Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(16)

“Yeah, I could tell.”

Show glanced at her, then back at the road. “I went to his folks’ place to make sure they didn’t…weren’t worried, but they said he hadn’t come home. ‘Cept I dropped him home. So I went looking. Good thing I did.”

“He wouldn’t have hurt me.”

“Sweetheart, he already did.”

“But—”

“Listen up, little one. You can tell us what you know. But then I am taking you home. And you are staying away from him.” He turned to her. “I mean it, Adrienne. Whatever is going on with him, you stay away. He doesn’t get a chance to hurt you again. I am dead serious.”

There was too much going on in her head to form a reasonable rebuttal—and at the moment she wasn’t sure why she was trying. Badger had hurt her. Twice. And he’d been mean more than that. But she was sure he wasn’t himself. Now more than ever, she was sure. She didn’t understand everything, but she felt sure about that.

However, she also felt sure that there was no argument in the world that would have set Show back, and honestly, she was a little intimidated by him just now. She’d seen a side of him she hadn’t seen since their first meeting. So, as he pulled into the clubhouse lot, she nodded. “Okay.”

Isaac and Len were standing outside the door, waiting. Adrienne thought that was not a good sign for Badger. She was worried about what would happen next.

“That a promise?” He parked and sat back, studying her.

She wouldn’t make a promise she knew she couldn’t keep, so she studied him right back.

Finally, he laughed a little, a dry, humorless huff. “I am not f*cking around, but we’ll talk later. You go on in.”

She did what he said and went into the clubhouse, which was almost completely empty, except for a Prospect—Double A, the one with the great smile—and Tasha, who had her doctor’s bag with her.

Tasha saw her split lip and came over. “Let me take a look, hon.”

But Adrienne pushed her away. “I’m okay. I don’t want a fuss.”

With a little smile, Tasha nodded. “Enough fuss already, huh?”

Definitely.

The door opened, and Show came in, carrying Badger again over his shoulder. He crossed the room and deposited him roughly on one of the couches.

Isaac turned to Tasha. “Can you check him, see if you can wake him up?”

“Yes,” Tasha answered. “But Isaac, dumping him around, tying him up—this isn’t going to help him.

He’s already hurt. And you know what this is. I told you what could happen. You know why it’s happening.”

“And you didn’t see it.”

“No, I didn’t. He hid the signs well when I saw him. And he never came to me seeking anything other than what I prescribed to him. But you saw him more.” She looked at Show and Len as well as Isaac. “You see him every day. I told you what to look out for. Nobody saw any signs?”

None of the men said anything.

“Right.” Tasha sighed. “Okay. I can ease him through the withdrawal, give him something to alleviate the symptoms.”

“No.” That was Show.

Tasha turned to him. “What?”

“He put hands on Adrienne. He lied to us.” Show’s gaze moved to Isaac. “He does this the hard way, Isaac.”

Adrienne had no idea what “the hard way” meant, but it scared her. Then Isaac turned to her, and she was more scared. He was even bigger than Show, and although he’d been only nice to her, right now, he scared her. They all scared her.

“Tell us what happened, sweetheart. That’s why you’re here, right?”

She thought about changing the story, making it not so bad, but she didn’t know how much Show had seen, and she wasn’t sure of anything, including why she was thinking about covering for the guy who’d punched her in the mouth. For whatever reason. Plus, she had a split lip, and it wasn’t like she could hide that.

“Adrienne.” Show’s voice was a gentle warning. So she told them.

Isaac’s brows drew together as she talked. She ended with, “He’s been struggling for a while, but I didn’t understand what was wrong. He needs help. Please help him. I know he didn’t mean to hurt me. I know.”

His forehead still tightly creased, Isaac nodded. “Yeah. Hard way.” He turned back to Tasha. “Wake him up, make sure he’s not gonna kick. Then tell us what we need to do to keep him alive through it. But he does this cold turkey.”

“Isaac, that’s bad medicine. I can—”

“I don’t give a f*ck, Tash. He’s got a lesson to learn. Wake him up if you can.”

Tasha was going to say more, but Len put his hand on her arm and nodded toward the couch. “Easy, everybody. No need. He’s back.”

Everyone turned to see Badger struggling to sit. Adrienne stepped back as Show and Len went and grabbed him up and dragged him over. Len pulled out his knife, and Adrienne’s heart leapt into her mouth, but he only cut the bonds around Badger’s wrists and ankles. Then he grabbed Badger’s kutte by the back of the neck and yanked it down and off.

Badger shouted “No!” and, at the same time, Adrienne almost screamed. Len had grabbed his shirt, too, tearing it open as he yanked, exposing part of Badger’s torso. He was covered in scars. Or one enormous scar, like a burn or something. Her hand went to her mouth.