“I had her checked out three weeks ago. I did it because I didn’t want questions like this coming up or anything being said about her. If Viking had asked me instead of running his mouth to you and the rest of the fucking club, maybe he’d already know that,” Peanut snarled, his eyes alight with his fury. He hated having to tell them he’d had her looked into but he’d had little choice. After the altercation at the mall he’d realized that with everything going down with the club he’d have to make damned sure Phoebe didn’t get caught up in suspicion by the club. He’d known she was clean, but he’d check to make damned sure everyone else did too.
“What did you find?” Viking asked.
“Until five weeks ago she was married to some slick mother fucker in Wyoming. She climbed on a bus somewhere in South Dakota and ended up here a week later. It’s legit. I have the report. She’s clean as a whistle but that fucking douche is looking for her. I had her trail covered better but he might still find her. I hope I can count on the club to handle it if I’m not here and something happens,” Peanut snapped while pacing back and forth, too keyed up to stay still. The idea of that fucking asshole coming after his Phoebe made him a little bit psycho.
“You know you can always count on the club. If she’s clean, then of course we are going to help her. We all feel the same way about abusive assholes as you do.”
“She’s still married?” Viking demanded.
“Yeah, I think that was null and void the second she ran from him, dumbass. She might be legally still married to the fucker, but she isn’t ever going back. He put her in the hospital more than once. She has a hospital record a mile long of suspicious accidents. It’s not an issue,” Peanut snapped, stopping to glare at him with clenched fists.
“I should say not. Damn, this is a hot button for me. You know what happened to Sin when she was little. You can count on me or Sin to help if she needs it. Maybe talking to Sin might help her adjust too. I don’t know but it can’t hurt,” Phoenix offered, likely trying to distract him.
Peanut glanced to him with a nod, “I’ll ask.”
“I didn’t know she had it that bad. It still doesn’t mean she isn’t using you, Peanut. She might not be coiled up in this shit we have going on but she could still be taking the easy way out here, you know,” Viking injected.
“Damn it, Viking. Let him worry about that. If she isn’t part of this new threat we’re dealing with, its none of our business what he wants to allow Phoebe to get away with,” Phoenix grunted, shoving up from the chair.
“Exactly what I said in the mall weeks ago.”
“I expect you two on the road in the next two hours. Try not to kill each other while you’re gone,” Phoenix said, apparently having had enough of their bullshit. He opened the door and headed back to the living room to say goodbye to the girls. Peanut stared at Viking, who still leaned against the dresser watching him.
“Look, just leave it alone. I know what I’m doing here,” Peanut finally sighed after they stared each other down for a good two minutes.
“If you say so, but I’m only trying to look out for you. Have you thought about how letting her live here and become integrated into your lives might affect your daughter if Phoebe is just using you as a convenient protector until her issues are cleared up?” Viking asked.
“Yes, I have. I think she will be better for it. Whether Phoebe stays or doesn’t won’t break her. She’s a strong kid. Besides I intend to make Phoebe so damned happy here that she never wants to leave any damned way, so keep your negative shit to yourself for a change and we’ll get along just dandy.” Peanut stomped from the room, done with this conversation. He shouldn’t have to defend his choices to anyone, much less his favorite brother. If Viking didn’t get on board he was going to find himself left out in the cold because he was keeping Phoebe whether Viking liked it or not.
Chapter Twelve
Phoebe grabbed another dish and placed it into the dishwasher. Peanut had left two days ago and despite wanting to know where he was going, she hadn’t asked. He’d told her that he’d be back in a few days and left with Viking about an hour after Phoenix. Last night he’d called before Jasmine had gone to bed to check in. She’d listened to them chat about Jasmine’s day for twenty minutes before he’d asked to speak to Phoebe. He’d made sure everything was going smoothly and then he’d said he had to go, that they were leaving.
She was surprised to realize that she didn’t like Peanut being gone. It was odd feeling like she missed him when she had only known him for a few weeks. She was leaning down to rearrange the silverware when she heard someone come into the room behind her. She knew it was a man because of the heavy sound of boots hitting the tile floor. Fear rushed through her and she let out a squeak of terror as she turned to face the man, expecting Johnny. She spun around so fast that she tripped a little over the open door of the dishwasher and would have fallen face first into the kitchen counter if strong arms hadn’t wrapped around her waist, catching her against a hard male body.
