The Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club, Books 1-3 (67 page)

 

FOURTEEN

I will wear the symbols of brotherhood with pride.

SINNER'S TRIBE CREED

Dawn placed the steaming plate of bacon and eggs on her tray and lifted it from the counter. The diner was unusually quiet this morning so the cooks had been overly generous with the portions. Stan wouldn't be pleased. He was only just back from a vacation he'd decided to take the day after Cade visited the restaurant and things had slipped in his absence.

“Table three wants more coffee.” He came up behind Dawn, his belly brushing against her back as he reached for the coffeepot. Dawn cringed. Despite Cade's warning, nothing had changed. Or maybe, it had. She felt different today. Although she needed the job, she wasn't prepared to sacrifice her self-worth to keep it, or to tolerate any disrespect.

Just like a Sinner.

She spun around and shoved Stan away. “Back off.”

Stan's mouth dropped open and he took a step back. She'd never warned him off so forcefully before, but today the words slipped out before she could stop them.

“I like working here, Stan. This is the only restaurant close to the school and you've been very accommodating by letting me take my morning break during our busy time so I can see my girls. And of course, I need the money. But all this touching has to stop. Whether it is accidental or intentional, I don't like it, and if you touch me again, I'm going to break your arm.”

She didn't know if she could, in fact, break his arm, although Doug had taught arm bars in his self-defense class and she figured if she twisted hard enough, it just might break. But it sounded good and it felt even better. Resolved. Like she was holding a loaded gun. Maybe if she showed that kind of attitude to Shelly-Ann she wouldn't be hiding under trees wearing a wig to see her own kids. And she wouldn't be forking out all her extra cash so Shelly-Ann could drive a Cadillac while she had to take her girls around on the bus.

The front door slammed open and the little bell in the doorframe tinkled. She looked up and smiled when Doug walked into the restaurant, still riding the high from making Stan back down.

“I'll take table six.” She gestured Doug to an empty booth in the corner and joined him a few moments later.

“Hey, Doug. You're looking good.” He always looked better in civilian clothes than in uniform, and today he was clean-shaven and all decked out in a blue-and-white-striped shirt with crisp blue jeans—the kind of jeans Cade would never wear. Her mouth watered at the thought of Cade's worn, low-rise jeans, tight in all the right places, and she almost missed Doug's next words.

“You missed our monthly drinks last night. And you didn't return my calls. I was worried about you. After what happened at your house…”

Damn. She'd totally forgotten about the monthly meet-up with her self-defense class. After moving to Conundrum, she'd taken the course as part of a therapy program to get over Jimmy's abuse, and made some close, supportive friends, including Doug. After the course finished, Doug suggested a monthly drinks night to stay in touch, and Dawn had never missed a night.

“I'm so sorry. I totally forgot. I was at … a party.” She couldn't bring herself to tell him she'd spent the night becoming Cade's old lady in more ways than one.

“Good to hear you're getting out.” He fiddled with the napkin on the table. “I thought maybe you'd turned to the dark side and joined the Sinners. Your friend Cade can be pretty overbearing. Kinda like Jimmy.”

Ouch. That stung. And so unlike Doug she almost couldn't believe he'd said it. Sharp barbs were so not Doug's style.

“He's nothing like Jimmy.” Aside from the violence, beatings, and torture that seemed to be as much a part of Sinner life as it was with the Brethren. But the violence was directed outside the club, not in.

Doug clasped Dawn's hand and gave it a squeeze. “I came to see you this morning because I've got some exciting news. We've been through the tapes from the bus shelter and the sheriff agrees we have enough evidence to charge Jimmy for assault. When we bring him in, we'll question him about the break-in as well.”

“That's great.” She smiled through clenched teeth while her stomach twisted in a knot. What had she been thinking? There was no way the police would be able to hold Jimmy. Once he was out on bail, he'd come for her, and he would show no mercy. Where would the police be then? According him due process while she bled out on the floor? Although she hated to admit it, the biker system worked better. There was no presumption of innocence, no proof beyond a reasonable doubt. There were no long delays before trial, plea bargains, or paying off judges. Jimmy did something bad, Jimmy was punished. End of story.

“You don't sound happy.” He released her hand and sank back in the booth.

“How long can you hold him?” This plan didn't just put her at risk; it put Cade at risk, too. She didn't want to see him dead on the street as a result of Jimmy's wrath.

“You're afraid of the repercussions.” Disappointment laced his tone and Dawn instantly felt contrite.

“There's just other stuff going on right now…” She hesitated, weighing her words. Club business couldn't be discussed outside the club and now that she was ostensibly a Sinner, she had to be careful what she said. “Stuff that will make Jimmy more volatile than usual. If you can't hold him, he'll come after me the second he's out on bail.”

Stan coughed discreetly and she pulled out her order pad and gave him a wave. He knew Doug was a cop and he wouldn't intervene the way he had with Cade. Still, she didn't want to push what little advantage she'd just bought herself.

“I have to work, Doug. But I've changed my mind. Can we just pretend I didn't give the statement?” If her plan to find out who had filmed the setup panned out, she might be able to get her girls back without provoking Jimmy, and then she could find another way to deal with him. Now that she was a Sinner she had access to an entirely new set of tools, and they didn't involve civilian law. She'd already crossed the legal line long ago; she just needed a little kick to cross it again, and Sinners had done that for her.

“I can't do that.” Doug's face crumpled. “The sheriff is involved. He intends to wage war against all bikers, and he's going to use Jimmy as an example.”

“You won't have a case without a witness. I won't testify against him.”

“Dawn…” Doug laced his fingers through hers and stroked his thumb along her hand, a decidedly intimate gesture that sent her pulse skittering. Except for that night outside her house, he'd never crossed the friendship line, and this small, earnest gesture was definitely more than friendship.

“We can protect you. I can protect you. That's what the police do. That's what the system is there for.”

“I made the biggest mistake of my life when I thought I could rely on the system to get my girls back.” Dawn gently removed her hand from his grasp. “Not only was the system not there for me, Jimmy was able to turn it against me. I should have known. When Jimmy beat me, the cops would never come out, no matter how many times I called, and eventually I just gave up.”

“I would have been there for you.” Doug's dark eyes glistened. “I would have come out. I would done everything I could to get him behind bars.”

“But it wasn't you. And now I don't know why I reported the assault. I just felt like I wanted some control over my life, but I never really thought it through. For some reason I thought you'd lock Jimmy up and throw away the key. But there's a long period between arrest and trial, and it puts my girls and me at risk. There are other ways, Doug. Biker ways. I just never had the courage to try them.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” Doug snapped, shocking her with the vehemence in his tone. “Everything will be different this time. I can make sure you're protected. And … this is the second news I wanted to tell you…” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “I've secured a place for you in the witness protection program. After you testify against Jimmy and the Brethren, you'll get your girls back. A new life, Dawn. You'll be safe. Forever.”

Safe
. On the surface, it seemed to be a perfect solution—she would have her girls and her freedom away from the biker world she hated with a passion, and Jimmy would spend some time in jail. Except she'd be safe and alone. No Banks and Arianne. No Doug.

No Cade.

Curiously, the idea of running away with her tail between her legs didn't appeal. Sinners didn't run. Sinners didn't hide. Sinners were fighters. They met their enemies with both guns blazing. They stepped into the ring and stayed there until there was only one man standing. This was her town. Her life. Her friends. Why would she let Jimmy chase her away?

“I appreciate everything you've done,” she said gently. “But this is all very sudden, and you should have discussed it with me first. Testifying against an outlaw MC is serious business, and I'm not sure if it's the right path for me. And I've made a life here for myself. I have a job and friends. There's only one way for me to have justice and it doesn't involve—”

“No.” Doug thudded his hand on the table. “This isn't you. You're not a violent person. You're not vengeful. You're not a biker anymore. You're a good, honest, upstanding citizen who's been dealt a bad hand in life.”

“You don't know me,” she said. “I'm not the person you think I am.”

He leaned in closer and his voice dropped to a quiet murmur. “I care about you, Dawn. Much more than as a friend. You know that. And I've waited all these years because I understand the trauma you went through. You could take your stand by testifying against Jimmy and the Brethren, and when you're done, if you want, I could come with you in witness protection. I've already looked into it. I would be there to look after you and your girls. As a friend, or something more.”

Warning bells clanged in her mind, and yet his expression was so earnest she instantly felt guilty. Doug was a good man. He had started the self-defense class in his free time to help women feel more confident when they had to walk alone at night. Upstanding, conservative, and dedicated to his work—he was everything she should have wanted, and the total opposite of Cade. And yet he didn't push any of her buttons. There was no wild in Doug. No blasting through stoplights or having sex in parking lots. No cheeky smiles and devil-may-care grins. She couldn't imagine him tossing her on a table in a dingy office, shooting at his friends to keep them away, and giving her one of the best orgasms of her life.

“I'm sorry, Doug. I'm with Cade now.” Well, not entirely true, since the cut was only temporary, but maybe that would get the message across. “And I have no intention of running away from my home.”

“This is about you. Your safety. Your life. If you're happy, your children will be happy. And more important, they'll be with you. Please. Promise me you'll think about it.” He stroked her cheek and she felt … nothing. No zing of excitement. No tingle between her thighs. No desire the throw him on the table and rip off his clothes. Cade could do that to her with just one look.

As if on cue, the door opened, and Cade stalked into the restaurant, the chain on his belt rattling as he walked. T-Rex and Gunner followed behind him.

Dawn's lips tipped at the corners, but when she saw his face, his eyes cold and hard, jaw taut, lips pressed into a thin line, her smile faded. She'd seen that look before—at Banks Bar, and when he'd seen Jimmy in front of the school. That look meant someone was about to get hurt, and a sickening wave of dread rose in her stomach.

“Restaurant is closed,” Cade shouted. “You got one minute to clear out otherwise I'll have my boys pay your table a visit.”

T-Rex pulled down the shades in the windows. Gunner yanked people out of their seats and ushered them out the door. The cooks ran out the back. When only Stan was left, gaping at the empty restaurant, T-Rex locked the door.

“What's going on here?” Doug's tone switched from friendly to officious, and he rose from his seat. Although in civilian gear, he still carried a weapon in a holster on his belt, and his hand hovered near his hip.

“Benson.” Cade turned his steely gaze in Doug's direction. “Always a pleasure to find you sniffing around my girl, but I'm afraid I don't have time to toss you around today. This is Sinner business, and it would be best if you step outside.”

“I'm not going anywhere.” Doug reached for his weapon, and Tank came up behind him and pressed a gun to his head. Dawn hadn't even noticed him coming in the back door.

“I'll take that weapon.” Tank reached around and pulled the gun from Doug's holster. Then he patted Doug down and removed his phone.

“You just bought yourself a night in jail,” Doug spat out.

“See. That's where you and I disagree.” Cade folded his arms and leaned against the nearest booth. “This is a Sinner town. The police don't get involved in Sinner business and we don't get involved in police business. Sheriff Morton had that all figured out, but since you've only been here a short time, and your sheriff is new, I'm giving you a little leeway. So you got a choice. You can walk out of here and let us do what we have to do. Or you can stay and put yourself in the difficult position of witnessing a breach of the law that you're not gonna be able to do anything about.”

“I'm not leaving Dawn.” He put an arm around Dawn's shoulders and Cade's scowl deepened.

“You like your life, you're gonna take your hands off my old lady. Now.”

“Old lady?” Doug gave her a puzzled glance. “Dawn? What's going on?”

“I was … going to tell you.” She gently removed his arm and took a few steps away.

“What have you done?” He stared at her in horror. “You hate bikers. Look what happened to you in the Brethren. Look what happened with Jimmy.” His jaw clenched and he glared at Cade. “What did you do to her? You've coerced her. Or is it blackmail? Did you promise to get her children back? Did you tell her you'd kill Jimmy? You're going to commit murder to protect her? Are you beating her, too?”