My mouth is dry as I try to find the words to mouth to Gabby that I know she won’t be able to hear. I’ll make myself clear without words, but I want to at least try communicating with her so that she knows not to be afraid. We have to go. I try to get her to follow me, so she won’t move. Trauma.I’ve fucked her up.
“Will you let me carry you?” I whisper as I hold her bodyclose to mine and try to get her to calm down with physical closeness. I feel calm. I won’t when Ethan chews me out for what I just did but for now, I feel good that I sent this guy to sleep.
She trembles and I pretend that she nods. I scoop her up and she doesn’t fight, so I take that to be as much agreement as I’m going to get from her right now. We have to go the long way to where I parked my bike. I’m too paranoid to park close to where I drink anymore. I’d rather stumble a few blocks to my ride.
When she realizes I’ll have to walk a few minutes, Gabby holds onto me to make the ride more comfortable. At least she hasn’t passed out yet. We get to my bike – a forest green Indian Scout with a small dent on the back from a little parking while drinking mistake.. I set her down and she stands up, wrapping her arms around her body and staring at the ground. It must be the shock of what she’s seen. I fucking killed a guy in front of her. Of course it fucked her up.
No wonder Tylee thinks I’m a bad father.
“I have to call someone,” I say to Gabby. “Don’t move. I promise everything will be okay.”
She looks up at me with wide, dark brown eyes. She doesn’t question me. There’s a strange, implicit trust.
“Do you have your phone?” I ask her. She nods and reaches for it. Good. The phones have a hypnotic effect on both of us. I’m just happy that she’ll be distracted while I call Ethan. He picks up after two rings.
“Where the fuck are you?” Ethan Shaw snarls.
Other people might have asked if I was okay, but Ethan has the manners of a fucking grizzly bear, hence his club name.
“I’m fine. I was… helping someone.”
“A woman?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Well, you don’t have fucking time for that.”
“I know,” I answer. “I shot somebody.”
“FFFFUCK!”
Ethan nearly blows out my eardrum. I have to hold my phone away from my ear while he curses me out and calls me every name under the sun.
“Tell me you have a good fucking reason for this.”
“He had his hands around this woman’s neck.”
“Was it his old lady?”
“Would that make a difference?”
“Where’s the body?”
“On the street.”
“ARE YOU FUCKING OUT OF YOUR MIND ISAAC?!”
He sounds like Wyatt. Every single one of the Shaw boys is downright insufferable when they’re dry from gambling. I stick my tongue into the corner of my mouth to stop myself from escalating the situation. You live with Tylee long enough, your taste for violent altercations dries right up.
“I had to get her out of there. She was shaken up.”
“Enough to go to the fucking cops?” Ethan doesn’t bother hiding the fact that Gabby’s well-being is nowhere near any of his priorities. Money, keeping our asses out of trouble, that’s about all he cares about. Since he got his own wife and family, the man has a strange idea of loyalty. I’ve had to put my pride aside from the club once or twice.
But I can’t answer his question just from looking at Gabby. She might not be the type to squeal, but she’s astranger. Do I really want to take that chance and get my ass locked up when I could never see my kids again?
I don’t want to let her go.
“I don’t know what she’s thinking.”