Unlawfully Yours (Lawless MC #1)

37

“What did you do when you found her in the car?” Walker asks from across the table.

My clothes are wet through from the rain and the gradually cooling cup of coffee in my hands is doing little to warm up my shivering body, but the shivering isn’t just from the cold. It’s also from shock.

We’re in Walker’s office, a more comfortable setting than the interview room given what’s transpired today and I’ve been hit with question after question, forced to relive the last hour all over again.

I know how this works, it’s not an interrogation, it’s a way to begin to piece together what happened, I just never anticipated it being this difficult and hurting so much.

Ryan sits to the right of me for support, and I’m grateful for him being here, aside from Maddie, he’s one of the few true friends I have in this town.

“She wasn’t moving so I tried opening the door but it was jammed. Jett Lawson came to help but we decided to get her out through the windshield. I went through the other side to unclip her seat belt and once we got her out I began CPR. She wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. I don’t know how long I kept up the compressions but she never responded.” I swipe away a tear that has broken free, taking another sip of my coffee, using the cup to shield my face.

“Why did Maddie take your car?”

“I let her borrow it. She received a text from her mom saying she needed help with something and I said she could take it. It was pouring with rain and it would’ve taken too long going all the way home to get her car.”

“And you said earlier you met with Myles Lawson at the tattoo shop? Why was that?”

Shit .

I guess there’s no point trying to hide it, it will come out sooner or later anyway. “Myles and I have been seeing each other.”

Walker’s brows lift in surprise, his mouth opening and shutting like he’s at a loss for words. I glance over to Ryan who’s face is unreadable, but the way his fingers are gripping the armrest of his chair tells me he’s not thrilled with the news.

Walker is about to speak but he’s cut off by a knock on the door.

Officer Wright opens it a crack. “Eaton, can I borrow you for a sec?”

“Sure.” Ryan squeezes my shoulder as he passes me before leaving the room.

Walker reclines in his chair and blows out a breath. “Wow. I certainly didn’t expect that. What happened to hating his guts?”

“It wasn’t planned, it just happened. Seems we’re more alike than I thought.”

“How so?”

“I recently found out that my birth father was a founding member of Lawless. Thomas Strong?”

His eyes widen. “You’re Tom’s little girl? Allison? ”

“That’s me.”

His mouth spreads into a smile. “I remember your dad well. He was a great man.”

“So I keep getting told.”

Ryan re-enters the room and sits back down beside me. “CCTV from outside the diner came back. Shows Maddie running the stop light at the intersection. The blue pick-up ploughed straight into her doing at least fifty.”

“Maddie wouldn’t do that on purpose,” I protest. “She’s the most sensible person I’ve ever met. Hell, she wouldn’t even be caught jaywalking.”

Why would she ignore a red light? Why would she do something so stupid? It doesn’t sound like her at all, no matter the urgency of needing to help her mom.

Something doesn’t sit right with me.

“Let’s leave it there for today, I’m sorry for your loss, Allie. We’ve got your car and we’ll find out what happened, we’ll give you a call if we hear any news. Take a couple of days off, it’s been a rough day,” Walker says.

“I don’t need time off. I need to find out what happened to my friend,” I insist.

“And we will, but you need time to process everything. To grieve . Work can wait. I don’t want to see you here until Monday at very the earliest. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” I concede. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“We’ll find out what happened, Allie. I promise.” Walker shoots me a reassuring smile as I rise from my chair.

“See you later,” I tell Ryan before leaving Walker’s office.

Myles is leaning up against his bike outside the station with his arms folded. When I’m within arm’s reach, he envelopes me, tucking me against the warm, solid safety of his arms, and a little of the pain melts away.

“You okay, pix?” he asks, pressing his lips to the top of my head.

“Apparently Maddie ran a stop light at the intersection. Why would she do that?”

“That doesn’t sound like something she’d do.”

“It isn’t. None of this makes sense, Myles.”

“What did Walker say?”

“Not much. He’s given me a couple of days off, they’re gonna call me with any updates.”

“Good. You can stay with me.”

I pull back to meet his gaze. “You don’t have to take care of me, Myles. I’ll be okay on my own.”

“Let me take care of you. Admit it, would you rather wake up in bed alone or next to me?” He grins with a wink.

A smile tugs at my mouth and I roll my eyes.

“That’s what I thought,” he says smugly. “Now, for once, stop being so stubborn and let me take care of my girl.”

I soften at the term ‘my girl’ and I rise onto my toes to press my lips to his, not having the energy nor the will to argue with him.