She wasn’t going to do this again.
Once outside, she let the tears fill her eyes. She kept on walking, not really knowing where she was going, but she had no choice. She couldn’t go back. There was nothing waiting for her.
Damon.
His name screamed within her head.
“Teri,” Damon said.
She paused and turned.
He pulled her into his arms, and Teri pressed her head against his chest. “You don’t have to run away,” he said.
“I want to go home.”
“Then I’ll take you.”
Only, Damon didn’t take her to her apartment, he took her to his place, and what scared her even more, it felt like home to her.
Chapter Eleven
It wasn’t like James to have a church meeting first thing in the morning, but the party had been two days ago, and Damon figured they’d looked into Beauty and discovered a whole host of things.
After his conversation with Lucy, Damon had been doing his own kind of research into Dane. He didn’t have the time to completely devote to it, but the intention was there. He already knew of two stops Dane had made not long after he left Greater Falls.
Nothing of any real significance so far.
“You all know why we’re here,” James said. “Beauty. We searched her room. She had coke and heroin stashed with her. We’ve handed her over to the cops, and they’re taking it from there.”
“What if we were to get her some help? Rehabilitation?” Jerry asked.
“I thought that. Until I discovered Beauty is a wanted woman. She ran out on bail. She has stolen and she has also nearly killed two people in a robbery gone bad. Beauty isn’t a good person.”
“Holy fuck,” Adonis said.
“I suggest any of you that were with her get yourself tested as well. A lab report shows she has a couple of STDs.” James handed out a sheet of information, and Damon saw a couple of the guys look a little pale.
“And some of you think banging one woman makes us losers, suckers,” Pixie said. He slapped the table, and then did a high-pitch noise as if he was hitting the high base of a drumkit.
Damon laughed, he couldn’t help it.
Pixie had told them all at one point that they would all regret fucking their way through women.
“We used condoms,” Grizzly said.
“I would get yourself tested to be on the safe side,” James said. “I feel like a fucking idiot saying this, but until further notice, you’re all banned from fucking. I want the whole lot of you to get tested. I’ve also hired a couple of professional cleaners. I want the place swept through, checked to make sure there are no remaining drugs. I’ve told our good friend that we have checked everywhere, and he has said any more we find, he’ll deal with.” James had been pacing and stopped at his chair, resting his hands flat on the table. “Do I make myself clear?”
“You’ve become a cock block, bro,” Pixie said.
“Do you want me to tape your mouth?”
Pixie snorted and leaned back. “I’m good.”
“Excellent.”
“Are we going to talk about Teri?” Pixie asked.
Damon noted the scowl James shot his brother’s way. “What about Teri?” Damon asked. “She’s done nothing wrong. She helped us with Beauty.” He’d seen how angry his woman had been. She wanted to take care of this club and the members, and it had only served to make him love her even more.
“She hasn’t told him, so it’s now up to us to fill in the blanks.”
“You love causing trouble, don’t you?” James asked.
“I don’t enjoy causing trouble. I don’t like seeing any of the brothers hurting. You know me. I’m a lover, not a fighter.” Pixie smiled.
“What’s going on?”
James took a deep breath. “It has been brought to my attention that Teri is … interviewing for jobs in the city. She is looking to make a move, one that could mean the diner has no cook.”
The table went silent, and Damon wasn’t sure he heard right. “I don’t know who is telling you this shit, but they’re fucking wrong.”
“It’s not wrong. I don’t know if she is going to take the job.”
Teri had told him this morning she had to go into the city to run some errands. He’d seen the way she was dressed, a nice suit with a pencil skirt, crisp blouse, a jacket. She’d looked like someone suited to office work, rather than a diner.
“How long have you known?” Damon asked.
“The interview got rescheduled. She’s having it today.”
“This is fucking horseshit. Teri’s not going anywhere.”
“Damon, you can’t force her to stick around.”
“Like hell, I can’t. She is a member of this club. She is … she’s mine,” Damon said. He wasn’t going to lose her. “The only reason she is looking for work elsewhere is because of your fucking woman not being able to keep her thoughts to herself. She has broken Teri down. All this bullshit with Dane.” He shook his head. “No, Teri isn’t going. That diner is as good as hers.”