Chapter 12
Cade
“I think you guys know why I called church,” Doc said.
He lifted up the signed paperwork as the guys cheered on.
“Three hundred thousand dollars in the tank!” Ink said.
“I take it it’s scheduling time?” Vex asked.
“How does Thomas wanna work this shit?” Blade asked.
“Ryan Thomas is leaving that to us. Now, we can’t all work around the damn clock, so I figured our usual would suffice. One person posted in the evenings in their house, two around it during the day, and all of us during his rallies. If he requests special protection for his daughter, we’ll give him that, and if he wants more people at night, then we’ll discuss when it comes up,” Doc said.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Vex said. “But I can’t take this first shift tonight.”
“Why the fuck not?” Ink asked. “You got a hot date?”
“Fuck you. My moms gotta get to the doctor, asshole.”
“How’s she doing anyway?” I asked.
“It is what it is. The M.S. is eating her alive, but she’s comfortable,” Vex said.
“Because of your mom, Vex, you’re only gonna be doing daytime shifts. Only three days a week, if we can swing it. If you can handle more, you let me know. Otherwise, that’ll be it,” Doc said.
“Thanks. I’ll let ya know,” Vex said.
“No worries on tonight,” I said. “I can take the first night shift.”
“Why the fuck does that not shock me?” Ink asked, grinning.
“Can it with the jokes. On a real note, you know you can’t fuck around with his daughter, right?” Doc asked.
“She’s pregnant. What the fuck kind of weird shit are you guys into?” I asked. “I’d only fuck a pregnant chick if I was the one that got her that way.”
“All in favor of the schedule?” Doc asked.
We all voted, we all solidified, and five minutes later I was on my bike and heading to Harper’s home. I was ecstatic. I was ready for this night with her. I didn’t know how Ryan Thomas would greet me or anything, but I’d be in the same fucking space as her. The wind whipped around my body as the sun sank beneath the horizon, and as I pulled up to the house, I saw someone standing at the window over the garage.
But they moved before I could see them, leaving nothing but a fluttering curtain in their wake.
I parked my bike on the side of the house and rang the doorbell. The door ripped open, and I was face-to-face with the asshole himself. Ryan Thomas looked me up and down, his eyes analyzing me as I held out my hand.
“Mr. Thomas,” I said. “I’m your nightwatch. Cade.”
“Nice to see you again,” he said curtly.
He stepped off to the side, ushering me in with his head. I stepped through the threshold of his home and looked around, clocking where everything was. The kitchen. The staircase. The fireplace room and the living room. I made my way towards the staircase to go walk around the second floor, but it was Ryan’s voice that stopped me.
“You’ll be downstairs,” he said.
“Then walk me through the rest of the house verbally,” I said. “Because the more I know about it, the better I can protect it.”
I heard him give me an exasperated sigh before he nodded.
“Through this hallway door is the staircase leading into the basement. It’s completely underground, so the only way to access it is through this hallway door. When you go upstairs, it’s one long hallway. Three bedrooms and one bathroom sit on it, and the door all the way at the end of the hall is the bedroom over the garage,” he said.
“Where do you and your wife sleep?” I asked.
“First door on the right,” he said.
“And your daughter?”
His eyes narrowed at me, assessing me once again before he drew a breath through his nose.
“The room at the end of the hall,” he said.
“Have a nice night,” I said. “Should you need anything, I’ll be on the couch. I’ll make two house rounds during the night, just to make sure everything’s okay. No private doors will be opened unless a threat is perceived.”
“Good. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Except the alcohol. That cabinet is locked,” he said.
I could pick your fucking lock in a heartbeat.
“Not necessary. I don’t drink on the job,” I said.
“On the job,” he said, chuckling. “Goodnight.”
“Night, sir.”
I watched as Ryan made his way up the stairs. He turned back one last time to look at me, sizing me up before he went to bed. I could hear him and his wife chatting as he opened the door, then all the lights in the house turned off. I took a seat at the kitchen table and waited them out, my leg jiggling to pass the time. I kept my ears peeled for any sounds of distress as my eyes continued to scan out the windows.
Then, all was silent in the Thomas household.
Slowly, I began up the steps. Some of them creaked underneath my feet, and I memorized which ones they were so I wouldn’t make noise coming down. I stood by the Thomas’ room, listening to see if I could hear anything.
But the only thing that was coming from their room were snores that could saw down a forest.
Grinning to myself, I trained my eyes on the end of the hallway. Them snoring would give me a good gauge as to when they were asleep and awake, which meant talking with Harper would be easier. I slowly made my way down the hallway, keeping silent on my feet as I approached her door.
My heart was hammering in my chest as blood rushed through my ears.
I reached out for the doorknob and stopped. I listened for her parent’s snores, smiling when they hit my ear. There was only the door that separated us. The heavy wooden door they had her trapped behind. I closed my eyes and centered my mind, training my ears in the house one last time.
Then, I twisted the doorknob and opened Harper’s door.