“Say what now?”
I chuckled. “We own a garage. One of the guys will bring a tow truck to pick it up. They’ll take it back to Croftridge, fix your tire, and bring your car to you.”
“Thank you,” she said and started digging through her purse. A few moments later, she held out a credit card for me.
“Put that away. This one’s on the house.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I stopped her. “You were attacked while trying to sell a property that belongs to one of our people. It’s the least we can do.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Thank you,” she whispered.
That was the moment I realized she needed our help more than I originally thought.
“Come on. Let’s get you home.”
While Daphne was being wheeled out to the patient discharge area, I called Phoenix to let him know about the change of plans.
He chuckled into the phone. “I knew it. Badger, you owe me twenty bucks.”
“What?”
“I told him you’d come back knowing what happened to that girl—if you didn’t come back with her.”
“It was that obvious, huh?”
“It was to me.”
“Well, I’m glad I could win you some money,” I said. In all honesty, I didn’t care that they’d placed bets on me. I knew it was all in good fun. “Listen, can you ask Byte to see what he can dig up on a Daniel Garrison? That’s who attacked Daphne. Also, she mentioned that she’s going through a divorce, and the ex-husband isn’t being cooperative. Maybe he could check into him, too? She’s had a lot of strange things happen recently, and I don’t think they’re random.”
He sighed. “Every damn one of you is a sucker for a damsel in distress.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes, I’ll get Byte on it. Are you bringing her here?”
“Do you think I should?”
“I think you should offer her a place to stay. She’s hurt, and it sounds like she’s scared.”
“She’s got a dog. I don’t know what kind, though.”
“So bring the dog. We already have several running around here. One more won’t make a difference.”
“All right. I’ll offer and see what she says.”
“Sounds good. I’ll send Flint and Diesel to take care of Irene’s house and pick up Daphne’s car.”
“Thanks, Prez.”
I waited until Daphne was in the truck, and we were on our way back to Croftridge before I brought up staying at the clubhouse. “While they were bringing you out, I called and spoke to our club’s president to let him know what was going on. He’s sending two brothers to pick up your car as we speak. I also told him about the strange things happening to you. Between those and the attack today, he wanted me to let you know that you’re welcome to stay at the clubhouse if you don’t feel comfortable going home.”
“Oh, thank you. That’s a very kind offer, but I have to go home. I have a dog to take care of.”
“You can bring your dog to the clubhouse.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. We’re a dog-friendly bunch. Several of the members have dogs that come to the clubhouse. You’ll have your own room and bathroom, and your dog can stay with you.”