Dark Temptation (Dark Saints MC Book 2)(34)

“Meeting adjourned.” Bear pounded the gavel. Saints dispersed in several different directions. Some of my tightest crew came up to me.

“It’s for the best, man,” Zig said to me.

I nodded again. I was not onboard with getting rid of Jen from my life. But one problem at a time. Zig didn’t know how this was. He didn’t have a woman in his life right now. Axle, he understood. He’d also voted my way, without even a conversation with me. He heard the evidence and knew it was good for the club to keep her alive.

I knew he’d die for his old lady, too. But Axle wasn’t the one asking me to leave Jen.

I made my way to Mama Bear. She was in the office again and smiled when she saw me.

“Well, you show up the old man?” A smirk played across her lips.

“I didn’t want to show him up.” It did pain me to go against Bear.

“It’s okay, honey. I’ve disagreed with him on every single thing in our lives from the fucking bath mat to how to drive to Oklahoma. We fight. But he’s still here. And so am I. He’ll get over it.”

“Mama, he wants me not to see Jen ever again.”

“Well, that’s a different thing isn’t it?” She took off her reading glasses and looked at me.

“You obviously love the hell out of her. How that’s gonna work is something you two have to figure out. You know?”

“Yeah, just work on him for me, okay?”

“I’ll do my best.” I came over and hugged her. I knew she would work on Bear’s soft side. He had one and she had the keys. But she was also right about working out my life with Jen on my own.

I had to trust her and she had to understand me.

I didn’t know if she’d ever be hanging out at the MC and knocking back drinks with me and the other old ladies. But there had to be a middle ground. A way for her to live her life and me to live mine, together.

After a few more hugs from guys at the MC I went outside to my bike.

I had hated even the thought of not being a part of this and, at least for now, things were better. They were settled.

I was going back to Jen’s. I wanted to be by her side as the word got around. I didn’t want some idiot to think it was still Bear’s order to kill Jen Guffy.

For the first time in two days I felt a little weight lift off my shoulders. I wasn’t fucking supposed to kill the woman I loved and I didn’t have to kill one of my brothers for acting on Bear’s orders.

That was a scenario I feared almost as much as my worry for Jen getting hurt.

I drove through Port Az.

As I did, a powder blue, a VW Bug, caught my eye.

It was Jen’s car. What the fuck?

She was at the Port Az Police station?

I’d asked her not to go anywhere. I’d asked her to stay put. And here she was again. At the damn cop shop. She hadn’t learned one fucking thing in the last two days. My guts were on the table back there and she was at the cop shop?

It was then I realized that Bear was right.

I loved her. Totally and completely. She was the only woman I wanted to see. The only one I wanted to be with.

But she was dangerous as hell for my club. I kept driving. I had just saved her. I’d been willing to give up my club and my life to do it.

And I’d asked her to do one goddamn thing.

It settled in, what I had to do. I felt like I might throw up or run my bike into a wall at top speed. But doing the hard thing was the right thing and I knew it.

As wrong as Bear was about putting the hit out on Jen, he was right about us being together. I didn’t know what the fucking shit she was doing at the cop shop, but none of it mattered.

I’d told her not to, because she could have been whacked at any moment. I’d trusted her too quickly. The second I left her alone, she’d done the exact fucking opposite thing I’d asked.

I drove to the little hotel. I made a quick stop at the front desk for a pen and paper.

I had no idea how long Jen Guffy was planning to hang out with Port Az’s finest, so I made it quick. I knew seeing her again would only shake me. I had to do this fast. I had to do this now.

There were a million things I wanted to say to her. I was hurt. I understood. I didn’t understand. All of it was in there.

All she really needed to know was that I’d got the hit off her.

The smartest thing for her to do was to get out of our town. She should get out of Port Az as fast as her Bug could take her.

I hope I made that completely clear.





21





Jen



I found Officer Peter Peck sitting at his desk just like last time.

He didn’t notice me come in or even notice that I was right by his desk. He didn’t look up.

Probably not the best quality for an investigator.

“Hi,” I said. I started him.

“Oh my Gosh. You.”

“Me.”

“How are you?” he said. It was like we’d been on a date or something.

“Fine. I have a few questions though.” Before I could dive into my questions, Detective Janning appeared. He’d clearly observed me come in and had made a b-line for me.

“Peck, back to work. I’ll talk to Miss Guffy here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“My office, Miss.” He put his hand out and gestured for me to head to the corner. There were four of five walled glass cubes. I supposed since this was a big open room, the term ‘office’ was applied loosely.