He blows out a breath. “They’re not my friends. I’ve never seen them before in my life. So I’m going to ask you again, who are they? And you’d better not hold anything back.”
“All right, jeez. The one on the left, with the bald spot, that’s the mayor of Temple Bluff. And the one with the moustache, that looks like he’s had too many of your mom’s cookies? That’s his police chief.”
“You stole fifty thousand dollars from the mayor and the police chief? Fuck, Meadow.”
I glare at him. “They were taking the funding from animal shelters and the playground funds. You seriously telling me they didn’t deserve it?” I see his expression turn to disgust, and nod. “The shelters and playgrounds had to apply for a special permit, except that permit didn’t appear on any paperwork. It went straight into the bank accounts of those two. I only took a tenth of what they’d stolen, and I donated twice that to the shelters they took it from. So tell me I did the wrong thing.”
Chain’s jaw clenches and he glances over at the pair who’ve just walked in. “They stole half a million dollars?”
“Yep.”
“Fucking scumbags.” I hear a growl in his voice. “What are they doing here?”
“I have no idea. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to slit their throats, that’s what I’m going to do. And then I’m going to go to work on them.”
I feel a tug on my collar, and before I know it, we’re moving through the crowd towards the mayor and police chief. “No, wait,” I’m begging, but Chain just keeps pulling me onward and I have no way to stop him.
“Hey, you!” Chain pushes some girl out of the way and then sizes up to the mayor, whose eyes go wide. I’m guessing he thinks some drunk asshole is about to have a go at him, but Chain hasn’t touched a drop. “Yeah, you. Both of you.”
“Chain, what the fuck, man?” Bullet glowers, clearly annoyed that someone has interrupted his conversation, but Chain doesn’t seem to care that this is his territory.
“Stay out of this, brother, it doesn’t concern you.”
“If you’re having a go at my business associates then yes, actually, it does concern me.”
“Well, maybe you should pick different people to do business with.”
The police chief glances my way, and it takes him a moment, but then recognition dawns on his face. “Well, well. Frank, look who it is.”
I try to slink back, but the collar keeps me held firm. The music has stopped, and I can feel all eyes on us. Already, I’m trying to plan some sort of escape, but what can I do with this damned collar around my neck? And even if I managed to slip out of it, would I really stand a chance of getting out of here with my life intact?
“Patricia?” The mayor uses the fake name I gave them as he looks down, away from Chain’s eyes, but it’s a mistake.
A second later, Chain is roaring as his hand goes to Frank’s throat and he pushes him back, up against the door. Frank’s feet, about an inch off the ground, scramble back and forth, trying to find purchase, as nothing more than a squeak comes out of his mouth.
“Motherfucker!” The police chief grabs a bottle out of Bullet’s hand, rearing his arm back, and everything seems to slip into slow motion.
My heart jumps into my throat as I realize what he’s about to do. Chain is big. He’s strong. But if that bottle connects with the back of his head, it’s going to do damage. Maybe it will just knock him out, and perhaps I’ll be able to get this collar off and get out of here. But that’s a lot of maybes.
And I don’t want it.
The thought hits me like a freight train. I don’t want to get away from Chain. I don’t want to leave the Heartlands MC. As much as this isn’t the life I would have chosen, perhaps it’s the best life that could have chosen me. Chain means everything to me. I love him.
I’m in love with him.
Fuck. Meadow. What the fuck?
It’s no use arguing with myself, because it’s the truth and I know it. I can’t watch as that bottle hits him, not knowing if it might kill him.
I slam my palm into the police chief’s wrist, screaming at the top of my voice, hoping that the noise will cause some sort of confusion, because what I have planned next shocks even me. I grab the end of my leash, getting up close to Chain to give myself more slack, then loop it around the police chief’s throat. He tries to push me away, but unlike Chain, who’s surprisingly fast for his size, this guy is slow and he doesn’t react in time. A moment later, I’m pulling the leash tight as his mouth falls open.