Dark Guardian (Black Hoods MC #3) - Avelyn Paige Page 0,30

running to our rescue when one of us finds ourselves on the wrong side of the law. And he’s got Fuckface stuck between a rock and a hard place with nowhere to go.

Fuckboy glares at me before finally shoving away from the table and moving toward the door. Grace bows her head in disappointment, but also gets up and follows him out of the room.

I look up at Earl. “Please tell me the guys found my kids.”

Earl claps a hand on my shoulder. “They’re good,” he assures me. “Hashtag found them at his place with his kid.”

Of course he did. Kevin wouldn’t go anywhere without Hashtag’s daughter, Hayden. The anxiety that had been brimming over the surface disappears almost entirely at this news.

“Good,” I reply. “Now, how the fuck are you gonna get me outta here?”

Grace

After the last few days, a quiet evening at home in my favorite yoga pants is just the thing I need to clear my head. And a glass of wine. A big one. Maybe the entire bottle.

I have never been this conflicted about a case at any point in my professional career. I’ve been forced to sit back and watch as the justice system pulls families apart, one right after another. But in this case, I just don’t know what to do with it. It’s all piling on top of me, pulling me in opposite directions. Now with the kids missing, it’s all imploding.

Tyson Jackson.

Eugene Grant.

The Tucker kids.

My boss.

Aaron.

Well, for the latter, that’s done. But Eugene Grant? I don’t even know how to unpack all the baggage with him. He’s a dangerous man with dangerous friends, but his care of Natalie and Kevin is out of left field from what little I know about him. His eyes never strayed from mine as Aaron attempted to grill him about the kids and their missing uncle. Aaron was so focused on his club affiliation, he never noticed the softness in his eyes when he talked about the kids. He loves them, I’m sure of that, but their father is out there.

Legally, the father has the stronger case. Though, if it weren’t my case, I don’t think I’d agree with the courts after seeing his background check. He’s been to jail. I’d have made the case that he had been rehabilitated, but the pending assault charge at the bottom of the report tells me otherwise. Putting those kids into his custody would only ensure they would spend the rest of their lives in a broken, unsettled home. I can’t let that happen. But how can I stand in front of a judge and demand that someone with no blood ties is the better match than a blood relative?

What am I going to do?

My head falls onto my hand when a knock sounds at the door. Shifting off of my couch, I grab my wallet from the kitchen bar top when I pass before opening the door.

“Must be a slow night. I didn’t expect you so soon,” I mumble, shuffling through my wallet for a couple of tens. When I look up, a pair of dark eyes stare down at me. My jaw drops in shock. Eugene Grant is here. At my house.

“We need to talk.”

“How did you find out where I live?” My voice shakes, but somehow, I don’t think it’s from fear. He smirks when he notices.

“I know a guy. Can I come in?”

“You’re here alone?”

“My club doesn’t follow me like lost sheep, Grace.” The way he says my name sends a shiver down my spine. Half excitement, half confusion. “I want to talk to you about Kevin and Natalie. In private.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“We’ll get to that.” If he’s here, he has to know where they are. If they were still missing, there’s not a doubt in my mind he’d be out there looking for them.

I step back and wave him inside. His boots thump heavily on the floor while I close the door behind us. Alone. In my house. Please, don’t let this be a mistake.

He turns in a circle. “Nice place. Suits you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The style of the place. It’s a little rough around the edges, but a classic beauty.” I blink. Is he hitting on me? He steps closer, nearly pinning me between the door and his body, the smell of his woodsy cologne filling the surrounding air. “I like your hair when it’s down.”

“You said you wanted to talk about Kevin and Natalie.” I force down the lump