“Stop it. Just stop it.”
Dog paused as he heard the door open. “I think she’s here,” he said, dropping to the bed. What he hadn’t anticipated was her laptop being precariously balanced as it dropped to the floor.
“What the fuck did you just do?” Forge asked.
“Someone’s in your house,” Hank said. His voice carried as movement appeared in the stairs.
Fuck.
He needed to hide.
There was no place to hide.
He opened the wardrobe and slid inside. This was so fucking stupid. He couldn’t believe he was hiding from a cop when he could break his neck so easily.
He wanted to. It would be so much fun.
Staying perfectly still, he watched through the crack in the doors.
Hank arrived first, gun poised.
“It’s fine,” Sable said. “There’s no one here.” She released a giggle. To anyone else, she sounded amused, but he detected the edge of panic. “See, it was just my laptop. I probably didn’t put it on the bed properly, and it just fell off or something.” She shrugged. “You get used to odd noises. It’s nothing.”
Did she know he was here?
Hank spun around.
“Come on, put that gun away. You’re scaring me. I don’t like guns.” She picked up the laptop.
“How did you last in the clubhouse?” Hank asked.
She let out a gasp as the cop suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist. She’d already put her computer on the bed.
Dog’s hands clenched.
“Don’t do anything,” Forge said. His prez’s voice loud and clear in his ear, but he wanted to.
“I don’t know. I guess you just do. You know. You handle whatever life throws at you. It’s what I do.” She patted Hank’s chest, tilted her head back, and smiled.
Dog saw his intention.
So did Sable as she suddenly jerked, faking a yawn.
“Oh, wow, I’m so tired. I probably shouldn’t have come with you tonight. You know with the long shift at the diner, I’m always on my feet. You’d think my body would be totally used to it by now.” She chuckled.
Hank sighed. “You’re too good.”
At least there was something they could agree on.
“I’m not, Hank. I’m not a good person, but I’m trying to be. You know my history. I was born into the club.”
“They’ll be gone soon.”
“Perfect. Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” Hank cupped her cheek. “You can ask me anything.”
“How long have you known Grass?”
“Why?” Hank tensed up.
“It was just curiosity. I’m used to the guys, you know. They can know each other for twenty years but will still beat the crap out of one another. Then they can know someone five minutes and be best buds. I’m used to the old way. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“Shit, sorry. Luther and I go way back. We always had this vision of what the perfect town would be like. Keeping citizens safe.”
“The same vision?”
“Yeah, we’re in this together. Thick and thin.”
She nodded. Yawned again. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m going to go. Maybe another time.”
Sable smiled. “I’d like that.”
She left the bedroom and Dog waited until he heard the main door close.
After letting himself out of the wardrobe, he sat on the bed as Sable came back in.
“She there?” Forge asked.
“Safe and sound.”
“Put me on speaker.”
Dog clicked his cell phone. Sable looked terrified.
“Sable, you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m doing okay.”
“But? Why do I feel a but coming on?” Forge asked.
She wrapped her arms around her body. “Grass is bad news, Forge. He’s not squeaky clean. He intends to be head of the gun and drug trades. His only intention is power. You’re standing in the way. I don’t know what they’re going to do, but he wants me to work on his campaign. He wants me to divulge club secrets. He believes your men have no regard for women. That we’re pussy to you. But he’s willing to put me in a seat on his board if I’m willing to disclose damaging evidence about you. He’s scary.”
Dog got to his feet and pulled her in close to him. He still held the phone for Forge.
“What else did you find out?”
“Nothing. He tried to get me alone in his home but I avoided it. Something is off about him. I … I didn’t feel safe. I’d been trying to leave all night since I overheard him.”
“Damn it, Forge. She’s coming home.”
“Not yet. Not if she can get more information. We don’t know what Grass is going to do. To take control of the gun and drug trades, he’s had to have had some kind of conversation with the cartels, or at least with the local mafia. They run the ports. We know this. To get rid of us means he has people in line to take over the distribution end. We need to know what he has planned for us.”
Dog tilted her head back. Sable shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“If you want to be pulled out, I respect that. You’ll come back to the club.”