Chapter 34

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"Maybe I should leave. Go stand out on the corner of Lombard and Ida Street in plain view. Evan would be able to find me, and when he does, I'll let him hurt me. At least the cops can do something about him if they can see the bruises on me." Ingrid groaned in frustration. "This is getting ridiculous. I feel like nobody believes me."

Ingrid whirled around and stormed out of Glen's living room into the kitchen out of view of him and the rest of the Notus Motorcycle Club members. Glen stepped forward to follow her and Wayne grabbed his arm.

"Give her a second. We're not going to let her leave the house." Wayne let go of him. "She needs to let out her anger. It's the only way she'll have a level head if something does happen."

Glen thrust his hands into his pockets, searching for sunflower seeds, and found his pockets empty. He'd gone through the seeds like a crack addict goes through spoons while dealing with the police after work and their lack of concern over the 911 call at Pauly's Peddlers.

"Something has got to give. She can't take any more of the fucking cat and mouse games Kingsley plays with her." Glen rubbed his hands over his face.

"Has Gomez said anything, to anyone, off the record?" Chuck tucked his hands under his armpits.

"Not to me," said Thad.

Wayne shook his head.

Glen stepped back and glanced in the kitchen, unable to see the far wall and Ingrid. "I haven't seen Gomez since the meeting between Officer Kingsley and Ingrid, which should never have happened in the first place."

He hated having her out of his sight. Her fear of Kingsley still outweighed her trust in him. Her fight or flight response leaned heavily to running because living on the streets worked for her before when she feared for her life and those she loved. He'd witnessed her frustration over Evan's hanging around Pauly's and her parents, and Ingrid's main concern went toward everyone else, and not herself.

Her unselfish personality would be her downfall if he couldn't settle her down and have her accept help. She was always the strong one, having to grow up too fast because of her dad's accident. She'd never had time to learn that she's not alone and not responsible for other people.

"I want to end this," said Glen.

Thad blew out his cheeks and stood from the couch. "We've never crossed that line of becoming the police, judge, and jury before a crime has happened before."

"But, a crime did happen," muttered Glen. He believed Ingrid. There was no doubt about her past.

"Shut it down. Don't continue talking." Wayne walked outside.

Glen stepped over to the entrance of the kitchen and stood. Ingrid faced the window with her back to him. Her hands gripped the edge of the sink, turning her knuckles white. He'd never crossed the line of outright murder, but he's killed many guilty men when the courts failed to prosecute them. The police knew they were guilty. The residents knew they were guilty. Notus Motorcycle Club took care of the rapists and killers who walked away without paying for their crimes and never spoke a word of taking justice into their own hands.

"Ingrid?" he said.

She remained looking out into his backyard. "Daisy likes it here."

Daisy? He exhaled in understanding. The damn cat, aka Jewel but now called Daisy. Ingrid wasn't the only one who had picked a different name.

"I think she's discovered that space and being outside on her own has its benefits, rather than when I kept her inside as a house-cat." Ingrid's reflection in the window never changed.

Glen stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Her body remained tense, and he kissed the top of her head, rubbing his lips against the inch-long hair. She wasn't talking about the cat. He'd caught her reflecting on her own life.

He guessed her frustrations tonight came from feeling cornered. Like it or not, she wasn't going to go out on her own.

"You're mine," he said. "We'll figure this out together, and I promise you, there will be a time, soon, that you won't have to worry about Evan Kingsley."

She turned in his arms and looked up at him. "It's too much."

"What's too much?"

She sighed. "Asking you to protect my parents and me. You, the rest of the members, and Pauly. Even Mr. Hanley. This isn't your job to take care of me."

"Bullshit," he muttered. "The way I see it, it's about time someone took care of you. You might not understand what's happening between us, and that's okay for now. I understand if you don't, but Blue, you're mine. That means I'm going to take care of you whether you like it or not."

She raised up on her tiptoes. "I need you to kiss me," she whispered.

That he could do.

He captured her lips, sapping her need for contact, and refilling her confidence to trust him. When he finally pulled back, her body had relaxed. He took her slight weight and held her.

Then, she kissed him back. He smiled against her lips. The back and forth was about them. No one else.

"Glen," called Wayne from the other room.

He straightened, kissed Ingrid's forehead, and grabbed her hand. "Come back out to the living room with me."

She squeezed his fingers and walked with him. He led her to the chair and stood beside her, never letting her go.

"I called Lieutenant Gomez." Wayne sat on the arm of the couch. "He's assured me that Officer Kingsley hasn't pushed his opinion on the others or asked for any favors regarding his son."

"Well, Gomez is one of them." Chuck clipped the extension on the front of his vest. "If we put all our trust in what he says, we'll be blindsided. Ingrid's situation isn't the typical missing person case. We're not trying to beat the clock and find a kidnapper or killer. We're also not working with law enforcement. The facts are St. John's P.D. would never have called us in if Ingrid had walked into the station and filed a non-conforming report that had no way to prosecute anyone. What we have is a private hire. Gomez doesn't owe us anything, and frankly, he won't give us any information."

From the beginning, Glen wanted to go after Evan Kingsley. He never wavered from his stance. "We can vote again if everyone has changed their mind, but I'm standing with my original plan."

Ingrid brought his hand to her stomach and turned toward him. "Your plan?"

"Nothing for you to worry about." He looked at his Notus brothers. "Meet before work?"

Each of them nodded, knowing they couldn't talk in front of Ingrid about club business. They'd gone their whole life supporting each other. He trusted they'd cover his ass.

"I'm riding home." Wayne slipped on his gloves. "Call if you need me."

"I'll follow you." Chuck slapped Glen's shoulder as he walked past him. "Thad? You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be out in a second." Thad stopped in front of Glen. "I called Hanley. It's been quiet at the Peterson house."

Ingrid leaned against Glen. He put one arm around her and held the other one out to Thad. "Thanks, bro."

Thad left the house. Alone with Ingrid, he needed to keep her busy. The fewer questions Ingrid asked, the better. It'd already been a rough day, and the following days wouldn't get any easier.

"How about I make you a grilled cheese." He rubbed her back. "You barely ate the burger Chuck brought to you."

She shook her head. "I don't feel like eating. I can't even move. My body is just...ugh, I feel beat."

"Then, run upstairs." He patted her ass. "Let me shut everything off down here."

She looked over her shoulder as she took the stairs. He nodded, knowing exactly what she needed, and gave her permission to relax.

He shut off the lights in the living room and took his keys out of his pocket and dropped them in his helmet by the door. In the dining room, he opened the sliding door and found the cat at his feet.

"Get in here," he muttered.

The cat shot past him into the house and zipped up the stairs. He locked the door. Leaving the kitchen light on, he went upstairs, skipping the bedroom, and headed straight to the bathroom. He turned on the bathtub faucet and started filling the tub. Looking in his cabinet and on the shelf, he found nothing a woman would enjoy. No candles, no smelly stuff, no bubbles.

He needed nothing extra to get clean but a bar of soap and shampoo. But, Ingrid deserved pampering.

Ingrid stuck her head in the room. "Are you going to take a shower?"

"Nope." He crooked his finger and motioned her in.

She stepped up to him. He lifted the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head. His gaze fell to a black lace bra that lifted her breasts and left the tops of the mounds uncovered. It wasn't one of the bras from Target. She must've found that one at her parents' house.

He drew his finger down her cleavage. "I know exactly what you need."

She placed her hands on his stomach. "What would that be?"

"A bath."

She gawked. Her mouth opened and shut. He chuckled and unbuttoned her jeans, whipping them down to her ankles. She had on too many damn clothes.