Page 41 of Tanner (Dirty Misfits MC 5)
“Ah, transition. Love it and hate it.”
“Don’t I know it.”
I sighed. “Look, I got a favor to ask.”
He snickered. “Is this favor any chance connected to the reason you were in town? Trying to sort some shit out?”
I licked my lips. “I’m gonna text you an address along with some details that are going to shock you, but please just do as I ask.”
“You sound worried. What’s going on?”
“I’ll text it, just tell me you’ll do it. I’ve got two people that are very important to me that need to be guarded, but discreetly.”
Summer hissed at me. “She’s going to hate that.”
I put the phone to my shoulder. “Not if she doesn't know.”
Then, I put the phone back to my ear as Blaze spoke. “You know we’re always there for family. Shoot me who they are and where they live. We’ll take care of the rest.”
“I owe you one. Big time.”
“Family never owes a damn thing. I’ll stand by for the details.”
I hung up the phone with Blaze and quickly sent him a text, letting him know the place and some of the details. But I didn’t even get my phone back in my damn pocket before he called.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he asked.
I groaned. “Dude, I can’t talk right now. We’re kind of in the middle of—”
“You drop the bomb that you’ve got a daughter who’s currently shacked up with your baby mama’s sister, who also works for the police, and you think I’m not gonna have questions?”
I rolled my eyes. “Just be discreet about it. Stick to the shadows, don’t make too much noise. You know the drill.”
“You have a daughter, Tan.”
I puffed out my cheeks with a sigh. “Yeah, I know.”
“You have a daughter, and she’s in trouble.”
“You don’t think I don’t know that!? Huh!?”
Summer rubbed my back as I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Sorry,” I murmured.
Blaze chuckled. “Hey, you know I know what you’re going through. If something was ever going on with my son and I had to get him to safety? I’d be pretty rushed with things, too. Just put it on your calendar for us to really get together and talk when this is all said and done. It’s about damn time I had someone to pass all of this fatherly wisdom to.”
I snickered. “You’re insane, you know that?”
“Hey, if you wanna be in that girl’s life you got a lot to learn, and quickly. How old is she?”
I closed my eyes. “Eleven.”
“Yep. She’s nearing teenage-hood, too. I’ve got some great advice. You and me, coffee, soon. Promise.”
I smiled. “I promise.”
“Good. I’ll send my best men for the job. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“I really appreciate this.”
And after we said our goodbyes, we hung up the phone.
“Everything okay?” Summer asked.
I looked over at her and leaned in to kiss her lips softly. “Yeah, everything’s okay. Let’s get back to the warehouse, yeah?”
She rolled up her window, put the shotgun back beneath the seat, and took my hand. “Yeah. Let’s get back to the warehouse.”
We stayed in the middle of traffic as much as we could, but I didn’t see Cole and Porter anywhere. I wanted to call them and make sure they were all right, but if they were in the middle of some shit, I didn't want to give them away. Or give them something else to worry about. So, I did something I never thought I’d do in my wildest dreams.
I sent up a silent prayer to heaven, hoping that someone up above might hear it.
Then, I focused my sights on getting Summer and myself back to the warehouse safely.
“Tanner?”
“Hmm?”
She leaned her head against my shoulder. “Can we take a hot shower together when we get back?”
I peeked down at her. “Sure, if you want. We could also take a hot bath if you’re more into those.”
She shook her head. “I like sitting down in hot showers when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Would you join me, please?”
I kissed the top of her head. “I’d love nothing more than to hold you for a while.”
And as her tears of stress, shock, sorrow, and fear rolled down her cheeks, I felt them wetting my white t-shirt. It broke my heart to hear her openly cry like that. In all the years I had known Summer before her parents fucked up our worlds, I’d only ever seen her cry once. She was a tough son of a bitch, and a wonderful woman because of it.
But the fact that she openly wept against my shoulder showed me just how much she had pent up inside.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Everything is going to be okay.”
I just hoped that this was one moment where the universe didn’t prove me one hundred percent wrong.
Twenty
Summer
I dialed Sloane’s number and held the phone to my ear while Tanner talked with someone on the end of his line named “Blaze.” I grinned at the name as the phone rang in my ear. Did all guys in motorcycle crews have such weirdly powerful names?
