Beyond the Cut (Sinner's Tribe Motorcycle Club #2)(62)

“Pink candy floss?” Cade’s mouth turned up at the corners.

Dawn blushed. “My happiest childhood memories involve pink candy floss, roller coasters, and stuffed animals my mom won for me at carnival games. When she was young, she dated a carnie and he taught her all the tricks.”

“Candy floss, three stuffed animals, and five burgers coming up.” He winked at Dawn. “I was a carnie when I was a teenager. My mom thought a summer job would keep me out of trouble, but carnival folk aren’t a conservative bunch.”

Maia counted five fingers and frowned. “That’s one burger too many.”

“I’ll need two.” Cade grinned and lowered his voice. “Extra energy for nighttime activities.”

Dawn snorted a laugh. “From what we’ve just heard about lions, I don’t think you can compete. Didn’t the trainer mention something about one hundred times a day?”

“Babe.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips over her ear. “You’ve got to be f*cking kidding. Lions have nothing on me. I haven’t even begun to show you my best moves.”

And didn’t that just put all the wrong thoughts in her head for a day at the zoo.

They spent the rest of the afternoon watching the animals, and then Cade and Dawn pushed the girls on the swings in a nearby playground. They were having so much fun no one saw Shelly-Ann arrive.

“Well, look at this.” Shelly-Ann’s eyes lit up with a gotcha smile and she pulled out her phone. “Jimmy’s not gonna be happy to see a picture of his old lady parading around in a Sinner cut. Didn’t notice it when I dropped off the girls. Maybe I shoulda got out of the car.”

Dawn clamped her hand around Shelly-Ann’s wrist and pulled her close. “Then let’s not make him unhappy. Put the phone away.”

Shelly-Ann jerked her head away and her hair swung back behind her ear. Dawn stared at the massive bruise on ex sister-in-law’s cheek, the size and shape eerily familiar.

“What happened to your face?”

“Nothing.” Shelly-Ann’s face shuttered, and she tugged her hair down.

“It was Jimmy, wasn’t it? He always uses his right hand and his Brethren ring leaves a mark.”

When Shelly-Ann didn’t answer, Dawn pushed a little harder. “Did you ask him for more money because I don’t have enough? Is that why he trashed my house? Does he not believe I’m giving you everything I’ve got?”

Guilt flickered across Shelly-Ann’s face, but it disappeared so fast Dawn wasn’t sure if she’d seen it. “Don’t know anything about Jimmy. Or the money he’s after.” She turned to shout for the girls and Dawn saw finger-shaped bruises on her neck.

“He tried to strangle you.” Her voice caught. “Shelly-Ann, you don’t have to let him do that to you. I can help.”

“Don’t you f*cking be nice to me.” Shelly-Ann’s face curdled. “You think you’re something now that you’re wearing that cut? You think being with the Sinners will solve all your problems? You’re too damn good to be bad. You don’t have what it takes to be a biker chick. When Jimmy finally comes for you—and nothing will stop him now that he thinks you’ve got his money—I’ll be f*cking relieved ’cause I’m tired of watching you fight. Just give up. You’ll never beat him. I don’t understand why you never give the f*ck up.”

“What money? I don’t understand.”

Cade put a steady hand on Dawn’s shoulder. “I almost forgot. I brought some ammo for your gun, babe.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a magazine. “That enough?”

She stared him in disbelief. “Um … thanks for giving me that ammo, and so subtly threatening my ex-sister-in-law in the parking lot of the zoo.”

Totally oblivious to her sarcasm, Cade smiled. “Pleasure, sweetheart.”

Shelly-Ann rubbed her wrist, bouncing back to her nasty, officious self in seconds. “You’re quite the pair. A regular Bonnie and Clyde. I’ll be glad when Jimmy’s done with you and I can go back to my nice quiet life.”

Cade’s eyes lit with humor. “Teamwork. You should try it sometime.”

Five minutes later, after a flurry of tears and good-byes, Dawn followed Cade to his motorcycle in the parking lot. But when he put out a hand to help her mount, she took a step back.

“Did you really think I would shoot her? I felt good when I hit Stan because what he did was so utterly wrong, and so deeply personal, but it doesn’t mean I’ve changed my views about violence. I’m not going to run around with a gun shooting anyone who pisses me off. Not Jimmy, and certainly not Shelly-Ann.”

Cade cupped her face between her hands and stared at her intently. “You can’t avoid violence in this life. Even when you left Mad Dog, you were still a part of his world. He’s playing the game by different rules. Now you’re on even footing. You have options. And one of them is me. Not just now. Always.”

“What are you saying?” Her heart thudded in her chest. She knew what he was saying. She just didn’t want to hear it.

He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over her forehead. “I’m saying I’m here for you. Anything I am and anything I have is yours. However you want to deal with this situation, I’m on board. And when we both get what we want, when you’ve got your girls, and I’ve got justice, I’m not gonna let you go.”