Their Queenpin (The Ridge MC #6)

Chapter 6Adelina

Chapter Six

Adelina

When I exited the Clark County Detention Center, the Las Vegas heat and sun drew sweat from my pores, but the heat sucked it off my skin as soon as a droplet formed. Guiltily, I shied away from the sky. What a cruel joke it was that I was free when my husband was in chains. It had shaken me to the core more than I thought possible.

I took a deep breath, sucking in exhaust. I coughed.

The sun dotted my vision as I searched for Rafe’s old truck. He had come with me to the detention center since I needed a ride, and all the motorcycles had been confiscated by the police—an incident that had Wilde twisted up in knots, if his pacing and repeated fuck yous to anyone and everyone keeping him here in Vegas were any indication.

“Adelina!”

Trotting down the steps, I veered left to meet Rafe at the corner. But he didn’t stand alone. Nor had he been the one to call me out. Graff, who had called for me, stood next to him, both leaning against the tailgate.

Every fiber of me told me to run to them and fly straight into their arms, but I was weary of the cops and the blow back it might cause for Sas. Also, God only knew who the fuck milling around might work for my dad. Instead, I walked down the sidewalk with my head held high. The too many uniforms milled about and eyed the leather-clad bikers as though there weren’t bigger criminal fish to fry.

Case and point—my father.

The cops did deserve a little credit, though. Even though Graff and Rafe stood on public property, it was likely they were packing as much as Sas had been. It would get them in the same amount of trouble for not having the proper permits in Nevada.

Like a magnetic pull and spurred on by what Sas had said, I joined my other two men. I stopped myself before wrapping my arms around them. Sas would’ve said holding myself back was a sign of weakness in front of the police, but honestly, I didn’t want anyone questioning what we were doing here.

We needed to get away.

“Hello, Graff,” I said, my lips buzzing with anticipation. The same way my pussy was sensitive again, rejuvenated after feeling how hard Sas was against my leg. For the first time in my life, I’d regretted dressing for the occasion.

My pussy, though. Damn she was starved, even though she had been very full earlier and thoroughly sated.

“Hey,” he said in a low voice. Sadness crept into his tone, and I knew this was as hard on him as it as on me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, and he leaned back on his heels. “I thought you were with Wilde.”

“I asked to come to you,” he said. “With Rafe.”

My uncle gave a small nod from where he leaned against his truck.

“I’m happy to see you,” I said.

“Yeah?”

I nodded. “Sas would’ve liked to see you too.”

“Did he say that?” asked Graff.

“He said you two were ‘good shit.’ At least, I think was how he phrased it.”

They exchanged a glance before Rafe looked away. Someday, it would be the four of us, but I had two out of my three guys now.

I checked over my shoulder at the jail. “Let’s get out here.”

Rafe opened the driver-side door as Graff and I walked around the front of the truck. Our fingers brushed, and I so badly wanted to reach out and take his hand. But I restrained myself. There were too many people around, and the events of this day showed me I couldn’t trust anyone.

I still didn’t know who had framed Sas. There were too many options between the cops, the cartel, and my father’s capos. The schemes around here ran deep, and I wasn’t sure of all the players—something I would definitely have to rectify.

Having any conversations about what was going down was too dangerous to be had in public. Graff must’ve thought about the danger too by how he huddled his body against mine, hiding me from prying eyes.

While I didn’t see anyone staring at us, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Eyes, so many of them from every direction, burrowed into my back, but I didn’t hesitate. Instead, I climbed into the front seat of Rafe’s truck.

Graff followed, and I became an Adelina sandwich between two thickly muscled men. That thought made the corners of my mouth twitch.

I had been in this truck once before today, but that had been in my teens—a lifetime ago. This was before Rafe’s stint in the Marines. He had been showing off his truck when he came to pick Caterina and me up from school instead of our mom. My younger sister, still in elementary at the time, had climbed all over the seats, leaving grimy fingerprints everywhere. The truck had been cleaned since, thankfully.

Rafe pulled away from the curb, and I glanced around him to get one last look at the jailhouse. Some part of me hoped Sas might have walked out the front doors, a free man, but Melanie Flemming had made it clear that wouldn’t be happening.

At the end of the street, Rafe threw on his left blinker—the way back toward the Parisi Hotel.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“Back to the hotel,” he said, gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white.

I shook my head. “I don’t want to go back there.”

Not yet, anyway.

Maybe never.

“Where then?” he asked.

“Back to LA?” asked Graff.

“Probably not a good choice,” said Rafe, “until we’re clear on what’s happening with Sas.”

“I’m not suggesting it either,” Graff cut in. “But I’m not feeling the hotel either. Too deep in Mafia territory and around Massimo.” He shivered.

I agreed, but we would have to face my father at some point.

Although, I could hide from him for a little longer and pretend everything would be fine. With my emotions twisting my guts into a knot, my thoughts scattered. Tears still threatened to overpower me, and if those fell, it would just stoke the rage, pain, and confusion warring for attention inside.

I would fall into the depths, but there was no use in allowing myself to get lost in that maelstrom right now. I refused to be a victim to this inane situation or whoever orchestrated it, but I was very close to breaking. I needed a little more time before I donned the heavy armor again and become bulletproof.

“Take me to Lake Mead, that place you used to take Caterina and me when we were young.” I wanted to get out of the city. Away from the concrete jungle that reminded me too much of all the shit that led me to this point in my life.

“Stewart’s Point?” Rafe asked, cutting me a sideways glance.

“That’s it,” I replied.

Rafe let out a “Hrm,” then sighed.

I sensed the no coming.

“We’re supposed to be prepping for the mission.” His voice was low, like this was a secret between the three of us. Maybe he thought his truck was bugged too, perhaps by whoever framed Sas.

I hated it, but he was right. “I guess it can wait a day.”

Hopefully, by then, Melanie would perform a miracle and Sas would be out of jail.

Rafe continued, “Your father?—”

“Fuck my father,” I hissed through clenched teeth. “Will you really continue to be my father’s bitch after all this?”

“No.” Rafe raised his eyebrows at me questioningly. “In fact, I agree. Fuck Massimo.”

Damn. He wasn’t going to argue with me. I so badly wanted someone to fight with me because the emotions needed an outlet. I wanted to yell. To scream at the top of my lungs. When Rafe said nothing else, I turned to Graff, waiting for him to speak.

All he did was sling his arm around my shoulders. Of course he wouldn’t argue with me. He was too sweet for that.

“Onto Lake Mead, then,” I said, urging Rafe into action like we were on a white stallion instead of his janky old pickup truck that my father absolutely despised.

Rafe glanced through the window at the sun nearing the horizon. “Too late. It’ll be dark by the time we arrive, and you’re running on adrenaline.”

I dropped my head on the seat back and groaned.

Rafe’s hand landed on my thigh over my skirt. “As long as we don’t need to do anything to help with Sas’s situation, we’ll go in the morning, tesoro, promise.”

I laid my hand over his and my head on Graff’s shoulder. Rafe was right. I needed to crash hard, but something told me I wouldn’t be able to sleep. My brain reeled, spun like a tilt-a-whirl, until finally I landed on a supremely enticing idea.