She trembled through her bravery. He led her to the others and lit a cigarette while Roar talked over the directions and wanting to circle the vacant lot where they would meet with Aldridge.
"There's a police station three blocks from the address we received. We'll want to avoid riding past. We don't need law enforcement getting curious and following." Brage, in charge of the route, needed no map or GPS.
Over the last couple of days, he'd memorized the roads, looked for construction listings, and prepared everything down to the mile. There could be no mistakes.
"I'll flash my lights when we're five minutes out. That'll give you time to prepare." He put his hand on Dinah's back and rubbed the slight slope above her ass.
The other men understood his instructions. They each carried two pistols on them, plus Roar had his knife at his hip. Every weapon needed to be available and ready.
"I don't have to approach Jeremy by myself, do I?" asked Dinah.
"No, I'll be at your side. Roar and Elling will stand behind you and off to the right." He faced her. "I'm not saying it's going to happen, but if anything goes down, I want you to drop to the ground and make yourself as flat as you can. Don't run, don't turn, don't grab me, and don't raise your head. I'll cover you."
She blew out her cheeks. "That's not helping me calm down."
"It's necessary, babe."
"You're expecting Moroad to shoot you? Shoot me?" She stared at him.
Not wanting her to know that not expecting the other club to do something would be foolish, he said, "It's my job to keep you safe. That's what I'll do."
She turned away from him and stared off into the distance. He pushed away his concern about her emotional state for later. Right now, he only wanted to make sure she physically wasn't harmed.
"Time's up. We need to roll." Elling walked toward his motorcycle.
Roar hung back and walked beside Brage as he led Dinah to the truck. "Keep your head, brother."
"Plan on it." He held on possessively to Dinah.
At the truck, he put Dinah in the passenger seat and walked around and sat behind the steering wheel. He'd feel better about the situation if he knew why Aldridge volunteered to hand over a crime the Moroad MC committed. The only reason he could think of was that the motorcycle club was desperate for money. In the end, they'd gain back the extortion note for Los Li, while Slag held on to Red and Blue, plus gained the shipment of illegal guns.
Dinah dug through her bag and pulled out an unopened pack of gum. He drove onto the interstate and squeezed her leg. Worried she'd fall apart when she came face to face with Aldridge, he needed her to keep her head and remember his instructions. It would take all his attention to protect her.
She looked out the window. "What time is it?"
Her phone sat on the seat. She made no move to look.
"Ten thirty. We should be there a little before eleven thirty." He cracked his window and let in some fresh air, hoping it would keep her alert and level headed.
"Since we're almost there, do you want to tell me the real reason Slag wants me to meet with Jeremy?" She snapped her gum. "I don't believe it's because Slag cares about helping me find out what happened to my parents."
Club business was never shared with outsiders. Even with him claiming Dinah, she would have to learn that a part of his life would always be separate from what happened between them.
"It's all about keeping a relationship with the other motorcycle clubs in the area." He removed his hand from her thigh and checked the rearview mirror for anyone following.
"Right," she muttered.
As much as she tried to focus on everything but her part in the meeting, he couldn't distract her. She needed to concentrate on getting the answers she needed to put the Reed brothers in the past. If she was going to continue living with him at the clubhouse, she needed to understand that there would be no contact or relationship with the men who pretended to be her brothers for most of her life.
"This is stupid." She crossed her arms and chewed on her gum faster. "I don't even want to know why Moroad killed my dad. I have enough to worry about without thinking about that when I don't even remember my parents."
Her opinion differed from his. He was a member of Slag because of his father. His heritage important, he wanted to surround himself with other Nordic people. It was important for the next generation to learn what their ancestors had fought for. The families that were created. The love that was shared. Those things should never be lost but shared from father to son, mother to daughter.
Until he fell in love with Dinah, he never thought of sharing his life with a woman. He focused on Slag Motorcycle Club. He couldn't see the benefit of involving someone innocent and gentle into his crime-filled life that often became too rough for the strongest men.
"You can find out the important things. Your name, your age, and maybe it'll lead to finding a part of yourself you never knew about." He glanced over at her and stayed in the right-hand lane. "You might have siblings or aunts, uncles, grandparents, who have no connection to Moroad and live a life you would approve of."
"Or, I could have a family filled with murderers, felons, and prostitutes." She sighed. "I basically had that with Brad and Tony and look how that worked out."
There was no convincing her to keep an open mind. He was only pissing her off. And, he could be wrong. Making her meet with the Moroad president could bite him in the ass, and she'd come away wishing she knew nothing about her past.
He picked up and kissed her hand, holding onto her.
"I love you." He
