Page 34 of Mace
She choked out, “That’s exactly why I didn’t want to come to you with this. You already got shot protecting me. I didn’t want to drag you and your club into all the dark shit my father’s into. I know all your wives and kids. They don’t deserve to be husbandless and fatherless because my family is a hot, dangerous mess.”
Seeing her tear up really got to me. I laid Hacker’s laptop aside, reached for her, wrapping my arms around her and tugged her out from under Rosie’s arm. Once she was in my lap, I held her tight, tucking her head underneath my chin. “Shush, sweetness. Everything is going to be okay.” None of my club brothers said anything, probably afraid that more questions would make her cry harder.
Finally, she added. “My mom and I are never going to be free until my father and his right-hand man are behind bars.”
“Or six feet under,” Storm said darkly. Murmurs of agreement went around the room. It was strange how in sync me and my club brothers were on this issue. I’d like nothing better than to break that old man’s neck and watch the life drain from his eye. If there’s one thing I hated, it was a man who abused women.
Rosie finally spoke up. “Clearly, we can’t allow Alicia to go running back to her father. There has to be a better way to gather intel on these criminals that putting her in harm’s way again.”
Thunder’s hand came out to land on his wife’s shoulder. “Perhaps you forgot about how her asshole dad is going to keep hurting her mother every day until she shows up.”
Rosie’s voice broke with emotion as she said, “There has to be another way, Thunder. Tell me there is another way.”
He gave his old lady a hug and murmured, “If there is, we’ll find it, darlin’.”
Grit complained, “And this is why we don’t have old ladies involved in club business. Softhearted females cry all over the damned place. Even my Alison. It’s why I keep her far away from club business.”
I pulled back and looked down at Alicia. “Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to keep you safe if you meet up with your father. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“I know I’m nothing but trouble, Mace. And I apologize for it.”
“Nonsense,” I said as I gave her quick kiss on the forehead. “Why don’t you and Rosie go out to the bar and havesome breakfast while we brainstorm ways to make sure this whole situation lands in you and your mom’s favor, okay?”
She nodded and slipped from my arms. Rosie wrapped an arm around her and led her back to the bar. Alicia stopped at the doorway and turned back to look anxiously at me. Seeing the worry and doubt in her eyes tore a gigantic hole in my heart.
I looked her in the eyes and told her how I felt about her for the first time. “I love you, sweetness. Trust me to take care of this for you.”
She nodded, relief flooding her face. “Thank you, Mace. I love you too.”
Rosie pulled her away and Alicia went only very reluctantly.
Chapter 13
Alicia
Iwalked out of Storm’s office on shaky legs. Mace and his club brothers clearly didn’t like me being an informant for the US Marshals service. Mace was trying to be supportive of me and even told me he loved me, but I felt like I was skating on thin ice with his club brothers.
It didn’t take long for Amelia to amble over and climb onto the barstool beside me. I was wearing comfortable jeans, sneakers, and a sweater. Not Amelia. She was all dolled up in booty shorts and the tiniest crop top that I’d ever seen. Small to the point that she was showing under-boob. She’d paired that with bejeweled cowboy boots and tons of sparkling jewelry. I didn’t know if she was all blinged out because it was a holiday or this was simply her weekend wear, but it was a lot, especially so early in the morning.
She gave me a knowing grin. “I see you got sent to Storm’s office. What did you do to make him pissed.”
Rosie threw down the towel she was using to dry glasses and said angrily, “Can’t you just mind your own damn business for once?”
Amelia jerked back like she’d been slapped. She shot Rosie a confused look. “Hey, don’t jump down my throat. I wasn’t taking a dig at her.” Bringing her hand up to tap her chest, she added, “You are looking at the girl that’s gotten in more trouble than anyone else here.”
Rosie scowled, “Not even close, but you are a troublemaker. I’ll give you that much.”
Amelia’s expression turned suspicious. “If she’s not in trouble, I guess Mace was breaking it off with her in front of his club brothers. It was bound to happen. Mace has never been one for long-term relationships and always comes back to us club girls because he knows we treat him right.”
I opened my mouth to tell her it wasn’t like that, but her hand flew off her chest and she held it out in front of my face. “No, don’t even start with a bunch of excuses. No insult intended but, girl, you are nothing to write home about. Maybe you were okay for Mace when he was just a prospect but now that’s he’s fully patched member of the Dark Slayers, he’s got to prove to the other men in this club that he can get a high-class woman.”
Rosie slammed her hand down onto the bar. “That’s enough of out of you for one day, Millie Johnson.”
Amelia frowned at her. “You know I don’t like being called Millie. The fact that you’re trying to piss me off is proof that I’m onto something here. Storm’s wife is a famous local news blogger. Hell, Hash’s old lady is Crystal Conner, the movie star, and Blade and Thor’s old ladies are mafia princesses.”
I barely recognized the one she described as a movie star. She played a supporting role on a television series I used to watch and then disappeared from acting. I guess now I knew why.
Meanwhile, Amelia kept going on and on about how great all the old ladies are. If I was being honest, I’d admit that she’s absolutely right. I didn’t run a cutting-edge news blog, I didn’t have a degree in public relations, and I was certainly not a mafiaprincess who turned against her family to wear her old man’s property cut. It really did seem like the men in this club went for old ladies who had done something important with their lives. Not ones who were dragged to the country illegally by their criminal fathers.