Beyond the Cut (Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #2)(58)

“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.”