The smile she’d given Dustin disappeared. “Joy,” she said sarcastically before traipsing out to my garage.
I ignored her sarcasm and instead focused on her ass. Not a bad trade-off at all.
12
Tatum
“We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place” by The Angels
Rain beat down on the roof of Nitro’s ute as he drove us to a destination unknown to me. This weather was depressing as hell. I’d never been a fan of rain that lasted longer than a day. Looking out the window, I saw puddles of mud everywhere, which only further depressed me. Mud meant dirt and water that found its way into your shoes and onto your clothes if you accidentally stepped too hard in it or if a car sloshed it at you. Mud was messy. I hated messy.
“Where are we going?” I demanded, turning to face him.
Those brown eyes of his met mine, and a shiver struck me at what I saw there. “Thanks for what you said to Dustin back there.” The words pretty much choked themselves out of him. I doubted Nitro was a man known for giving thanks.
I nodded as his emotions washed over me. This was a whole other side to Nitro. “How old is Dustin?”
“Thirty-four.”
“That’s younger than you?”
He glanced at me again but didn’t reply straight away. I wasn’t sure if he would, but then he did. “Yeah, two years.”
“I’ve worked with a lot of guys like Dustin, guys who get themselves into trouble because people confuse their intentions in all sorts of situations. Just because they don’t process shit as fast as the rest of us doesn’t make them any less of a person.” I’d overheard his conversation with Dustin about women misunderstanding his behaviour and had heard Nitro’s worry for his brother. His concern showed a new side to him that I’d been surprised to learn of.
“You took on their cases?”
“Yes.”
“How did they afford you?”
I angled my body so I leant against the window, facing his direction. “Some had family that paid, but a lot I took on for free or cheap. Billy brought a lot of them to me for help.”
He frowned. “Billy?” The name dripped from his mouth in distaste.
“Yes, Billy. A lot of people think he’s the scum of the earth—”
“That’s because he is the scum of the earth.”
“Not always, Nitro. Sometimes the man surprises you.”
Silence settled between us for a few minutes while we each turned over our thoughts. I ended up breaking it when I said, “So, you have a brother and a sister. Is she younger than you, too?”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he nodded. “Marilyn’s five years younger than me.”
“And your parents? They’re still alive?” I wasn’t sure what fuelled me to keep talking, but that sliver of emotion I’d seen from him had gotten to me. It made me want to figure out why he was the way he was. It was the lawyer in me—always digging, searching, wondering what made people tick so I could figure out their next likely move.
His knuckles whitened as he squeezed the wheel even harder. “I’m not here to talk about my family,” he snapped.
It figured. I was actually surprised he’d given me what he had. But still, I wanted more. Shifting in my seat, I said, “You didn’t tell me where we’re going.”
“To the clubhouse.”
My phone rang.
Billy.
“Tatum, where the fuck are you?” he demanded when I answered his call.
“And good morning to you, too, Master.”
“This isn’t the time for your smart mouth. I’m standing outside your house and you’re not here. And I fucking need you.”
“I’m not there because I was kidnapped by a biker last night and I’m with him.” I ignored Nitro’s grunt next to me.
“What the fuck?”
I sighed. “I’m okay. But apparently Silver Hell want me dead because of my involvement in their member’s death the other night and Storm want to keep me alive. They sent one of their guys to look after me until this all blows over. The only catch is I have to stay with him.”
“Jesus, the shit you get yourself into. How the hell am I supposed to get stuff done without you?”
“I can work from anywhere, Billy. What do you need?”
“I could protect you, you realise. You don’t need to do what Storm say.”
“I don’t think they’re gonna let me go.”
He was silent for a moment. “We’ll see. But until then, I need you to work on Graham’s defence. They formally charged him last night.” Graham was one of Billy’s security guys who’d managed to get himself into some trouble over a fight between club patrons. He’d punched one of the guys a few times too many and the cops had been brought into it.
“Shit. Okay, can you email whatever you have and I’ll work on that today. Is Jensen taking the case?” One of the lawyers Billy used.
“Yeah.”
“Good. I like working with him.”
“I’ll send the file when I get back to the office. And Tatum, I’m getting you out of there.” He hung up before I could respond.
Dammit.
This was going to get messy.
Turning my face to the window, I counted to ten slowly and took a few deep breaths while focusing my thoughts.
“You still do law work even though you were disbarred?”
Looking back at Nitro, I said, “I don’t practice law anymore, but I advise the lawyers that Billy hires.”
“As in, they’re puppets doing whatever you tell them to?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
He stopped at a red light and stared at me. “You must be good.”
“I am. I dig for the shit that can’t be found easily, and put in the hours most don’t want to. And I figure out how to make whatever I find work for us.”
“You win every case for him?”
I nodded. “I haven’t lost a case in years.”
You’re so full of shit, Tatum. You even believe your own lies. Lying to win doesn’t really count as winning.
My stomach knotted with guilt and self-hate.
Not wanting to talk anymore, I said, “Your niece seems like a good kid.”