured yourself while doing some home repairs. A hammer falling on your hand will explain away the injury."

"Yes, a hammer fell," my dad gasped in an agonized tone.

"Try to be more convincing when you're at the emergency room," Bickle chided. "Your daughter's safety depends on your ability to keep the cops out of this, after all."

My dad cleared his throat, his voice steadier as he said, "I'll do whatever it takes to keep Kiara out of this."

"Good, then we're on the same page. Two fathers looking out for their children."

I strained to listen as their footsteps headed away. Time moved slowly while I waited for my dad to come back and tell me it was safe to come out. He was a wreck when he opened the door, his skin pale and his hair messy. "Hurry, Kiara. We have to get you out of here."

"I don't understand. Who was that guy? Where am I supposed to go?" I asked as I crawled out of the closet and got to my feet.

"All you need to know is that Bickle is someone who will not hesitate to hurt you." My dad heaved a deep sigh. "Very few people can keep you safe from him, and as much as it pains me to admit, the Silver Saints are your best bet right now."

My eyes widened. "The Silver Saints?"

"Yes, go back to their compound and ask them for protection."

"What about you?" I glanced down at the hand he was cradling against his chest. "I'm pretty sure he broke your hand."

"It's no less than I deserve for striking a bargain with the bastard in the first place, but not you. You're innocent in all this. Which is why you need to go to the Silver Saints. If Bickle can't get to you, then he can't hurt you. I can't protect you from him, but they can. Even though I almost sent one of their men to prison, from what I've heard about them, they won't turn away an innocent. Especially not a girl who needs protection from a monster like Bickle…"

His head jerked toward the window as he trailed off. "Wait, you can't leave yet. I didn't hear his truck. He might still be out there."

"Oh no." I moved toward the wall next to the window as my dad peered through the blinds again.

"Dammit, he must be waiting to see what I do or if you show up," he muttered. "Did the Silver Saints give you a way to get in touch?"

"Yes." I nodded. "I have the number for one of the guys."

"Call him. Now."

As I pulled my phone out of my pocket, I asked, "Why did you do it?"

"That's a long story best saved for another day, after I've come up with a way out of the mess that I've created so I can be certain you're safe."

His desire to protect me was what I expected from the loving father I'd grown up with, but everything else that had happened today made me feel as though I had stumbled across an alternate universe. Including the fact that I was actually looking forward to talking to Knight again…and hoping that the sexy biker would come to my rescue.