Her eyes opened wide just as Leigh joined her. “What’s wrong? You look pale.”
“Frank!” She glanced around frantically. “Frank!”
The cop came rushing to her. “What’s wrong?”
“That man–” She turned to point where she’d seen him but he was gone. Shaking, she wrapped her arms around herself. “Never mind.” She swallowed hard. “There was a guy who freaked me out but he’s gone.”
“Office Rhodes, ass over here,” someone yelled.
“I’m sorry. If you’re okay?” She nodded and he headed to talk to his superior.
“Scarlett?” Leigh asked, obviously worried.
“I’m fine. Just get me out of here.”
Leigh glanced around. “This is our car. I called.”
“Leigh?” a female driver asked through the open window.
Scarlett let out a relieved breath and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.” She quickly opened the door and slid into the car and Leigh followed, slamming the door and locking it behind her.
Leaning against the back seat, Scarlett groaned, happy to be safely enclosed in the car and on her way home.
* * *
Hours later, Tanner and his partners sat in their office, trying to come to terms with how serious shit had gotten around them. If Sutherland wanted to make his point, he’d fucking made it.
Tanner had been sucker-punched twice. Standing with Jason and Landon when his gaze had fallen on Scarlett. Seeing she’d come to check on him, relief had filled him … and then he’d laid eyes on her talking to Frank Rhodes, the asshole from his childhood. And before he could process that, he’d seen Vic. Larger than life and out of jail.
Anger like he hadn’t felt in years had boiled inside Tanner, and it’d taken Landon and Jason holding him back from beating the living daylights out of the man. They’d literally dragged him inside before he could cause damage, not just to Vic – nobody gave a shit about Vic – but to himself and the guys. And, he realized now, to Scarlett, who would have seen the whole thing.
He unbuttoned the top buttons on shirt, which were strangling him, and threw his jacket onto the floor. “How the fuck did he get out of jail?” he asked, pacing the room.
“No idea.” Landon shoved his hands into his pants pockets, his jaw working overtime. “But we can’t let him destroy everything we’ve worked for.”
“Which is why you should have let me go after him instead of dragging my ass inside.” Tanner kicked the nearest thing to him, the trash can in the office. It spilled over, contents with it.
“And that’s why we’re in here and you’re not beating Vic until he’s bloody and unconscious. Then we lose you to the system and we’re not fucking having it. Got it?” Jason asked him.
He stood in Tanner’s face, unafraid of his temper because everyone understood Tanner’s anger was never ever directed at those he cared about. Only those who hurt him in ways he never overcame. Victor Clark was about the only person who could work him into that kind of rage these days.
“Fuck.” He knew Jason was right.
He also realized his friends hadn’t mentioned potentially losing the club. They weren’t worried about the business, they were worried about him. And he needed to get himself together so he didn’t let them down. Vic pushed his buttons like nobody’s business. But he had to learn to keep that demon in check, especially if the bastard was out of jail.
He blew out a long breath and sat down in his seat. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”
“Did I see Scarlett here?” Jason asked.
Tanner swallowed hard. “She was talking to Frank Rhodes. We grew up in the same neighborhood but now he’s a cop,” Tanner muttered. “Guy’s a prick. Always had it in for me. I liked a girl? He went after her. Just an all-around dick.” And the things he could tell her about him? Before he had a chance?
Damn.
“Maybe he was questioning her?” Landon suggested. “Like he thought she was in the club when the bomb threat came in?”
Tanner shook his head. “It looked like they were acquaintances. And Frank knows all my secrets. Everything we buried.”
“It’s not like we killed someone. Those secrets can’t destroy you.”
He swallowed hard. “But given what I learned today, they can cost me Scarlett.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Her brother was killed in a convenience store robbery and the assholes got off on a technicality. She’s made it her mission to not let people work the system. Like we did for me.”
“It was a legal way of going about things,” Jason reminded him. “An executive pardon. You went through a bad time after Levi died. We all did. You did your community service. You have no record. If Scarlett can’t forgive your past…”
“She doesn’t deserve me. Yeah, yeah.” He drew a deep breath. “I’ll talk to her. And I’ll also have her find out how the hell Vic got out of prison.”