Tank pushed through the double glass doors of the courthouse. Father and a few of the other bikers he hadn’t learned the names of yet stood in a huddle at the end of the hall. The leader waved his hand toward him, and the group stepped to the side, revealing Bear.

The kid sat on a bench with his mom. Steele sat beside the woman, while a man in a suit stood over her talking. Mary shook her head, focused on what the suit said.

The lawyer.

“Tank.” Bear stood and ran toward him, the ever-present teddy clutched in his hand.

“Hey, big guy.” He lifted Nathaniel in a hug. “Your cheek looks great dude. Can’t even tell you had a battle bruise anymore.”

“Yeah. It feels better, too.”

Duke walked down the hall with the short cop he’d seen at the diner and stood by the double doors of the courtroom.

Tank’s heart rate sped, causing the veins in his neck to pulse. He took in a deep breath as his hands moistened. Subtly, he set Bear down and wiped them on the side of his pants.

Not today. He wouldn’t allow his fears to get the better of him. He was stronger than his anxieties, and he sure as hell wouldn’t let that bastard, Duke, see how he bothered him, nor would he let anyone else see his unease.

The Chief of Police stopped mid-conversation and stared, his gaze hard on Tank. He gave his own hard stare in return as the bailiff opened the heavy wooden doors of the courtroom, nearly hitting Duke in the ass.

Too bad he missed.

“Case of The State versus Franks. Court will begin in ten minutes.” The bailiff pushed the doors open all the way and set the stoppers.

Bear reached up to grab his hand, his grip firm.

“You okay, big guy?”

Nathaniel nodded.

Tank kneeled eye level with Bear. “What’s the matter? Are you scared of seeing your dad?”

The kid glanced down at his shirt, and nodded again. “I’m also…” He leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I’m scared of that cop.”

“Why are you scared of him?”

Nathaniel shrugged. “He looks mean.”

He gave the kid credit for being a good judge of character as he glanced over at Duke again. A woman in a tight-fitting dress, with a stack of papers in her hand and a large political button stuck to her chest, flipped her hair as she talked to the chief. The button read Duke for Sheriff. The man smiled and gently touched the small of her back as he turned to whisper in her ear. The woman giggled as she walked away, sashaying her hips and giving the cop a backward glance.

No doubt Duke used the same charm to win over Annie.

Tank stared at him.

That man…with Annie.

He knew the facts, but he had a hard time placing the two of them together in his mind. Never again.

Tank glanced back at Bear. “You don’t have to be scared anymore, okay? You’ve got all of us here to protect you. As long as I’m around, I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you. Got that, big guy?”

Nathaniel nodded.

“Good.” He stood.

Mary walked up to her son. “Nathaniel, I have to go inside now, but Steele has offered to stay out here with you, okay?”

Bear glanced to Steele then back to him. “Can you stay with me instead?”

Tank looked to the mother then to his biker friend.

Steele shrugged while a slight look of dejection marred his face. “Yeah, whatever you want little dude.”

“Mary, is that okay with you?” Tank asked.

“Of course.” The woman knelt down to kiss her son on the forehead. “Nat, be good for Mr. Tank, okay?”

Mr. Tank.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The lawyer walked up to the group. “We should get inside. Judge Mannis doesn’t like it when his court starts late.”

“Sure.” Mary nodded. “Wish us luck.”

Father strolled by and leaned in closer to him and Nathaniel. “I know Mannis. We won’t need luck. Just solid facts, and we have them.” The leader of the pack patted Bear on the back and gave him a nod. “See you guys soon.”

The Guardians, along with a few others, walked inside the courtroom. Duke gave him another hard stare before he went inside himself, small cop hot on his heels.

At precisely four p.m. the doors closed. Bear fidgeted on the bench beside him, while Tank wiped his brow with his bandana and sat back on the seat.

“Why are you sweating?”

So much for getting my nerves under control. “Just something I do when I see cops.”

“You don’t like them, either?”

He stared down at the kid. “This is the part where I’m supposed to tell you cops are fine, but I’ll be honest, while most are, not all cops are good. But it’s not cops I have a problem with, it’s the uniforms.”

“Why?”

He placed his bandana in his pocket, thinking about how to tell such a small child adult problems. “Remember when I told you my dad was a bad guy?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he used to wear a uniform. It was a different uniform, but similar. Ever since then, the outfit makes me nervous.”

“Oh.” Bear nodded. “You know what makes me nervous?”

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Girls.”

“Ha!” Tank laughed. What a change of subject. “I hate to tell you son, but it doesn’t get any better as you get older.”

“Do girls make you nervous?” Bear eyed him, curious.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Sometimes they do.” One in particular.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

His smile faded. “No. Not right now, anyway.” He crossed his arms. “I’ve got a girl I like, but she’s…she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged and glanced around. Despite the fact he didn’t mention any names, he wanted to make sure their conversation wasn’t being heard. “I don’t know. It’s complicated, I guess.”

“What does that mean? Complicated?” Bear twisted his nose up.

“I guess it means things aren’t always as easy as we would like them to be.”

“Oh.” The boy placed his hands under his legs and stared down the hall.

“What about you?” Tank nudged him. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No.” Bear shook his head adamantly.

He leaned closer. “Is there a girl you like?”

“Yeah.” The kid sighed. “But she doesn’t know I like her.”

He smiled at the boy’s obvious confusion about the opposite sex. “Is she pretty?”

“Uh-huh.” Nat’s eyes got big. “Real pretty.”

“Oh, I bet she is for a guy as handsome as you to like her.” He sat back again. “Do you talk to her?”

“No.” Nat shook his head. “Well, sometimes I do.” Bear stared at him, his eyes still round and curious. “Can I meet the girl you like?”

“Sure.” He nodded. “I’m sure she’d like that.”

“When?”

A good question. When could he take his Beauty out of hiding? He placed his arm on the back of the bench. “Soon. I hope real soon.”

“Okay.” Bear finally seemed content with his answers. “I’m tired. Can I lay on your lap?”

“Sure.” He patted his leg.

The kid settled his head down on his lap and his small frame curled up on the rest of the bench. “Wake me up when my mom comes out, okay?”

“You got it.”

Bear clutched his teddy to his stomach and closed his eyes. Within minutes, a slow steady breathing poured from the boy’s chest.

He watched as Nat slept. How could a father ever abuse his son? His own heart heavy of emotion, Tank propped his head against the wall, and rested his eyes.

The sound of the courtroom doors startled him, and he snapped his eyes open. The bailiff’s shoes clicked on the tile as he walked over and knelt down to Bear’s level. “The judge would like to see the boy in his chambers.” The court official glanced up at Tank.

“Okay.” He shook Nat. “Bear. Bear. You’ve got to wake up. The judge wants to talk to you.” He patted the boy’s arm.

Nathaniel sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What?”

“The judge would like to see you in his office,” the bailiff said. “If you come with me, I can take you back there.” The official stood and held out his hand.

“Can you go with me?” Nathaniel stared up at Tank.

He glanced at the bailiff. The man gave a slight shake of his head.

“Uh, I don’t think so big guy. You’ve got to do this one on your own, but I’ll be right here when you’re done, okay?”

“Can my bear go?” Nat stared at the bailiff.

“Sure. Your bear can come.”

Reluctantly, Nathaniel took the man’s hand. He gave Tank another glance as he walked down the hall.

“I’ll be right here when you get back,” he called out.

Tank’s heart hammered in his chest. Why did the judge want to see Bear? Surely, the man wouldn’t ask him any questions to upset the boy. Thinking back to his own court proceedings, he couldn’t remember much. He’d blocked most of his past out. His counselor said it was a defense mechanism. While he chose not to remember the legalities, he remembered the pain. Nothing could defend him against that.

Tank glanced at the courtroom, but no one came out. What the hell was going on? He stared at his phone and tapped his foot on the tile. His pounding heart not slowing down, he nearly tapped a hole in the floor. Needing to do something different, he stood and paced.

Please, let everything be okay.

Just when he thought he might barrel into the judge’s chambers, the door swung open and Nathaniel came running out. “Tank, guess what.”

“What big guy?” He lowered to a knee.

“I get to live with Mom. I get to stay with Mary.”

Custody. Of course. The judge wanted to get a feel of Nat’s emotions, alone, without the prying eyes of adults.

“That’s awesome, big guy. Your mom will be so happy.”

Five minutes later, the doors to the courtroom opened. Mary ran out with tears in her eyes, all the Guardians close behind her. “It’s over baby.” She gripped her stepson in a hug.

Father came to stand by him.

“How did it go in there?” he whispered.

“As good as could be expected. The man didn’t even try to defend himself. He knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on. Four people testified against him. Even our Chief of Police had to get on the witness stand.”

“Really? So he helped our cause?”

“He wasn’t helping anyone but himself. His campaign for Sherriff is blowing full steam ahead now. He’s putting on a good face.”

“What was the verdict?”

“Three years in prison. Mary gets temporary custody for the time being.”

His jaw dropped.  Three years? “That’s it?”

“Yep.” Father rocked on his heels. “First offense.”

“So, he still has custody of his son.” Tank crossed his arms.

“It appears so.” Father nodded.

What the hell kind of justice was that? He shook his head. “That’s disappointing.”

“I agree, it’s less than I expected, but at least this way, he can’t hurt them for three more years. We’ll do our best to make sure it’s never again.”

Three years. Bear will be ten when his father comes back in his life. Still, young and impressionable. “I hope the kid can move on.”

“That’s why we’re here. To help.” Father slapped him on the back.

The man was right. They were there to help, and if he had to check in on Nathaniel and Mary every day—once the man left prison—to make sure they were safe then he would.

“How about we all go out to eat at Sandi’s. Hamburger Steak is the special tonight, and I don’t know about you guys, but I’m hungry.” Father patted his stomach.

“Me, too,” Bear squealed.

“Well, great.” The leader rubbed the boy on the head. “Mary, I’ve got you two covered. Rest of you heathens, you’re on your own. Come on guys, let’s go.”

Duke exited the courtroom, the same hard stare from before creased his face. Tank’s palms began to sweat. Annie.

“Hey, man.” He slapped Father on the back. “I think I’m going to sit this one out. You guys go ahead without me.”

The leader followed his gaze over to Duke before he leaned in and whispered. “Normally, I would say okay, but not today. You need to come, be seen in town. The way that man’s looking at you, it’s almost like he suspects something. Don’t give him a reason to follow you home. Come have dinner. I’ll give Tree a call to pass the message on.”

Staring at Duke had his skin crawling. He needed to get home to Annie, wrap his arms around her, and make sure she was safe. He couldn’t keep her safe if he couldn’t see her. But Father had a point. He needed to be seen around town and act like he had nothing to hide.

“Besides,” the counselor cut into his thoughts, “JoJo is coming. And she said you owed her a thank you dinner.”

“She told you about that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Father tossed his hands in the air. “And I don’t want to know. See you at the cafe in ten.” The leader headed for the exit.

Tank turned and saw Duke in the corner flirting with the same button clad woman as before. He fisted his palms at his sides. He’d go to the diner and play his part, but he’d be damned if that man ever laid another hand on Annie. He’d give his life before that happened.

Pulling his shades out of his pocket, he put them on just as the lady slipped Duke a small piece of paper. Probably her number. Bastard.

* * *

Sandi led their group back to a table big enough to seat eight. Tank spied as Father gave her a slight ass pat when she laid the menus on the table.

Horny old man.

The bell on the front door jingled. JoJo scooted in the restaurant and pulled up a chair next to him.

He glanced at his partner in crime. “Hey, long time no see.”

“I didn’t want to be seen around you too much,” she whispered. “You know? Just in case.” She glanced down at her jacket to a slight hole at the elbow.

“What happened to your leather?”

She shushed him and stared around the room just as Duke and his accomplice ambled into the restaurant. Much to their luck, the hostess sat them a couple of tables over at the only empty space left.

Beads of sweat formed around Tank’s hairline.

“It got ripped.”

“Ripped?”

Her eyes widened as if he needed to catch on to what she tried to say. He gave her his best dumb stare before she cocked her head toward the side of them.

“I think I left a little piece of myself at a friend’s house,” she whispered.

He passed the cops a glance as they took their seats then licked his suddenly dry lips and nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me before about your jacket?”

“Like I said, keeping my distance.”

“Why are you wearing it? What if he sees you?”

She gave him a hard stare. “I always wear my leather. I’m proud of who I am, and what I’ve been through. I’ll be careful. He won’t see.”

Steele smacked him with his menu. “It’s not nice to tell secrets, you two.”

Father glared at them over his own menu. “Steele, in this case, it’s best we don’t know.”

JoJo leaned in. “Counselor here is a stickler for following the rules and the law.”

“I gathered,” Tank muttered.

“Too bad our own force don’t seem to think those laws apply to them,” Steele mumbled to where only they could here.

“Tank, why are you sweating?” Father asked.

“It’s hot in here.” He gripped his menu tighter and took in a deep breath.

“Look who it is.” Father’s gaze skirted to the entrance of the restaurant.

Tank tossed a glance to the right of him. A tall man wearing a button up and khakis walked in beside another tall man wearing a suit. “Who is it?” he asked JoJo.

“Tall and lanky— the chief’s father. Tall and fat—Mayor Glass.”

“Duke, my boy.” The father slapped his son on the back.

The chief stood, shaking the mayor’s hand. “Good to see you both.”

“I’ve seen your signs around town these past few days. Your campaign seems off to a fine start.”

The mayor spoke loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. Just what this town needed— the mayor’s stamp of approval for Duke. And considering the fact that daddy and the mayor were having dinner together, there was probably some dirty secret scandal behind their friendship.

Crooked politicians.

“Well, thank you, sir,” Duke said. “Please, have a seat.”

Tank cut his gaze back to the menu and heard the scrapping of chairs.

“Where’s that lady friend of yours, Miss Annie? I haven’t seen her around the diner lately.”

Tank kept his gaze firmly on his menu as he strained to hear what they were saying over the noise of the restaurant. Even though the mayor had his back to him, he could imagine a man like Glass tucking his napkin into the collar of his shirt.

“Annie is visiting her mother. She’ll be back any day now.”

He cracked his neck as he listened to the lies.

Stay calm, Wilde. Duke will never lay another hand on her.

“You set a date for that wedding of yours?” the mayor asked.

“Not yet, sir, but it’ll be sometime in the fall.”

“Before election time of course,” Duke’s father answered.

Tyler gripped his menu harder. “Did you hear that?” he whispered to Steele and JoJo.

“Yep,” the firefighter said.

He cocked his gaze to JoJo.

She nodded. “He hasn’t given up,” she whispered.

Annie was still in trouble. He tapped his foot under the table, anxious to leave and get home to her. The silverware rattled from his knee bumping the underside of the tabletop.

JoJo placed a calm hand on his arm. He glanced at her embrace and stilled his leg, nodding. As long as Duke was in the restaurant, Annie was safe.

“I’ve been telling Duke how important it is to have a wife on the campaign trail,” the father continued. “A man’s campaign is only as good as the woman backing him.”

“Ain’t that the truth?” the mayor said. “My Georgia, she keeps me straight and helps me remember what’s important.”

“So, you get Annie back here, son, as soon as possible. The town needs to see her by your side for the speeches in a couple of weeks at the town hall,” the father advised.

“Of course,” Duke agreed.

Speeches? Tank focused his attention back to his own table. Annie wasn’t safe as long as Duke ran his campaign.

Tossing his menu to the side, he laid his palms flat on the table. “I have to get out of here. I need to get home.”

Father shook his head. “Watch your back, son.”

“Will do.” He tapped the tabletop and pushed his chair back before he waved goodbye to the group.

He made it to his bike before Father ran to catch up to him.

“Tank. Wait up.” Father stood next to him.

“Yeah?”

“Quick question. You still going on the ride?”

The Fourth of July ride. He’d nearly forgot. He still had a few days to prepare.

“You bet.” He reached for his helmet.

“Hey listen.” Father held out his hand to stop him. “I don’t know if this matters and I didn’t want to say anything in front of everyone else, but…” He glanced around and leaned in. “Our friend was asking some odd questions this morning.”

“Odd?” He placed his helmet back on his handlebar. “What do you mean?”

“Well, she asked me if we did background checks on our members. Then she specifically started asking about you and your background. She was white as a ghost.”

White as a ghost? Why?

“When exactly did this happen?”

“Early this morning. Right after she checked the mail.”

The mail? The letter. Oh shit.

“She checked my mail?”

“Yeah, she wanted something to do. I saw you toss a bunch of the mail back in the box, so I thought we could help out by bringing it inside.”

“Fuck,” he whispered and shook his head.

Father took a step back. “I’m sorry, man, if we over-stepped. I mean, it was the mail. It seemed innocent enough.”

“No.” Tank shook his head. “It’s not your fault or Annie’s.”

“I have to ask. Is everything all right?”

“Everything’s fine. At least, I hope it will be after I talk to her. I gotta go.” He tossed his helmet on and hopped on his bike. “See you for the ride.”

“Yeah, man.” Father waved at him. “See ya, and make sure you bring your friend.”

He’d be lucky if she wanted to have anything to do with him after tonight. His past was dark, and not something a woman like her needed to worry herself with. She needed a new beginning, not his old problems.