In his opinion, she'd already done a damn good job of forging her way through life on her own. There was no reason to stop looking toward the future.
She whispered, "I'm scared."
"I know you are, babe."
She went back to looking out the window. He drove, scanning every possible threat out there. He wished he could go back to the clubhouse and lock her in his room to protect her from what was to come.
Chapter 35
Jeremy Aldridge, President of Moroad Motorcycle Club, sat on his motorcycle. Dinah pressed her hand to her stomach. She was going to throw up.
The tension rolling off Brage in the cab of the truck only made matters worse. Throughout the long car trip, she'd changed her mind a dozen times. Then, changed it again.
Taking her gum out of her mouth, she dropped the tasteless wad into the empty water bottle in the cup holder.
Jeremy got off his bike and stood. Her heart hammered. In the distance, she noticed two more Moroad members near one of the exits from the empty lot.
Needing to warn Brage, she said, "There's two—"
"I see them." He rolled to stop.
Roar and Elling parked on each side of the truck. She rubbed her hands along the thighs of her jeans. Brage had warned her against grabbing onto him or holding his hand. All she wanted to do was touch him and assure herself he was at her side.
She understood the caution. He would need to be free to protect himself and her, but she could use the added strength to walk up to Jeremy.
"At least Tony isn't here. By now, he's probably visited the prison and let Brad know what is going on." She exhaled a trembling breath. "God, I don't want to do this."
Roar got off his motorcycle and stepped in front of the truck. Brage opened his door and said, "Five minutes and we're out of here regardless if he gives you any answers."
As he'd warned her about the process for the meeting earlier, Brage walked out. Elling opened her door. Before she could balk at going, she was escorted to the front of the truck and put beside Brage.
Her legs shook. Telling herself that she'd been around Moroad members most of her life because of Brad and Tony failed to calm her. There was more at risk.
She wasn't the young girl who stayed in the house when the bikers visited or hid in her bedroom if they came inside. She was now the daughter of a man Moroad murdered. She knew their crime, and she worried they'd rather shoot her than risk her going to the police.
"Let's go." Brage moved forward, taking her with him. "Stay by my side."
Her muscles in her chest squeezed the air out of her lungs. As if on a death march, she had a hundred things she'd like to tell Brage before they reached Jeremy.
He was the only man she'd ever loved.
He was the first person not to use her in one way or another.
His acceptance of her made her feel special and safe.
She never wanted to leave him.
Brage stopped in front of Jeremy. She stood beside him and raised her gaze. The familiar ratty jean vest on his upper body reminded her of doing laundry for her broth—for Brad and Tony.
"Thanks for meeting me." Jeremy's gaze went to Dinah. "Do you remember me?"
Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She swallowed. Flashes of faces from her past flickered through her mind. She remembered the salt and peppered long-haired man riding over to the house when she lived with Brad and Tony.
Sometimes, she would see him parked outside the Sterling Building on her way home from school. There were rumors that he ran prostitutes inside the building and she had no doubt it was true.
Her gaze lowered to his vest. The outline of a pistol in his pocket apparent to her, she hoped Brage knew Jeremy was armed.
"Yes. I remember you." Her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart.
"Your father rode for Moroad when my dad was president, and I was a teenager. When I took over the club, your dad continued to ride for me." Jeremy widened his stance.
She shook her head. "I don't remember."
Jeremy was much older than her. She guessed he was around Brage's age.
"I was serving a seven-year sentence in prison when your father was killed. When I gained my freedom, I learned the Reed brothers were raising you as their little sister."
Her throat closed. She wanted to ask about her mother and how Brad and Tony were able to take her away from mom, but she couldn't get the words past her lips.
Jeremy stroked his long beard. "I'm disappointed to learn that it wasn't an enemy who killed a patched member of my club but Brad Reed who pulled the trigger on one of our own. This is new information I gained only recently. I had been under the impression that the Reed brothers were close to your parents and it was a mutual decision to let them raise you."
Brad was the murderer? She covered her mouth as her stomach rebelled. He'd killed her father?
"Two night's ago, one of the wardens at the state prison found Brad dead in his cell. He'd hung himself." Jeremy gaze intensified. "We have men looking for Tony, who ran after the shooting on Slag property. As of yet, we're unable to locate him. You have my word that we will find him and he'll pay for his part in stealing a child away from her mother."
Her knees weakened. Her arm brushed Brage, and she stiffened, keeping on her feet. Jeremy made it sound like they were going to kill Tony. She couldn't make herself say anything to stop him.
She hated them for
