The club sat around the commons area table eating pizzas as they went over what all of them were doing the next day. Many of them would be hanging around, just to make sure things went off without a hitch—they also figured they would help with crowd control and general protection if needed. Drew and Dalton would be accompanying the girls into the courtroom, and Rooster would be ready with his old friends if he was needed there."Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Denise asked as she refilled a few drinks, walking around the table. The question was directed at both Mandy and Charity."I am," Charity spoke up. "What makes me nervous is that he's going to be in the court room. There's no place to hide there if he decides he wants to make an example out of anyone. None of us have ever really known his endgame—I mean, why did he start these invasions? To run people out of Warren County? Or was it just because he was bored? In the end, it doesn't matter, but I wonder. Like, what does he ha
"I want both of you to put these on under your shirts," Drew instructed as he walked into the commons area the next morning, carrying bulletproof vests."Do you think that's necessary?" Mandy asked, scrunching her nose up at her brother."I think none of us know what's going to happen today. I think both Maggie, Skylar, and all the law enforcement, as well as us will be wearing these, so yeah, that means I think you should too."Both of them had been instructed to wear tank tops under their clothes, and now they knew why. Disrobing in the commons area, Charity grabbed for the vest, her hands shaking."Here." Drew grabbed it from her, easily putting it over her head. "Let me help you."She nodded, barely holding back tears as he fastened the straps at her waist. There was something about him helping her do this—it felt like she was going into battle and leaving him behind. It scared her more than she cared to admit."You're gonna be fine," he assured her, putting her shirt b
"Given the information you've presented to the court today, Ms. Thomas, I am going to do my due diligence and grant you the emergency order of protection for Maggie and Skylar McCall against Dixon McCall. They will remain in protective custody until further notice, and Mr. McCall is not to have any contact with them." She glanced over at Dixon. "Do you understand?"His attorney nodded and answered for him. "He does, your Honor."Charity grinned over at Mandy, and the two of them blew out two deep breathes. This part was over; this was the hard part for them. The state would now have to bring charges against Dixon if they had found the evidence that would link him to the home invasions. Their job was done.Leaning over, she spoke quietly to Maggie and Skylar. "We're going to wait until they escort him from the court room, and then we'll have you taken by the deputies back to your safe house."Maggie smiled a real smile at Charity. "It's been a pleasure working with you, and I ca
Two Months Later"Char, you better get a move on it if you don't want to be late," Drew yelled from the kitchen. He'd done his duty, making her run behind schedule, but they'd had to do something to celebrate their one-month wedding anniversary. Shower sex it was."I can't believe I let you talk me into showering together," she grumbled good-naturedly as she reached into the fridge and pulled out a Starbucks cold coffee. It was better than nothing. "I have court today, but I should be home no later than four," she told him."Good, I have to work at the shop, but we need to be at the clubhouse around six. Remy's gettin' his Prospect patch."She absolutely could not believe it, but there was no denying that the kid deserved it. He'd worked hard. "I wouldn't miss it. Throw me a bagel, would ya?"He stopped what he was doing and gazed at her, catching her eyes with his. She let her gaze linger over him, stopping on the Charity tattoo that now had a bird flying away from the name.
VOLUME NINE: SHIELD MY HEARTMandy Walker held her breath as tightly as she held the cell phone in her hand. Hours ago she'd texted her boyfriend, Dalton, telling him she'd just found out she was pregnant with their child—four weeks along to be exact. What she had assumed was a lingering case of the stomach flu would instead result in a living, breathing human in thirty-six weeks if the doctor was to be believed. And today, Mandy believed it. She'd been sick since she lifted her head off her pillow that morning. With clarity, she remembered how her mom had been when pregnant with Tatum and offered up a small prayer that she wouldn't be as sick as that for the whole pregnancy. There had been a few ER visits and plenty days where Denise couldn't function except to be sick and then go back to sleep.In her other hand, she held the prescription the doctor had given her to ward off some of the nausea. She was going to take it when she got home, and the warning on it said she might get s
Amanda Walker, known to everyone as Mandy, closed her eyes tightly and let the tears fall from beneath her lashes. Last ones, she promised herself as she stiffened her chin and pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth. Crying never solved anything. It was a lesson she'd learned as a kid, and it had carried through life. Her mom, Denise, hardly let her or her twin brother, Drew, see her cry, and she made a vow as she cradled her stomach that this baby would not be a witness to it regularly either. Her mom had been a single mother up until the point she'd met the man who had adopted the twins, and he now preferred to be called Dad instead of Liam. Mandy knew she could do this. She had to do it. Period. Point blank.It was a blow—Dalton not returning the text breaking the news he was going to be a father. A big blow. One she hadn't expected, even though things between them had been strained for the past few months. Never had she imagined he'd let that tidbit of information go by witho
Light poured into the small bedroom of the trailer, illuminating the space just enough for Dalton to see the pattern of the comforter that covered the bed. He shifted, trying to get comfortable, but he couldn't. He missed Mandy, missed her softness next to him, and missed the tiny noises she made in her sleep.He didn't stay here often anymore, but he needed some place to think and lick his wounds. His eyes focused on the juncture where the curtain almost met the roughly carpeted floor. The light played on the threadbare rug as the curtain moved back and forth, the breeze from the air conditioner kicking on and off, pushing it this way and that. He'd been staring at it for hours, searching for answers to questions he never thought he'd have to find. In those hours, he still had no answers. Turning over, he heard the metal of his cut clicking against the metal of his belt. He hadn't even gotten undressed. What was the point when he didn't really have a home? Even at almost thirty year
We were always so careful.He typed the text message on his phone, debating on whether he should send it to Mandy or not. The fact of the matter was they were. He'd never wanted any slip-ups, no mistakes. They'd taken extra precautions, and he'd been almost obsessive in his need not to have a child. All had gone well until that night. The one night he hadn't been able to say no to her. She'd looked beautiful in her anger at him for pushing her away. There hadn't even been a second thought on having her. For once he'd taken what he wanted and not felt bad about it.Funny how it had all worked out."Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" Mandy asked, grabbing his shirt, pulling at him, trying to wrap him up in her arms.He slung her hands off him, refusing to acknowledge how good they felt, how right her touch was on his skin. He'd wanted that touch for so long, had ached for it as he'd done his best to keep himself away from her. "You wouldn't understand." Those were the words he