“Stalker.”
“Or a coincidence.” I raised an eyebrow, and she wrinkled her nose. “Probably not a coincidence.”
“Thank you for not being an idiot.”
“Thank you for saving the day.” She wrapped her arms around my waist. “But let’s discuss this ‘watching you’ business. Why do you have Silas watching me?”
“He volunteered.”
“Of course he did.” She sighed. “That man needs to get a life.”
Shutter had broken it off with his woman, Darlene, a year or so ago, but they were still friendly. Darlene was a good ten years older than him and had a six-year-old daughter, Nova, who adored Shutter. Because Shutter was a good guy, he was still a father figure in her life, and she was often hanging out at the barn with the other Dogs’ kids while Darlene worked.
“I’ll let you have that conversation with him,” I said.
Doom and Shutter walked back in and Doom got to work on the front door, while Shutter walked over to me and Cat. “You comin’ back to the barn?”
She glanced at me and then stomped her foot. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“Pack a bag. You’re at my back,” Shutter ordered.
“Oh, I’m not getting on your bike, Silas,” she argued.
“Jesus,” he hissed. “Your new job sucks.”
“I got my truck,” Doom said as he put a new lock on her door. “You can ride with me.”
Shutter glared at Doom’s back, but he’d have to get the fuck over it because ever since her second emergency call about a motorcycle accident, Catalina had sworn off getting on the back of mine. And she trusted me with her life, so there was no way in hell she was gonna get on the back of anyone else’s.
“Thanks, bud,” Catalina said. “I’ll go pack a bag.”
“We’re not done with this conversation, seester,” I called to her back.
“Yes, we are broooother,” she retorted, and disappeared into her bedroom.
I helped Doom with the door while Shutter paced for about five minutes before storming back to Cat’s room.
“We’re good,” Doom said, rising to his feet and testing the door. It closed and locked, so at least Cat’s place would be secure until we could figure something else out.
Silas walked back toward us carrying a duffel bag, with Cat following, coat and purse in hand. “I have an early shift tomorrow,” she said. “I want your bed, NoNo.”
I nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. I can make other plans.”
She jabbed a finger at Silas. “You owe me a shot of tequila.”
He grinned. “I can do that.”
Cat sighed. “Let’s go then.”
“Doc’ll want to look at that eye,” Doom warned.
“He’ll find it’s just bruised.”
“I’m gonna follow you back,” I said. “Make sure you’re settled.”
Catalina nodded and we filed out of her apartment.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Posey
BANGING ON MY front door had me shooting off my sofa with a squeak. “Shit.” I checked the peep hole and pulled open the door. “I thought you were going to text me.”
“I fuckin’ did,” Shadow growled, pushing inside. “I thought something was wrong.”
I frowned, picking up my phone and sighing. “Phone’s dead.” I bit my lip. “Sorry.”
His expression softened and he leaned down to kiss me. “Charge your phone.”
“Yes, sir.” I tugged on his vest. “I really am sorry I worried you.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Do you want to talk about the emergency?”
“Let me grab the bags, then I’ll fill you in.”
“Bags?” I asked.
“I stopped at the store.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “Be right back.”
“Do you need help?”
“Nope, I’m good.”
He walked out the door, returning with three full grocery bags which he sat on the counter. I helped him pull everything out, glancing over at him as I set the beer in the fridge. “Did you leave anything in the store?”
Shadow chuckled. “Couldn’t buy any fresh meat due to your stove situation, but figured we’d improvise.”
“We, huh?”
“Hell yeah.” He slid his arm around me and tugged me close. “You got any issues with that?”
“Um…”
“What?”
“Before we move forward with anything, you need to know I just got out of a really seriously fucked up relationship. We were together for three years, we lived together for two, then he cheated, and quite honestly, I should have left him earlier, but I was tired. He wore me the fuck down, so I just had no fight in me. His affair was a relief because I finally had a legitimate reason to dump his ass.”
“But he’s still callin’ you.”
“I block him, he just gets a new phone, and I block him again. It’s a dance we do. He’s a pain in the ass, and he left me with some baggage that may or may not get unpacked in the next lifetime, so I figured you should know.”
Shadow grinned.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because you’re fuckin’ adorable when you’re melting down.”
“This ain’t no meltdown, bud. You gotta earn the right to see that.”
“Yeah? And how do I earn it?”
“Time.” I patted his chest. “So much time.”
He dropped his head back and laughed before kissing me. “Challenge accepted.”
“Sucker.”
He kissed me again and we finished putting away the rest of the groceries. Once we were done, he grabbed a couple of beers and pulled me onto the sofa beside him.
“My sister had a bad date.”
I frowned. “That was the emergency?”
“No. The emergency was the asshole trying to rape her in her apartment.”
I gasped. “Holy crap, seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you deal with him?”
“Fuck yeah I did.”
I squeezed his thigh. “Good.”
“So did she.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. Direct shot with her knee to his dick.”
“Good for her.” I bit my lip. “Still, that must have been terrifying.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“One of my biggest fears.”
“Understandable.”
I turned to face him. “Then, why aren’t you with her?”
“She’s at the club, tucked into my bed, and protected by thirty or so bikers. I waited until she was asleep before I hit the store.”
“Was she okay with you leaving?”
“She told me if I didn’t leave, she’d never speak to me again. And I had to think about it for a minute.” I pushed his thigh with my foot, and he laughed.
“Are you always that mean to her?”
“I plead the fifth.”
“She was really okay?” I asked.