Harper needed a distraction and what better one than practice with The Executioners. He and Harper were ready to go home, but Bull talked them into staying a few more days just to give Linus and his team a bit more time to work. They’d never be famous, and none of them wanted to be, it was their way of unwinding after rough weeks or to relax and play at Brawlers.

Most of his experience came from playing piano or guitar at weddings. His mother had insisted that he had to play an instrument when he was a kid. He’d always considered it somewhat of a chore until the first time Harper watched him. But as with all practices, they tended to end with them just hanging out. Joker had his chair leaned back, propped against the wall, with Killer happy in his hoodie pocket.

No one gave them a second look because Joker growled at anyone who looked at Killer sideways. He’d only half agreed that giving Joker something of his own was a good idea, but he hadn’t realized how much Joker would get attached to the micro-puppy.

Harper nudged his ribs, and he glanced down at her to find her watching Joker.

He loved his group of friends. They were all different from each other.

Sin and Saint, blond and beautiful, rumors were they’d tried to have a modeling career in their teens. It hadn’t worked out for them. Now they co-managed the local sex shop. They loved it. Their fascination with Pelter was worrisome, to say the least.

King had his no-strings-attached attitude, but he’d always thought it was King’s cover. He was the lead singer and guitarist, they even said he could’ve made it out of Powers on his talent. King was a big guy, but strangely vulnerable. With small towns, gossip was akin to big business, and King still lived in the shadow of his high school ways.

When he’d moved there, he hadn’t imagined finding a group of friends like the one he had. He didn’t have to be on and pretend he enjoyed the fast pace or parties. He could go to Brawlers for a beer. His ink in the last few tears expanded to sleeves, and he loved the new him.

But the best thing was Harper. Finding someone all his own after everything with Joe ended. He had lived as a hermit except for the Crews. Getting to wake up beside her. See her smile when he came into a room.

He caught Harper’s yawn. She’d gotten so used to his schedule she was up with him a six every morning and to bed early. He was making so many plans but hadn’t shared them with her yet. The newness of it all caused him to be wary of asking for too much.

“Guys, we’re out of here.”

“Yeah, Lincoln took Mal to the movies, they should be back any minute.”

King seemed to grimace at the mention of Lincoln. He felt sorry for the man, but King couldn’t or wouldn’t take a chance.

“We’ve got inventory in the morning.” Sin sounded disgusted.

As usual, Saint didn’t say much, he was the shyer of the two. He also seemed haunted, when Saint thought no one was looking there was a sadness to the young man.

“I’ll walk out with y’all,” Joker said, as he held a big hand to Killer and rocked the chair forward.

They said their goodbyes, Joker stayed behind and said he’d be out in a minute. It was still humid at midnight, the day hot as hell.

“When can we go home,” Harper whispered.

“Just a little longer, Linus and his team will take care of everything.”

“I know, but I miss the house.”

He leaned down and brushed a kiss to her forehead. “Why don’t we go home for the weekend?”

“Really?”

He was about to answer as pain exploded in his back. Harper screamed and rage burned through him as he heard the hollow sound of her body falling against the side of his truck. His legs collapsed beneath him and he took Harper with him, his body shielded hers. He felt the warmth of blood soaking his shirt.

The shadow of a man in all black loomed over them. Slurs and curses filled the night, a gun aimed passed him at Harper, then Joker tackled their attacker. The stranger fired wildly as he hit the ground with a thud. The sound of a fist connecting with flesh, the shattering of bone, and blood sprayed across his face. In the porch lights, he saw the deadness in Joker’s eyes.

The attacker tried to fight back, but when that didn’t work the stranger, he knew it was Bill, struggled and aimed once more. He grabbed Harper’s arm and jerked her behind him, even as he tried to reach Joker. Joker and Bill fought over the weapon, both men jerked as another shot rang out.

He ignored the sirens and the crunch of gravel as he lunged toward Joker. His friend rolled to his back, and he searched Joker’s blood covered chest. He barely registered in his peripheral that Sin and Saint rushed Harper into the house. King was running toward them, his phone still in his hand.

“Is he hit?”

Joker’s eyes were empty, and he was deathly still, but he wasn’t hurt. He turned toward Bill as the man coughed and gurgled, his hands covered a hole in his black shirt.

“No, no, but he isn’t here right now.”

Killer was whining and licking Joker’s face, her tiny body vibrated.

Chaos suddenly reigned as paramedics and Deputies converged, they worked frantically over Bill.

He was pushed out of the way as another paramedic checked out Joker. He’d never seen Joker that pale. His body stiff and his breathing was too shallow.

He struggled to his feet, his gaze darted toward the house, and he smiled at Harper, attempted to reassure her. Then adrenaline quickly disappeared, and agony took him down. He heard Harper scream his name. The voices and movements around him were panicked, his shirt was pushed up. King called for help, and it was the last thing he heard.

* * *

He awoke slowly to the annoying beeps of monitors and a low drone of voices. The scent of antiseptic and Harper teased his senses. He forced his eyes open and turned his head to find Harper sobbing.

“Hey, baby, don’t do that,” he soothed as his voice cracked.

“Gideon,” her voice quiet and filled with anguish.

“What the hell happened?”

“Bill shot you. They said…said you probably didn’t realize until—”

That’s when it all came rushing back. The attack. Joker’s seeming catatonic state. Bill probably dying.

“Shit, are you okay, he didn’t?” He tried to turn and search her for even the smallest bruise, but realized his mistake as his wound pulled.

“Gideon, stop, I’m fine.”

“You fucking do that shit to me again, Gideon Jane, I will kill you my damn self.”

He groaned at Carol’s pissed off voice. How long had he been out?

“Carol, don’t start.”

“Don’t start, don’t start, who the fuck you think you’re talking to?”

“Ma’am, you really need to calm down or—”

A male nurse tried but failed to calm Carol down. He suddenly felt sorry for the young man. Carol’s fists were rested on the ample flare of her hips. Her skin-tight dress looked like she’d walked out of a club minutes before. He swore the man was barely keeping his eyes off the obscene cleavage right in his face. Man, how he loved his oldest friend.

“You tell me to calm down one more time, boy, you won’t like what I do.”

“She’s threatened to spank him several times,” Harper whispered in his ear.

“She likes him.”

“Really?”

He let out a weak chuckle at the look on Harper’s face.

“Bill?”

“He died on route to the hospital.”

“What about Joker?”

“Not good, he had a flashback. As soon as he came around, he checked himself out against doctor’s orders. Pelter took him home.”

“What’s going to happen to him?”

“With what happened, it’s being ruled self-defense. Pelter’s not going to pursue it. Joker disappeared off the grid, he’s out at the old shack.”

The shack was exactly how it sounded. A falling down four walls in the middle of nowhere. Only way in was a long ass hike.

“Anybody go and check on him?”

“Sin and Saint did a flyover in their Cessna. They caught sight of Joker chopping wood. It was proof of life, so they didn’t try to land and hike in.”

Probably for the best, Joker had to work out his own issues. After all the touching and prodding, Joker’s temper and nerves were probably raw. He’d only seen Joker lose it once in the years he’d known him. Last time, it had been simply someone coming up behind him and rapping him on the shoulder. Joker had spun and narrowly stopped himself from punching an elderly man who needed help.

They said Joker was crazy, but to survive the situation Joker had and come out even partially functioning was a miracle.

“Gideon, I’m sorry, if you don’t want…if I’m too much trouble…”

“I love you, baby, don’t think any different. What happened doesn’t change that. We’ll go home to our house. We’ll plan our future, and this will all be a bad memory. Got me?”

She nodded, and her lip trembled, so he tugged her closer and kissed her. Tasted the salt of her tears. Sensed when some of her dread drained from her. He knew Bill would be a problem. It hadn’t changed the fact he’d wanted her and always would. They couldn’t guarantee that tomorrow would come, but he wouldn’t give her up for anything.

“Love you,” she whispered against his mouth.

He smiled as he deepened the kiss and couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring with his Harper.