I opened my mouth to say something—I wasn’t quite sure what yet—but Dad rested a hand on my arm and shook his head. He cleared his throat. “Country, maybe this conversation isn’t wise to have over a phone?”
Cocking my head to the side, I thought over what Country had said, running it through my mind again and again.
Oh. Oh.
“You’re gettin’ me, Patty. But these phones are safe from prying ears. We have our guy who takes care of that. Look, this club is our family. If somethin’ bad happens to one member, they have the brothers at their back. If the problem can’t be dealt with in the right way, the legal way, then, and only then, do we step in. We step in to protect and make sure the problem that occurred doesn’t happen again. Ever.” Country let out a heavy breath. “I know this shit is deep and dark. You take your time to sort that out. Court, text me and let me know if we need to get our lawyer movin’ for State. But I hoped to fuckin’ Christ I haven’t screwed this up for him because I know you already mean somethin’ to him, and when a brother gets attached, we know it’s for the long haul.”
The call ended.
They hurt people to protect their own.
They probably even killed people to protect their families.
Wasn’t I supposed to be scared, knowing this?
Did having this knowledge make me want to run for the hills?
No, it didn’t.
“Courtney?” Dad said gently.
“Maybe it hasn’t sunk it fully. But… I don’t know, Dad. I should be surprised by his confession, yet….” I shrugged. “I’m not.”
“Am I understanding correctly when I say that he just admitted to killing people when a problem isn’t resolved?” Mom asked.
“Yes, honey,” Dad said.
Mom’s lips thinned as she nodded. “Well, at least we know they’d protect our daughter with the kind of ferocity that a lioness would her cub.”
Dad snorted, then coughed and cleared his throat. “They’ve handed us their lives, as Country said. In doing so, it tells me they trust our daughter completely. I won’t deny I’m afraid, but I’ll stand with you, with your choice, Courtney. I know you, and I know you won’t throw yourself into this relationship carelessly. If you want State in your life, even though it’s only been a short amount of time, then go with what you feel is right for you. We’ll always be here for you, no matter what. Still, know that we’ll protect you as well, if needed.”
Tears welled and fell. I turned my arm over and held his hand. “Thank you, Dad.” I looked at Mom, holding my other hand out. She took it instantly with wetness in her gaze. “What do you think, Mom?”
“Well, I believe the choice is yours, sweetie.”
“There’s something strong growing between State and me, and it’s fast.” I licked my dry lips. “I also know what Country said is shocking. The whole situation is corrupt, but State has been nothing but respectful to me, and I believe he’s been treated unfairly by an officer of the law. It’s not right, yet that officer could get away with this. If… if he’s the one who murdered that victim because of a woman he’s obsessed with, that’s scary. I can only hope things get sorted. One way or another.”
I couldn’t say it aloud, but if it meant the Diamond MC had to step in to deal with a man who would kill an innocent over an obsession, then I didn’t see anything wrong with it. I didn’t know if I had rose-colored goggles on for State, but I realized the club was some type of vigilante organization that righted wrongs to help the people around them.
Dad nodded. “Text Country. Tell him I’ll have Lewis there in the morning.”
“Thank you. Have I told you both lately what amazing parents you are?”
“Not for a while, but I know.” Mom smiled.
They were really the best. Not every parent could sit by and let their daughter date someone who was in a club, knowing they didn’t always operate inside of the law.
I hoped I hadn’t broken their trust with my decision, but I highly doubt I could.
State would be in my life. Especially if I did kidnap the man in order to protect him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
State
* * *
The cops had known their evidence was circumstantial at best. It hadn’t been enough to get a murder charge to stick, so Ray Bond had booked me for a couple of bogus traffic offenses and told me I’d have to stay overnight since my lawyer couldn’t make it until today.
I’d hated staying in a goddamn holding cell, mainly because Courtney would be going out of her mind. Christ, I’d never prayed before, but I did yesterday, wanting my little mouse to believe me. Country had better set her straight when it came to Lisa.
While I hadn’t known the lawyer the club had brought in, but fuck me, he was a genius. As soon as he’d entered the station this morning, he had the cops stumbling over their asses, and even reamed them out about the traffic charges.
I was hella relieved, especially as it meant I was getting out of here.
“Dominic,” Lewis, my kickass lawyer, said, dragging me from my thoughts when we reached the foyer of the station.
“State, man,” I corrected.
He nodded. “State. Here.” He held out a phone to me. “Your president asked me to get you to call him before we went outside.”
Confusion had me tensing. “Right.” I typed in Country’s number and put it to my ear.
“State?”
“Brother.”
“Fuck, brother, it’s good to hear your voice.” I could hear the smile in his tone.
“That smug bastard—”
His tone quickly switched when he read how pissed off I was. “I know. I fuckin’ know. He’ll be dealt with. Look, there’s shit you gotta know.”
“What?” I clipped.
“Court—”
“Is she all right? Did she ring you? Does she know it’s all a goddamn lie? That I’d been set up?”
“If you shut up a sec, I’ll tell you.” Country chuckled. “You gotta put a ring on her finger, brother.”
I stared down at the floor. “Huh?”
“Brother, Court rang me and told me she was gonna deal with the situation when I’d tried to say we had a lawyer. The guy standin’ with you is her dad’s friend. She went to her parents straightaway and got the help you needed. Just sucked he couldn’t get there until this mornin’. Our lawyer is outta town for the week, so it’s lucky you met your woman and that she was beyond pissed, so she sorted this shit out.”
Not only did my little mouse believe me, but she had my back.
Christ, that meant the world. Even though I was tired as fuck, energy zapped through me.
“I’m gonna put a ring on her finger,” I told my brother as I nodded to myself.
Country chuckled. “That ain’t all.”
“Tell me.”
“Brother, I was on speaker with her ’rents because Patty—her dad—wanted all the info he could get for the lawyer and…. Now, don’t be pissed, but I was straight with them. They know how our club runs. They know we’d do anythin’ to protect our people, and they understood the meanin’ to anythin’.”