Page 51 of Doc
I shook my head slightly.“I couldn’t have done it without you.Any of it.Those girls would still be…”
“Don’t.You found the pattern, used your mother’s notes, and pushed when everyone told you to let it go.”His hand tightened on mine.“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met, Nova Treemont.”
I leaned forward until my forehead rested against his.The simple contact grounded me, his skin warm against mine, his breath softly mingling with mine.
“I was so scared.When I saw you fall, when I saw the blood…”
He released my hand to cup my face, his thumb stroking my cheek.“I’m right here.Not going anywhere.”
Time seemed to slow as we stayed like that, connected in the most basic way, breathing each other’s air.
A throat cleared from the doorway, shattering our bubble.I straightened quickly, heat rushing to my cheeks as I turned to see Venom standing there, his weathered face unreadable.
“Sorry to interrupt.Savior’s called a club meeting.Wants you both there.”His gaze moved between us, taking in my reddened eyes and the minimal space between our bodies.“Ten minutes.”
He turned and left without waiting for a response, his boots heavy on the wooden floor.Doc’s hand found mine again, squeezing gently.
“Guess it’s time to face the music.”I knew what he was thinking.The club had backed our play, but now that the dust had settled, there would be consequences to deal with.Federal attention.Potential retaliation from Wallace’s allies.The fallout from exposing corruption that reached through every level of local government.
“Together?”I asked, the word carrying more weight than its simple syllables should allow.
Doc’s smile was tired but genuine as he eased himself off the exam table.“Together.”
The common room fell silent as Doc and I entered.These men had faced down corrupt cops and traffickers without blinking, but the tension in the air now felt even heavier than it had before the raid.Savior stood at the center of the room, his face grim as he surveyed the gathered members.Doc’s hand rested lightly at the small of my back, his body angled protectively toward mine.I fought the urge to shrink behind him, to hide from the weight of all those gazes now focused on us.
These men were bound by blood oaths, by years of shared history, by a brotherhood forged in loyalty and sacrifice.And I was -- what?A reporter’s daughter on a vendetta.Bats’ niece.The woman who’d dragged the club doctor into danger and nearly gotten him killed.I tucked myself farther into the shadow of Doc’s larger frame, my fingers absently fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.
“Listen up,” Savior’s voice cut through the murmurs, commanding immediate attention.“We need to talk about what happens next.We took down a trafficking operation that’s been running through our territory for longer than we realized, and we got justice for Bats’ family.But there will be consequences.”
I watched the reactions ripple across the faces of the gathered men.Some nodded grimly, already aware of what those consequences might be.Others shifted uncomfortably, exchanging glances loaded with unspoken concerns.
“Feds will be sniffing around for weeks,” Saint observed from his position near the bar, his voice matter-of-fact rather than accusatory.“Our every move under a microscope.”
“They’ve already called me in for another statement,” added another member, one whose name I didn’t remember.“Asked about our involvement with the victims, how we knew where to find them.”
“Since they have all the evidence we’d gathered, as well as Mary-Jane’s files, it seems like they’re trying to trip us up, make us confess to something we didn’t do,” Sticks said.
“Worth it to take those bastards down,” Tank countered from across the room.Several others murmured agreement.
“Nobody’s saying it wasn’t worth it,” Savior clarified, his tone making it clear he wouldn’t tolerate dissent on this point.“But we need to be prepared.Wallace had powerful friends.They’ll be looking for payback, trying to find evidence to use against us.”
My stomach twisted with fresh guilt.These men had put everything on the line -- their freedom, their club, their lives -- because of my crusade.Because of my need for justice.I’d never considered the full weight of what I was asking when I’d first walked into this clubhouse clutching my mother’s notebook.
Doc must have sensed my tension.His hand moved from my back to my waist, a gentle squeeze offering reassurance without words.His body remained angled toward mine, a silent statement to everyone in the room:she’s with me.It should have made me feel safer, but it only heightened my awareness of being the outsider, the one who needed protection in a room full of men who’d grown up fighting their own battles.
“Wire’s scrubbing our digital footprint,” Savior continued, nodding toward the tech specialist who’d helped me hack into county records.“And we’ve got legal on standby if the feds push too hard.But every brother needs to watch his back, keep his nose clean for the next few months.”
More heads nodded, men shifting their weight as they absorbed the new reality.My eyes caught on a group near the window, their voices too low to hear clearly but their glances in my direction unmistakable.Their expressions weren’t hostile, exactly, but held a wariness that made my chest tighten.I dropped my gaze to the floor, studying the worn patterns in the hardwood as if they might offer some escape.
I risked a glance up, catching more looks directed my way.Some questioning, some calculating, some simply curious.
“Worth every bit of heat,” a gruff voice asserted from near the bar.“Those girls would still be in cages if we hadn’t acted.”Several voices rumbled in agreement.
“And a killer would still be walking around with a badge,” added another, raising his beer in what felt like a salute to my uncle’s memory.
A movement to my left drew my attention.Tempest, the massive Sergeant-at-Arms whose initial skepticism had been perhaps the most vocal, had detached himself from the group by the window.He approached with deliberate steps, his imposing frame making even Doc look average-sized in comparison.My fingers resumed their nervous fidgeting as he stopped directly in front of me, his expression unreadable beneath his beard.
The entire room seemed to hold its breath.Doc’s body tensed beside me, not overtly threatening but ready to move if needed.I forced myself to meet Tempest’s gaze, refusing to cower despite the anxiety churning in my stomach.
