Page 38 of Hero: Claimed

I’ve never ridden in a truck this fancy before. It’s practically a personal assistant. I laugh under my breath wondering if it comes with acook dinnerandwash the laundryoption, too? Caitlin begins singing along to the radio and she nudges me with her elbow to get me to sing with her. Although I don’t feel much like singing, I give in and murmur the lyrics. I feel awkward singing louder than a murmur because now singing reminds me of Levi and how he said I sound like a songbird. It would be rude to upstage the woman who came to my rescue.

When the song ends, Caitlin glances over at me. “So, he didn’t say anything to you about leaving?”

“Nope. Nothing. I don’t know if something happened, like an accident at work. But I would assume that if he got hurt at work, someone would’ve come to get me.”

“Absolutely.” She agrees quickly.

“I mean, we had a sort of disagreement this morning, but—then in the office this afternoon… In the office…” I let that thought trail off, feeling my face heat from the memory of that truly embarrassing moment.

“What happened in the office?” Caitlin asks as she clicks on her left blinker, easing into the left turn lane. She waits at the light.

“Nothing…” It’s pretty much the truth because we stopped before starting the good stuff. “We just sort of made up. Or I thought we did. But he left and didn’t wait for me, so…” I shrug. “Maybe we didn’t.”

“What did you argue about, if I can ask?” She pulls out into the turn heading for the mountain to get us home.

I don’t know if I can tell her, though. Isn’t it a betrayal? What if hewasjust heating soup with that spoon? Yes, that sounds ridiculous. I know what I saw. “If I tell you something, will you keep it in confidence?”

“That depends. Is it dangerous? I mean, holding back hasn’t always been the smartest or safest idea for we Lords women.”

I’ve heard. Yikes. But my situation is nothing like getting kidnapped by creepy stalkers or having serial killers trying to end your life. “I get it… but it’s nothing like that.”

“Tell me, but if I decide you’re wrong, I have to go to Duke, okay?”

I think about it for a minute, but we’re running out of time winding up the mountain. Sucking in a breath, I give it to her. “I don’t know how familiar you are with addicts, but, um… Have you noticed how jittery Blaze has been?”

She bites her upper lip. “This isn’t good.” Does that mean she sees it?

“And he uses the bathroom more than the average biker.”

Caitlin nods.

“Right, so the other night I needed a bodyguard because up until tonight, Levi insisted on it when he wasn’t available. I went to Blaze’s room and saw him with a bent spoon and a lighter. Do you know what that means?” I ask, wringing my hands together.

“I can’t tell you everything because of confidentiality, but I can sayyes. I know what that means.”

“See, if you tell Duke, they’ll kick Blaze out and he’s one of Levi’s best friends and I think it would kill your husband to have to get rid of him.”

“No shit. He’s got such a big heart, but his brother, Rex, died because of the drug world. He won’t put us at risk,” she answers.

“What do you think we should do?”

“Let’s talk to him together. A small intervention that we won’t tell the brothers about just yet. See if we can’t get him some help.”

That still doesn’t explain why Levi left me stranded, but it gives me something else to think about until I can give the Levi situation proper headspace. “Okay,” I agree. “It’s a plan.”

“We’ll do it tonight. I’ll go home, get changed, get dinner… I’ll probably have to play with the kids and fuck my husband before I make my way over, but I’ll text you before I go.”

I can’t hold back the smile. She has such a difficult life, going home to two of the sweetest kids and making love to a sexy man like Duke, a man who just happens to adore her. Her life could be worse.

We don’t speak anymore for the short rest of the drive. She parks in front of her home. The lights are off in mine and Levi’s truck is still M.I.A. I can’t help but worry. Still, I let myself in, hang up the jacket on the hook we put up next to the door, and refill the pellets in the stove to kick the heat up.

It’s funny how used to having company I’ve become. Fixing dinner alone, eating dinner alone—it sucks. Even so, I make enough food for Levi to have a plate should he come home tonight. Once I’ve finished, I put his plate in the fridge and clean up, then I sit on our giant sofa and wait for Caitlin to call.

There’s not a whole lot on the television to keep my interest. I flip channel after channel until I hit the news coming out of Lexington. “In other news,” the news anchor starts, “Houston police are searching for this woman”—and a drawing of my face,my face, flashes across the screen—“wanted in connection with a series of robberies. They have reason to believe she’s hiding out somewhere in the tristate area. She is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities urge anyone who sees her to call 911 but do not engage.”

I sit, stunned and feeling ready to cry. Armed and dangerous? As if. What am I supposed to do if I can’t show my face? Canada might not be far enough away. I might have to escape to Argentina or somewhere. Argentina would be warmer than Canada—stop, Brinley. Up until end of shift today, I’d actually been considering giving it a real go here in Thornbriar.

It’s stupid… I can’t help but laugh at my stupidity. Falling for a man like Levi—what was I thinking? Men take what they want until they don’t want it any longer, then throw it away or like in Hannah’s mom’s and my mom’s cases, the women can’t take it any longer and leave it all behind. And I seem to be falling down the rabbit hole of scenario A. The first tears begin leaking from my eyes and I wipe at them.

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