“Prez, this thing with Holly ain’t like you and Shell.” Shell had a man she could count on to keep her warm throughout the night. Shell had a man she could lie next to without fear of being attacked while she slept. Holly would never receive either of those assurances from him. No matter the desire or strength of his feelings, the relationship was doomed from the start.
“We’ll see,” Copper said.
Rocket caught his gaze. Of course, he didn’t say anything, but he nodded once. Solidarity. Understanding. Rocket had demons, hell, so did his woman, maybe even more than Rocket himself. He knew what it was to suffer from the demons in his head.
LJ started to speak again but was cut short by the jangle of his phone.
Holly. He peeked at the time before answering. She’d been out about four hours and should have been on her way home. Jesus, he’d teased her about the truck, but had been confident she’d handle it just fine.
If she’d been in an accident when he could have just driven her…
“Hey, sugar. What’s up?”
“Um, LJ?” she asked in a voice so small, he strained to make her out. His spine straightened, and he made eye contact with Copper. His three brothers snapped to attention, prepared to jump in and help in any way.
“What’s wrong, Holly?”
“Um, could you come get me? And bring the registration paperwork for your gun…if you have it.” If it’s registered was the unspoken statement.
Of course, it was fucking registered. He was an outlaw MC member. Driving around with an unregistered gun would give every cop in a ten-mile radius a boner. “Where are you?” he asked as he marched toward the door to retrieve his boots.
“I’ve got my work truck,” Rocket said. “You can ride with me.”
Good. This way he could drive Holly back in his own truck.
“Um, I got pulled over. And when they searched the car, they found the gun and the cop wants to press charges since I don’t have papers for it.”
What the fuck? “Why the fuck did they search the car? Why the fuck were you pulled over? Did you tell ’em who your dad is?”
“Uh,” she said, and it grew even more difficult to hear her. As though she spoke extra low to keep someone from overhearing. “Can you just hurry, please? I’m on the highway halfway between the diner and our apartments.”
“Be there in five. Hold on, baby.”
“Thank you,” she said but it sounded more like a choked sob. The stark relief had him moving even faster. Had she thought he wouldn’t come for her? Shit. He had some serious work to do to get her to understand how much she meant to him. Even if this couldn’t end in happily ever after.
“Cops harassing her?”
“Sounds like it. Let’s roll.” He didn’t bother waiting for his bothers or even locking his fucking door. LJ ran down the steps and jogged toward Rocket’s truck.
Copper and Zach mounted their bikes. “We’re right behind you,” Copper said.
And even though his nerves were stretched thin, LJ felt the power of his brotherhood behind him. Didn’t matter in the least that he’d turned down Copper’s request. They had his back and would work this shit out.
One way or another.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
FIVE MINUTES EARLIER, Holly accelerated onto the highway with the cheesiest grin on her face. She glanced at her phone, lying on the passenger seat. It’d be so easy to call LJ and tell him how amazing her practice run had gone. How much Toni, Jazz, and all the employees at the diner loved what she’d made. And they had. Holly had never received so many compliments in her life. If she’d stayed there much longer, her head wouldn’t have been able to fit in LJ’s truck.
But no, she’d tell him when she saw him in person. Attaching LJ to every victory or milestone in her life was a fool’s errand. One likely to end in crying fits every time something good happened to her in the future once he wasn’t there to share in it any longer.
Instead of calling him, she had a private celebration in her mind. Monday was going to rock. Two more days and she’d be gainfully employed doing what she loved.
The shrill whoop of a siren startled her out of her musings. She peeked in her rearview mirror, scanning for the source. Hopefully, she had enough time to shift lanes before she found herself blocking their way. A police vehicle flew down the highway quickly approaching her in the left lane, so Holly switched to the right.
The cop followed suit, then they pulled up, hot on her tail.
So close Holly could see the officer waving her over.
Holly frowned at the mirror then returned her attention to the road. On her next check, the cop hadn’t moved. He whooped his siren again and flashed his lights this time, again waving her over.