People ran past the shop entrance, looking terrified, and I knew we couldn’t get out that way. Spinning around, I looked at the cashier, who looked scared now. “Hey! Is there another way out? A back entrance?”

  She jumped at my sharp tone, her eyes darting between me and the glass windows at the front of the shop. She was panicking and that wouldn’t help us right now. Moving in front of her, I blocked her view, making sure her eyes were locked on me.

  “Don’t panic. Take a deep breath. I need to know if there’s another exit.”

  She shook her head rapidly. “I don’t think so.”

  “What about a storage room? Somewhere you all can hide.”

  That finally got a sharp nod.

  “Okay, good. Take these people into the back. Make sure no one makes a sound, alright? I’ll lock the door and shut off the lights–”

  “You can’t!” she interrupted, her voice trembling as she hastened to come out from behind the counter. “There’s an electric box to shut the lights off. Only the manager has the key to it, and I don’t know how to turn it all off.”

  That would be a problem for her, but not for me. “I’m an electrician, sweetheart. I can handle it. Now go.”

  Thank god, Simone didn’t hesitate or try to argue. She hurried to move the kids to the back of the store, disappearing into the storage room with the rest of them. When the door closed and I heard the lock snick, I moved to the main door first, locking it before heading to the back where the panel was against one wall. Thank fuck, it had a universal key lock on it. I always kept one on my keys just in case. A quick twist and it popped open. I turned off all the lights, but not the security cameras and alarms, hoping if they still tried to break in, the alarms would go off and scare whoever was causing trouble from looking too closely inside. I was just closing the panel when a shadow passed in front of the glass front of the store. I ducked out of sight, peeking around the rack of clothing.

  I couldn’t see shit from back here, and I wanted to see if I could identify the criminals causing trouble. Pulling out my phone, I moved, staying low as I snuck through the racks until I was close enough to the front window to see out.

  “Where’d he go?”

  “I don’t fuckin’ know. I saw the cut, and did what Battle asked us to do. I didn’t think we needed to chase the asshole around.”

  “The whole point of this shit is to make it look like it's the damn Dirty Devils,” the first guy hissed. “We can’t do that if none of their guys are in the damn area!”

  Zooming in on the guy talking, I hoped my phone could pick up the conversation. With the distant alarms and the way the windows and locked door muffled their voices, I couldn’t be certain I was getting anything decent.

  “He can’t have left. We’ve got guys in the parking lot. He’s probably hiding like a little bitch.”

  My eye twitched at the insult, but I stayed out of sight. They could spout shit all they wanted. I wasn’t risking my life to confront them like some kind of damn hero. Prez said to avoid them at all costs. I had too much to protect to pick a fight.

  “Which store did he go in?”

  “I thought he went in that one, but the lights are off and the door’s locked. It’s gotta be closed.”

  “That or they locked it to keep us out.”

  My stomach tightened uncomfortably. I’d hoped they weren’t smart enough to think of that idea. Only real idiots would stick around in a mall when there were already alarms blaring in another area.

  “Should we break the window? If he’s in there, he’ll look guilty.”

  “Do it. Then we need to go. I don’t want to get caught and end up in jail. This shit is stupid. We should be just taking them out like we normally would.”

  My blood turned to ice in my veins at that comment. It didn’t take a genius to guess what they meant by that. The Dirty Devils didn’t carry weapons. We weren’t that kind of crew. If Battle’s crew attacked, there would be fuckall we could do about it. And with kids in and out of the club…

  The front window shattered and I heard a muffled cry from the storage room that sounded a lot like Isla. Shit. If she started screaming, it’d give away their location. I’d have no choice but to confront the assholes. Armed or not, I wasn’t letting them near those kids. They’d been through enough.

  Looking around, I spotted a metal bar that looked like part of a clothing rack under the register. I’d have to cross the aisle to get there, but if they came in, they’d see me anyway and I needed something to protect the people in the storage closet. I kept recording because I knew I’d need the proof to clear the club’s name from this mess, but didn’t pay much attention to what it was filming. I peeked from behind the clothing rack I was using to hide, watching the two idiots knock off some overhanging glass that hadn’t fallen before stepping inside. I was gearing myself up to run for the metal bar when someone shouted behind them, making them both turn around. Using the opportunity, I lunged across the aisle, snatching up the bar without any finesse whatsoever.

  “There he is!” one of them shouted. I heard the crunch of their boots as they came closer, tightening my grip on the bar as I prepared to fight guns with nothing but a clothing rack bar to protect myself. This shit was messed up. I joined this club for a reason. I never wanted to deal with shit like this.

  “Piston! Gravestone! Let’s go!”

  Holding my breath, I waited for them to decide whether it was worth it to confront me or not. They must’ve decided it wasn’t because the crunch of their footsteps sounded like they were walking away, not getting closer.

  “Fucking pussy,” one of them called into the store. “Tell your prez Battle is running out of patience. He can leave town or we’ll face him directly. His choice.”

  They ran off without waiting for a response, and when I risked a look and saw the empty storefront, I slumped against the register desk, letting out a long breath. I noticed my phone on the floor where I’d dropped it when I lunged for the bar, snagging it and stopping the recording. I sent it immediately to Prez and Wraith, pushing to my feet, my hands shaking a little as I went to the back and knocked on the storage door.

  “They’re gone. You can come out.”

  The door opened and to my surprise, Jasper was the first to come out, latching around my middle with a tight grip. I dropped the metal bar in surprise, stumbling on unsteady legs before I caught myself and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I shot a questioning look at Simone, who looked a little pale, Isla still cuddled close against her chest.

  “He was worried about you.”

  Hugging him a little tighter, I rested my cheek against the top of his head. Sort of felt like I needed the comfort as much as he did. “I’m alright. It’s going to be alright.”

  The sound of boots running toward us made me stiffen, but before the police could start pointing fingers, the older guy from before stepped in front of me and Jasper. “It wasn’t him. He locked this place down and helped us hide. You’re looking for the wrong guy.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  SIMONE

  It took more convincing than I would’ve liked to clear Elias’s name, but not only did he have video evidence, the other shoppers he’d ushered to safety spoke in his defence, telling the officers that he’d stayed out of the closet so he could lock the doors and turn off the lights. He wouldn’t have had enough time to join us in hiding before the men who’d caused all the damage showed up. Elias was innocent. And according to the video, so was his crew.

  Elias had been on the phone with his club president for the past half hour, pacing the living room, one hand constantly running through his hair as he listened to whatever was happening on the other end. Every once in a while he spoke in hushed tones, giving his back to the room I assumed to not tip off the kids to how upset he really was by the whole situation. He’d gone quiet after the mall, driving us back to his house with a tight grip on the steering wheel and a cloudy expression, but he masked it when we arrived safely home, putting aside his feelings so he could better care for the kids.

  “Ms. Brooks?”

  Jasper’s quiet tone drew my focus and I turned to look at him where he was sitting on the couch, eyes glued to Elias as he paced by again. I’d been reluctant to go after the confrontation at the mall, so I was sitting on the floor with Isla, who was playing with one of the toys we’d bought her that afternoon. When he had my attention, he leaned forward, whispering to me, “Is he okay?”

  Tipping my head, I considered the reply. I didn't want to lie to him, but I didn’t want to unload adult issues onto him either, half of which I didn’t fully understand myself since I didn’t know anything about Elias’s crew outside of rumors.

  “He’s… processing, I think. It doesn’t matter who you are, being blamed for something you didn’t do isn’t a good feeling. From what he’s told me, people have been doing that for a long time. You know him pretty well by now. Can you imagine him doing anything dangerous like those vandals at the mall?”

  He shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. The worst he’s done since we showed up was burn chicken nuggets. But I haven’t met his crew.”

  This I knew. Elias had been wanting Jasper to spend more time with his crew, but Jasper hadn’t accepted the invite yet.

  “Do you think Elias is the type of person to spend time with people who cause property damage to frame other people? Who we call friends is a reflection of who we are as a person, Jasper. If you’re spending time with people who regularly do things you don’t agree with, can you really call them friends? Would you support them despite knowing what they were doing was wrong?”

  Sinking back in his seat, he thought about what I said. I could understand his initial trepidation. I wouldn’t be comfortable meeting a group of rowdy bikers without any background knowledge. But I knew Elias pretty well by now. He wouldn’t align himself with people who acted like the bikers in the mall did today. He was a good man. I doubted his friends were much different.

  Since Elias was busy and I needed to do something with my hands, I handed off Isla to Jasper and headed for the kitchen to look for something to make for dinner. Something warm and comforting was probably best.

  The familiar movement was soothing, and I prepared mindlessly as I thought about what happened at the mall. It was a little terrifying knowing there was a biker gang threatening Elias and his friends. I heard them shout when they noticed him in the store and for a moment, I feared the worst. Our town wasn’t that big, we didn’t have crimes like this happening all that often. Why would a biker gang be causing trouble here? What was their goal?

  “Hey… You don’t have to do that,” Elias said softly as he moved to join me. He was no longer on the phone, but the tightness around his eyes still hadn’t gone away.

  “It’s okay. I needed to do something.” I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. “That conversation sounded intense. Is everything okay?”

  He checked over his shoulder to make sure Jasper wasn’t paying attention before leaning close to answer me. “It’s starting to look like if we want the town to know it wasn’t us, we’re going to have to start working with the pi–” He cut himself off when I gave him a look, correcting himself “–police. Prez is reaching out to Hernandez tonight. She’s the one good cop in the joint and she’s had our backs in the past. He’s going to share the video I took, see if we can work together to at least distinguish between us and them.”

  It was a smart move. The police already didn’t trust them. If the club came forward willing to work alongside them with full transparency, it’d likely make a difference when it came to the next crime wave hit.

  Elias seemed to push his feelings aside, straightening his back and letting out a breath. He gestured to where I was preparing vegetables. “What can I do?”

  “Preheat the oven. I saw a can of biscuits in the fridge. We’re going to use those.”

  He eyed the oven uneasily. “Uh… I haven’t graduated to using the oven yet. Jasper doesn’t trust me.”

  Chuckling, I bumped his hip with mine. “I’m not going anywhere. Just do it. And make sure there’s nothing inside it first that will burn when it heats up.”

  It was a good thing I mentioned it because when he checked, there were a few random dishes hiding inside. When I raised an eyebrow at him, he grinned sheepishly. “Social worker came over the other night for a surprise visit. I kinda shoved the dishes out of the way and forgot about them.”

  Rolling my eyes, I pointed out, “Everyone has dishes. As long as they aren’t rotting in the sink, I don’t think she would’ve minded a few left out. You can wash those while we wait for the oven to preheat.” While he did as I told him, I asked, “How’s that been going? The social worker visits?”

  He nodded slowly, lips pursed. “Pretty well, I think. She’s more patient than I would’ve expected. I’ve admitted more than once that things aren’t perfect and she barely bats an eye.”

  Probably because she saw what I saw. A guardian doing his absolute best despite being thrown into an incredibly difficult situation. That was more than a lot of kids could ask for after what happened.

  We finished dinner together, a crustless pot pie with biscuits because it saved me the time of making a crust. The kids seemed to like it, Isla especially wouldn’t give up her biscuit for anything and cried when she finished it until Elias gave up his with an indulgent smile. Hiding dirty dishes in the oven or not, he was a good man.

  After Isla was put to bed and Jasper went to his room for the night, I prepared myself to leave, wondering how I ended up spending the entire afternoon with the little family. It hadn’t been my intention. I thought the meeting to talk about Isla’s education would take around an hour before I headed back home for regular weekend chores and downtime. I couldn’t say I was disappointed. Spending time with Elias wasn’t a bad way to spend my weekend.

  Warm hands settled on my hips while I balanced to pull on my shoes. “Do you really have to go?”

  “It’s a little early for me to be spending the night, don’t you think?” I murmured, sliding the other shoe on. His grip tightened when I tried to turn around, the heat of his body pressing snuggly against my back.

  “Yeah, maybe. Doesn’t mean I want you to go,” he grumbled, shifting my hair out of the way to press kisses along my neck. I tipped my head to the side, breathing a little shaky as my resolve wavered. Weeks of pent up desire kept trying to sway my judgment, and now that I knew we were in the clear, I found it increasingly difficult to resist his charm.

  “Elias…”

  The protest was weak, and when his thumb teased under the hem of my sweater, I felt my breath catch. It’d been a long time since I was last with anyone. I craved what he was offering to me. Resisting him was like resisting my favorite chocolate cake when it was being offered for free after being unavailable for years.

  Slowly, almost like he was asking permission, he walked us backward away from the door. I let him because I was tired of resisting him and after the confrontation at the mall, I wanted to be wrapped up in him for a little while. He kept up his light kisses and nips along my neck as he led me to a room off the kitchen I hadn’t noticed earlier. When he closed the door behind us and flicked on the light, I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “The laundry room? Really?”

  He chuckled, finally spinning me but keeping me pressed against him as he continued to walk us farther into the room. “What? There’s a door, so we have a little privacy, and it’s under the master bedroom. And if we do this—” He leaned over, pressing the button for the dryer to start “—there’s no way either of the kids will hear us.”

  I was still laughing when his head dipped and his lips pressed against mine. Of all the places I’d snuck in hookups, especially when I was young and stupid, I could confidently say the laundry room wasn’t one of them. But maybe it wasn’t the worst idea. I’d at least have a chance to get my hands on the man I’d been wanting for weeks now.

  His hands slid under my shirt and I gave in, tangling our tongues together as he cupped my breasts over my bra, thumbs teasing my nipples just enough to make me shiver. When my back pressed against the wall, Elias pressed closer, until there wasn’t an inch of space between us. Hands moved everywhere, both of us eager to touch, but unwilling to fully remove clothes and leave ourselves too exposed when Jasper was just upstairs. The dryer noise might give us some privacy, but it also made it harder to hear him coming and I didn’t want to risk getting caught.

  Elias seemed to have other ideas because while I was distracted by his mouth, he’d unbuttoned my jeans and his hand delved inside with unerring accuracy, pressing lightly against my clit. I gasped, back arching, hand clutching at his arm without actually trying to stop him.

  “Elias,” I protested weakly, muffling a moan when he started rubbing slow circles, making my toes curl in my shoes.

  “Shh,” he chided with a wicked grin. “They’re upstairs. They won’t find out if we’re quick.”

  While I wasn’t usually one for quick hookups, I preferred a bed and the freedom to explore, I recognized how difficult that would be currently. With how suspicious Jasper was, it was hard for Elias to get a babysitter for a proper date, especially after what happened at the mall. Jasper hadn’t been outright combative, he’d hovered the rest of the evening and only went upstairs when Isla was put to bed. I got the feeling it would be harder than normal for Elias to get alone time after what had happened.

  Kissing up my neck, Elias whispered in my ear, “If you really want me to stop, I will. But if you say you want this, I’m not stopping until you come on my cock.”

  The man had a filthy mouth and I felt my cheeks heat as my arousal climbed higher. I had no idea before meeting Elias how sexy his confidence would be.