Page 53 of Redemption

Chuckling, she tilts her head. “I’m no doctor. No matter how many episodes ofGrey’sI watched. Pre-McDreamy death, of course. Post-death is just hurtful.”

“You saved him.”

“Nah, but I had to sneak back there to get something before Ashley happened to stumble upon it. And then he confirmed my suspicions that I’m now going to tell you about because you need to act on it.”

Ky leads her to one of the plastic chairs. “What’d you get?”

“You have to promise not to say anything.”

“No,” Diesel groans.

Holding out her hand, she opens it to reveal a little black box. “Yes.”

“He thinks we’d just be okay with it?” Ky asks with a laugh. “It’s one thing for her to be dating a cop. It’s another to have a cop in the fucking family.”

“That’s why he was so insistent about coming to the wedding. I told him he’d need your blessing before she’d accept, and that’s what he wanted to do. Even though I told him it would likely end in a fruitless fight, he still wanted to try.”

“Fuck me,” his father says and leans back. “He was going to put us in a position to be the assholes.”

“Oh, it gets better. After I tell you the second thing, if you still say no, you’refuckingassholes,” she says and leans back.

The hair on the back of his neck stands on edge as he stares at one of his best friends. For the first time in a long time, Lex looks like her old self. Mischievous and bold. “What are you talking about?”

Licking her lips, she lets out a sigh. “It seemed weird to me that with fifteen of them, only one had a gun out. And on top of that, they only fired one shot.”

“I don’t understand,” Diesel says with a shake of his head.

“They didn’t aim for Grayson, but he took the bullet.”

Ky’s stomach drops. “What?”

“I had a feeling because it just didn’t make any sense. Do they even know who he is? But then he told me he moved Ashley out of the way and behind him when he saw the gun. That bullet he took had our girl’s name on it.”

“You suspected and didn’t say anything at the clubhouse?”

“I only saw part of the scene, but think about it. They have beef with the Drifters, not the cops. Especially in Griffin’s Beach. It didn’t make sense.”

He jumps up. “Dad, you stay here with Ashley. I’m going to go and talk to Jennings to get a few men to stay here to stand guard. Lex, you’re heading to your new place to change, and then we’re getting your kids. We’re locking you up in your house with men outside for protection.”

“Ky-”

“This isn’t a debate. These men just changed the game by going after our families in retaliation, and I’ll be damned if I let a woman or child of the club take a bullet-or worse-for us. I’m following you to both places. Let’s go.”

Her eyes look to Diesel, who nods at her, and she sighs. “Fine, but for the record, I’ve already taken a bullet for the club. For your family, actually.”

“That’s so not the point,” he groans as she stubbornly walks outside.

Chapter 20

Griffin’s Beach

Diesel

When Ky left, Diesel asked him to send someone to pick up clothes for Ashley. Her bloody attire makes him sick to his stomach. Seeing her covered in blood brings back too many memories he wants to keep buried until the day he dies. Memories he drinks every night to forget.

She took the clothes Beckett dropped off before heading to Lex’s place and finds a bathroom to wash up and change. Diesel takes the opportunity to sneak back to sit next to Grayson’s bed while she’s preoccupied.

“Hey,” Grayson says, his eyes heavy and voice raspy. All things considered, the man doesn’t look too bad.

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