23. Tempe

23

Tempe

I’ve always felt uneasy around law enforcement because of my parents. Even without a record myself, they always assume I’m up to no good. Law enforcement wrote me off the moment I was born because of my blood, so I learned young not to trust them when I needed help.

Watching them now as I stand alone in the parking lot, my unease is confirmed. Cops circle the bar, arresting anyone who was fighting, while an officer has Sonny and Reyes cornered for interrogation, even though they were just trying to break it up.

Jameson pulls in just as the conversation between Sonny and the cop starts to escalate, and I cross the parking lot to meet him.

He climbs out, walking to me first.

“What happened?” He tucks my hair behind my ear, looking at me like he’s searching for signs of battle.

I don’t know why he’s pretending to care when he’s been ignoring me for days, but I don’t need him worrying about me.

“Nothing I didn’t take care of.” I pull away from him.

“Tempe.” My name is a threat, and as much as I’d like to stand here and argue with him, I feel Austin’s eyes on us through the truck window.

“Dimitri showed up,” I say reluctantly. “He’s the guy who sent me to the clubhouse. He said his name was Dimitri.”

Jameson’s jaw tenses. “What else did he say?”

“Not much.” I shrug, tucking my hands in my pockets. “He said he wanted me to stay put and that whatever reason he sent me to the clubhouse isn’t what you think. That or you’re keeping things from me.”

Jameson scans my face, and I wonder if it makes any more sense to him than it does to me. Maybe Dimitri was right, and he knows the truth about why I was sent to him. If so, he hasn’t said anything.

“What do you know, Jameson?”

He shakes his head. “Not a damn thing, apparently. What else?”

“That’s it.” I shrug. “He wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information. And I was too busy fighting back to ask.”

Jameson steps closer, tipping my chin up again, except this time, I don’t pull away. I can barely breathe with him this close. His warm leather scent floods my nose, and my chest brushes against him with my inhale.

“Did he hurt you?” Jameson nudges my chin up so he can examine my face.

I swallow hard when he brushes his thumb over my jaw. “No. I didn’t give him a chance before I punched him in the nuts.”

Jameson’s angry scowl cracks with a hint of amusement. “Good girl.”

I didn’t fight Dimitri off for Jameson’s sake. It was to save myself. But something about his praise makes my insides flutter. So many men in my past have been intimidated by a woman who can stick up for herself, but Jameson isn’t.

“Get in the truck, Tempe.” Any amusement vanishes as he releases me and takes a step back, not saying another word as he reaches for the handle and opens the door. “I need to go check in with my men.”

Once I climb in, he shuts the door behind me and heads over to where the cops are still talking to Sonny and Reyes.

“Are you off work?” Austin curls to my side the best he can in his booster seat.

“Yeah.” I force a smile, squeezing his hand. “I am now.”

He glances out the front window, his gaze landing on the cops. “Did someone break the law?”

“It was just a little mix-up.” I angle his face so he’s looking at me and not the men being dragged out of the bar in handcuffs. “There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“I’m not worried. Jameson will take care of us.”

Austin’s faith in Jameson makes my heart ache because even if his trust is well-placed regarding our physical safety, it’s a reminder that Jameson is one more man Austin is eventually going to watch walk away.

“Jameson said someday, maybe I can have a cape like his.”

“His?” I glance over at where Jameson is talking to the cops.

“Yeah.” Austin nods. “A black one.”

That’s when I realize he’s talking about Jameson’s cut.

I turn back to my brother. “You don’t need one of those, Austin. You’re already a superhero without it.”

“Jameson said it’s not about being a superhero. He said his cape is to show who his family is.”

“You already have a family.” Tears sting my eyes with my words because I know what he needs is so much more than I’ll ever be able to offer him. “You have me.”

Austin looks out the window at Jameson, his shoulders sinking.

“Hey.” I squeeze his hand. “I’ve got you, okay? We’re in this together. You and me. I promise.”

Austin curls against my side, resting his head on my arm as he hugs me. And I hold him like I can give him all the things he deserves when I know I’m already failing.

One unstable environment after another.

One home after another.

Solving this problem will only mean more for both of us. And I’d like to think I’ll figure this out like I always have. That I’ll be able to build a life in which my brother can thrive. But there’s always going to be that missing piece.

Austin settles into the silence of the truck, and I watch the scene unfold outside Dirty Drakes .

Marley waves goodbye after the cops finish taking her statement, and she climbs in her car to leave.

Jameson is still talking to the officers, and even if everyone is calm, I sense the tension from across the parking lot.

Not that Jameson seems to let it get to him.

There’s something about how he commands a crowd that is undeniably intoxicating. He speaks to the cops with the full confidence of his patch, not caring that they’ll immediately judge him for it.

Jameson demands respect no matter what they think of him.

At one point, he motions to me sitting in the truck, but I’m too far away to hear what he’s saying. All I sense is the anger crashing out of him, no matter how calm he’s being.

I can’t figure out why he continues to fight for me, protect me, and stick up for me when he doesn’t even act like he likes me. But there’s security in watching him stick up for me in this moment.

After a few more tense words, the officers finally step back. They’re letting Sonny and Reyes go but don’t look happy about it. The cops watch them leave, and Jameson talks to them for a minute before they walk to where they’re parked.

Jameson swings the door open, climbing in the truck.

“Everything all right?” I ask.

He grips the steering wheel, drops his chin, and is clearly thinking about something. It takes a moment before he starts the engine, his gaze moving to where Austin is holding my hand.

“Everything’s fine.”

We both know he’s lying, but I don’t question him in front of Austin. Today is just one more thing weighing Jameson down. One more reason he’ll close himself off from me.

The drive back to the Twisted Kings compound is quiet, and I’m biting back everything I want to say for Austin’s sake. Jameson stops briefly at a burger joint, but we eat without saying much to each other.

Austin, thankfully, fills the silence for us, telling me about changing the oil in Jameson’s motorcycle and asking twenty questions about why pickle slices and relish don’t taste the same even if they’re both pickles.

Jameson surprises me by answering every single question. No matter how small or annoying. He keeps the mood up even when Austin refuses to concede his point. But between every half-hearted laugh, I sense the day weighing heavy on him.

At least he doesn’t let Austin see it.

By the time we get back to the house, it’s late, so I put Austin to bed. Pearl met up with her friends after the doctor so she’s still not back. And when I walk downstairs, it’s just Jameson and me again in the same awkward mess we’ve been in since we slept together.

“Thanks for picking us up, but you can go now if you need to.” I walk over to the sink and grab some water. “I’m sure you have things to take care of back at the club.”

“It’s fine. ”

I tip my head back and let out an irritated chuckle. “Nothing’s fine, and you know it.”

“You’re safe here.”

I spin to face him, backing up to the counter and gripping it, trying not to scream when that’s all I want to do right now.

Let it out.

But I can’t.

Because there’s a child looking up to me, and for him, I need to keep it together.

“Safe here ,” I repeat. “Safe for now .”

“What’s wrong with that?” Jameson grips the kitchen island, watching me.

“It’s all temporary.” I circle the island, meeting him where he is. “Being here is wearing on me, and just when I thought it was almost over, we’ve restarted the clock. When does it end? When is this over?”

“I don’t know.”

I roll my eyes. “Remember when I was the one with that answer and how you felt about it?”

“That was different.” Jameson clenches his jaw.

“Is it?” I roll my shoulders back. “Because I’m starting to think this is all the same. You heard what Dimitri said. We don’t even know the real reason he sent me here—unless you do, and you’ve just been keeping it from me.”

“I don’t.” His tone tells me that’s the truth, and he’s not happy about it either.

“Well, there you have it. You keeping me here is apparently just giving him exactly what he wants. So what are we even doing anymore? ”

“I’m keeping you safe. Why can’t you see that?”

“At what cost? All I’m doing at this point is bringing heat on you and your club.” The words catch in my throat. “You can’t protect us forever, Jameson. We aren’t your responsibility. But Austin is mine. I’m all he has left. At some point, Austin and I have to take this on ourselves, and I need to start getting ready for when that happens.”

“Not yet.”

“Then when?” I’m trying not to yell, but my chest is burning up.

I want to escape this man so I never have to think about him again, and at the same time, I don’t want to let him go.

“I don’t know, Tempe.” He rakes his hair back, sounding as frustrated as I am. “You can go once I’ve figured this out.”

“And how long is that going to take?”

“Don’t you think I wish I had the answer to that question?” He stands up tall, taking a step closer. “Don’t you wish I could just fix this fucking mess so we could all move on? So you and Austin could get out of here and get your lives back? I get it—more than you know. You two deserve so much more than you’re getting behind these gates, but so long as you’re in the middle of this, I refuse to have you out there unguarded. If I let you leave and something happens—”

He pauses, dropping his chin and shaking his head.

“You’re my responsibility.” He pins me with his gaze, so many emotions swimming in his ocean-gray eyes. “And tonight…”

I wait for him to finish his thought, but he sighs instead.

“What about tonight?”

His gaze returns to mine, and he shakes his head. “You’re a magnet for trouble.”

“That’s not my fault.”

“I know it’s not.” He runs his palm down his face. “Fuck.”

Jameson tips his head back and sighs. His eyes are closed, and so much stress radiates off him, filling the room around us. I should walk away but find myself stepping forward instead. Planting my hands on his chest and taking in some of the heat burning from his body.

No matter how irritating he is or how many days he’s ignored me, he’s been here for me and my brother. And sensing the waves of panic crashing, I can’t help trying to comfort him.

Jameson looks down to where my hands rest on his chest.

“Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Jameson laughs, but it’s unamused. “Fuck, Tempe. You’re the one who was attacked tonight. Are you okay?”

“None of this is okay.” I frown. “But I’ll be fine. You don’t have to pretend to care for my sake.”

“I’m not pretending.” He plants his hands over the back of mine. “ I’m not .”

“You’ve barely been here.” I fight back the burning in my throat. “You can hardly look at me.”

His stare locks on mine. “And why the fuck do you think that is, wildfire?”

“Because you wish I’d leave. ”

He shakes his head once, slowly. “No. The opposite, Tempe. You’re all that’s keeping me together.”