Into the Storm (Signal Bend #3)(80)
Tasha had given them all a long, censorious look when she’d seen her patient, but her father had been Horde, so she knew the drill and said nothing. She just got to work and shooed them out of the room.
Isaac, though, was pissed. Not at Show—who’d come into the clubhouse prepared to deal with Isaac’s temper—but at Bart. He was keeping his cool so far, but Show could see it had a shelf life.
“How did we miss this, Bartholomew? I know you know your work, so how did you miss a whole goddamn kid?” Bart had done a background check on Shannon when Lilli was ready to hire her. They did checks on anyone who got involved with the Horde. Since Lilli owned the B&B, the people who worked there were involved with the Horde, at least enough to warrant checks. She’d come up clean.
Bart looked plenty stressed. “Fuck, boss! I went back fifteen years. She’s clean. Boring. I wasn’t looking for shit she did as a kid. I was looking for shit that could hurt us.”
Show put a calming hand on Bart’s shoulder. “This can’t hurt us, Isaac. She gave her baby up for adoption when she was eighteen. That’s it. We’re not vulnerable there.”
Isaac shook his head. “That baby is twenty now, and she’s got a PI sniffing around Shannon. You are around Shannon.”
“The PI didn’t find her here. He dropped the case when Shannon left Tulsa. That * getting his face put back together is the one who sent the girl here.”
“Yeah. A defense lawyer—one that drives a Mercedes S-class, so not the kind that gets appointed to you in the event you can’t afford one. He’s trouble.”
“No. He’s not. This was him going all in. He lost. He’ll go home and mind his business.”
“You willing to stake the club on it?” Isaac stared at Show, challenging him.
And now Show was pissed. He met Isaac’s challenge full on. “I’m telling you this won’t hurt us.
Remember you bringing Lilli to me, summer before last? Remember how you knew to trust her, even though she hadn’t been straight with you?”
“And you told me I was thinking with my dick.”
“Was I right?”
Isaac blinked. “No. Shit. Okay. Bart—find something on Mr. Mercedes. I want something solid to hang over him.”
Bart nodded. “Already working it, boss. I’ll get back to it.” He headed for the office.
Isaac turned to Show. “Badger’s guarding the girl. You go back to the B&B and make sure shit’s right over there.”
Show nodded toward the hallway leading to the dorm. “What about him?”
“Best you weren’t around when he’s ready to go. I’ll take him back to his luxury sedan when I take the van back over.”
“Fair enough.” Show swallowed down the rest of his glass of Jack and went out.
oOo
When Show pulled up at the B&B, everything looked quiet. Isaac’s bike, Badger’s bike, Shannon’s Beetle, and the girl’s Beetle were parked in the lot. He dismounted and set his helmet on the handlebars, then headed for the house. He wasn’t sure what he’d find inside, but he was heartened to see that everybody’s vehicles were accounted for, indicating, hopefully, that they were all around.
As he climbed the porch steps, movement in his periphery caught his eye, and he looked over to the end of the house. The porch wrapped around, and at the corner hung a swing, providing a nice view of the front of the property. Shannon was sitting alone on the swing, one leg tucked under, her other foot pushing gently to and fro. She was watching him.
He smiled and walked over. She said nothing as he approached, just kept her eyes on his. She looked much better than when he’d left her—she’d freshened up and was wearing jeans and a simple, pink blouse, with enough buttons undone that, sitting as she was, he could see the intricate pattern on the edge of a flowered bra. As his eyes lifted from that alluring sight, he saw the bruising on her throat. It looked rough, but less angry than it had earlier.
She was clearly still in some shock, however, and he was worried that things hadn’t gone well with her girl. As he sat down, he brushed her knee with his hand and said, “Hey, hon. You okay?”
She was still watching him. “Are we?” Her voice sounded off. Keith hadn’t had his hands on her long, but he’d really been trying to hurt her. He couldn’t believe they were letting that * walk.
He grabbed her hand from her lap and brought it to his lips. “We are. No more secrets, though. If there’s anything else back there, tell me now. Clean slate.”
She shook her head. “There’s nothing else. There wouldn’t have been room for anything else. I’ve been sitting here thinking about how that has been crowding everything else out of my life for twenty years, and I didn’t even know it.” She squeezed his hand. “Except you. You’re the only person I’ve felt connected to in all that time. I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“That’s good, then. I have no intention of letting you go.” He put his arm around her, and she scooted to lean into his chest. He rested his chin on her head. “How’d it go with your girl—what’s her name?”
“Adrienne. It went okay. Good, actually. It all feels strange, like the ground is rocking under my feet, but it was good. She’s had a good life. Good parents. I could never have given her the life she’s had.”