Page 46 of Hell & Back

Jed’s eyes narrowed on her. “Thought you said you didn’t know anything about the club?”

“My brother used to talk about him. Not a lot of details, just that I should always steer clear of him. He’s rough on his women.”

“How do you expect me to walk away if he’s rough with women?”

She shrugged a shoulder. “Go or stay. It’s up to you. I have to answer or he’ll come looking for me.”

“Sadie?” RIP shouted again, this time closer.

“I’m coming!” she shouted back while staring into Jed’s eyes.

Fuck. Jed released her and went to the window. There was no screen which allowed him to raise the window and crawl out. He took off across the backyard, thanking his lucky stars he parked his car in the alley. He gripped the fence and lifted himself high enough to swing a leg over. Just as he was clearing the fence, heheard abang!and felt a burning pain in his leg. Motherfuck, that hurt! He hopped in his car and sped away. On his way down the alley, he called Tulsa. As soon as his brother answered, he said, “I’m hit. Meet me at the motel.”

“How bad?”

“Don’t know. Haven’t had a chance to look at it. Probably a graze, but it burns like a motherfucker.” Tulsa told him he’d swing by the pharmacy and grab some first aid supplies and they’d meet him in his room. In the mean time, he held pressure on his leg.

He made sure to drive at the posted speed limits, not wanting to draw the attention of a cop and get pulled over. It would be hard to explain how he’d gotten shot and who had done it.

He shook his head and thought to himself that what just happened with Sadie hadn’t gone well. He’d learned absolutely nothing useful other than his dick wanted inside her pretty damn bad and he desperately wanted to know if she really did swallow.

SADIE

Sadie remained unmoving, her back to the wall as Jed exited through her bedroom window. She let out a strangled scream as the door to her room exploded open. RIP briefly spared her a quick glance then ran to the open window. He had his gun out and pointed toward the backyard where Jed was trying to make a getaway. The sound of the gun discharging in her small room was unbelievably loud. She flinched and covered her still ringing ears in case he fired again. Did Jed make it over the fence before RIP fired or had he been hit? She was almost afraid to check.

He slammed his hand on the windowsill then stalked toward her. “Who was that, Sadie?” he demanded. He shoved his gun behind his back and stopped when they were toe-to-toe, bending so they were eye level.

Her heart was racing a mile a minute and she must have been in shock because she normally didn’t allow RIP to get so close in her personal space. She forced herself to suppress the shiver of disgust she felt whenever he was near. The man seriously creeped her out.

“Sadie, answer RIP’s question. Why was one of the Sons of Redemption in your house? In your room?” Crockett stood just inside the door. Damn, the man had a knack for moving quietly. She hadn’t known he’d come inside her room until he spoke.

“I don’t know.”

“What was that noise? Did someone shoot a gun?” The sound of a little boy’s voice caused Sadie to tense. What was her nephew doing here? Crockett never let her see him outside of the clubhouse.

RIP patted him on the head as he stopped next to Sadie. “Don’t worry, buddy. Just shooting a rat.” She hated the patronizing way he pretended to like Oliver and she hated it even more the way he patted his head. She didn’t want the asshole anywhere near her nephew.

“Did you get him?” Oliver asked innocently.

“Sure did.” RIP winked at him then smiled at Sadie.

“Nickle, why don’t you take Oliver to the kitchen and find a snack?” Crockett suggested.

“Sure thing. Come on, my man, let’s go find something to eat.” Nickle steered Oliver out the door and toward the kitchen.

Crockett closed the door and leaned his back against it. “What was a Son doing in your house, Sadie? In your room?”

“Were you fucking him?” RIP leaned in closer.

She shoved him away. “Back off, RIP, and no, I’m not fucking him.”

“Damn. At least if you were, you might be able to get some information out of him.” RIP kept pushing.

Her hands slammed onto her hips. “See, that’s the thing. I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to be trying to find out.”

RIP opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Crockett. “What am I going to do with you, Sadie?”

She didn’t think it was a question he actually expected a response to so she opted to keep her mouth shut. She was less likely to say something to piss him off that way. If he was pissed off, he could deny her access to her nephew. Which pissed her way the hell off considering she had paperwork that clearly stated that in the event her brother died, she was to get custody.

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