Freedom's Son: Savage Sons MC 3 Read online

  When I'd blown my nose and finally stopped crying, I looked up at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it."

  "Don't you worry about it, Krystal. You must really love Luke."

  "You have no idea," I said, determined to keep myself from crying again.

  "I wish there were something I could do to help, but this isn't a federal case, and I really don't have a right or a reason to get involved."

  I sighed, feeling defeated, and knowing that I probably looked like shit — not exactly what I wanted Luke to see. "I guess I need to go get cleaned up and hope that they'll still let me see Luke. Thanks for the information, Kate. It was nice to have someone to talk to."

  Kate stood up with me. "I'll go talk to one of the deputies, and I'll make sure that they let you in to see Luke. Krystal," she said, pulling a business card from her pocket. "Here's my card. If you have any problems, or if you just need to talk, give me a call. I wouldn't mind getting out for a drink and getting to know you a little better."

  I took the card, and I gave in to my impulse. I threw my arms around Kate and gave her a big hug. I'm not normally a touchy-feely person with my friends, but Kate had really been kind to me. "Thanks, Kate. I work at the Falling Rock Taphouse, if you ever want to stop in for a drink. I'd love to buy your first round."

  "Maybe I'll do that."

  We left the room and parted ways. I headed for the ladies’ room, and she headed for the front desk. I felt weighed down by what she'd told me, and I dreaded sharing the information with Luke and Bryan.

  Chapter 2 -- Luke

  Every time I saw Bryan, he looked me over head to toe to make sure I was physically okay. Even though I'd told him that I was in a cell by myself, he was constantly worried that something would happen to me while I was in jail. I certainly wasn't looking for a fight, but I was sure as hell going to be ready for one if the fight came looking for me. In the month I'd been inside, there had been a couple of guys who'd tried to start shit, but so far, I'd been able to shut them down. It helped that I didn't have any ink, because I noticed that the guys with their allegiances marked indelibly on their skin had more trouble staying out of a fight.

  While I wasn't going to start anything, I'd left my days of trying to work things out peacefully behind me. Funny that I still thought that way, given that I was in jail for having handled things myself. Even with the month I'd spent in the county lockup, though, I wouldn't have changed a thing about how I'd handled Bug, except for the fact that I wouldn't have let Krystal go into that house alone. In between the sexy dreams of Krystal, I had nightmares about her, blood-covered, and cut to shreds by that evil fucking monster.

  "Good to see you, man," I said, as he came into the meeting room and anxiously looked me over. "Tell me you have some good news."

  Bryan set his briefcase on the table and ran his hands through his always messy hair. "Wish I did."

  I sighed and sat down, disappointed, but still relieved to be out of the cell for a while.

  "Has Krystal been in?" he asked.

  I thought about my dream of her and smiled to myself. "Not yet. She said she'd come in around two, but you know she's been having trouble getting in to see me regularly."

  "Yeah, I know. And that's one of the things that bothers me."

  "No shit. She's been told that I'm meeting with someone on days when I haven't left my cell except for meals and to work out. They're lying to her."

  "Luke, there's something going on other than just this case here, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it is."

  "No word from the feds?"

  "Not a one," Bryan said, shaking his head. "I was sure that they were behind all this, and they were just using the threat of a murder charge to coerce you into being an informant, but that's clearly not the case. I haven't seen either of the agents we saw the day you were arraigned, and all of the investigation seems to have been at the state level. I just can't believe that they're actually going ahead with this trial, unless there's some huge secret you're hiding that the DA is going to expose in court."

  "Man, I've told you everything."

  "I believe you, Luke. I really do, but this shit just doesn't add up."

  "We go over this every time I see you, and we're getting nowhere," I said, frustrated. "Let's talk about something else. How's the dispensary coming?"

  "Building's on track for the target opening date of October 31. The Sons liked your idea to open on Halloween, and they've worked hard to get things rolling with the rehab of the building."

  "And the plants?"

  "I tried to get an exception to get the grow operation up and running early, but it was a no go." Bryan pulled out his note pad and jotted down a few words, taking care to conceal what he wrote from any folks who might be behind the one-way mirror on the wall.

  I looked at what he'd written.

  Sable has plants growing at the clubhouse and some other places.

  I nodded, and he turned the page in the spiral notebook so that the note was no longer visible. Any notes that he took weren't subject to confiscation because of our attorney-client privilege, but Bryan was always very careful not to leave our private communication out where they could be read by someone who happened to enter the room.

  "So what's the deal with the license? Will we have it in time to get stocked and open?"

  "That's the not-so-great news. They're not going to issue a dispensary license to you while you're awaiting trial on murder charges."

  "I thought I'm innocent until proven guilty," I protested, knowing that there wasn't anything that I could really do.

  "You are, but the license isn't going to be issued while you're in jail, and that's all there is to it."

  "Well, then we'll just have to go with our plan B."

  "Luke, are you sure it's a good idea to have both Sable and Krystal on the license? They don't seem to be getting along all that well."

  "They'll figure it out. They're gonna have to." I understood that Sable was just worried about me, but I wasn't going to dignify her ridiculous foolishness about Krystal being responsible for my fucked up situation. I'd made my own choices, and I'd do the same thing, if faced with those decisions today.

  Bryan had argued with me initially about putting both Sable and Krystal on the license, and he clearly hadn't been won over to my position. "Why can't you just pick one or the other? Why do you insist on both of them being on there?"

  "Bryan, I'm not fucking around here. I love Krystal, and Sable is my mother. They will learn to get along, one way or another."

  He sighed and shook his head. "Your call, man. I just think you're underestimating how much tension there is."

  "It is my call. I've made my decision."

  "We have another problem, though."

  "What's that?"

  "Joker and Sable are afraid that you won't have enough inventory to open. Your grow operations will still be months away from producing, and there may not be enough to buy locally."

  I shook my head. "No way, man. Sable has connections to at least two of the people who owned shops. They seemed to think we'd have no trouble getting what we need."

  "I've talked to Sable, and she's not sure if demand has gone through the roof, or if maybe the other shops are afraid of competition from Savage Bud, but she's telling me that you may not be able to buy as much as you need."

  "Goddammit. And I'm stuck in here."

  "That's not making things any easier."

  I reached out for the notebook.

  Talk to Joker and see if he knows anyone who can get him bud, even if it's not legal.

  Bryan read the note and nodded. "Will do."

  "There has to be a way," I said, turning at the sound of an opening door.

  I stood up, heart leaping, hoping that it was Krystal. She walked inside, and I could tell right away that something was terribly wrong.

  "Baby, what's the matter?" I asked, dying to wrap her in my arms, but not wanting the inevitable warning from the deputy, who I w
as certain was watching from the other side of the mirror.

  "Luke, it's not good news." She slumped into a chair and looked at Bryan before she started to tell us what had happened. "I ran into Kate Tanner — the FBI agent — and she did me a favor and talked to the prosecutor. Kate said that he has the case wrapped up and can absolutely prove that you didn't just kill Bug, but that you'd planned to — that it really was murder."

  Bryan looked at me, eyes wide, before he turned to Krystal again. "Krystal, honey, I know you're upset, but you can't talk to the FBI. I know you only want to help, but there's nothing good that can come of you having conversations with the feds."

  Krystal shook her head at Bryan and held her hand out. "You don't understand. Kate was just trying to help. For all I know, she could get in trouble for asking. She said it's not even a federal investigation, but she knows the prosecutor, and if he says the case is a slam dunk, then she believes him."

  "What did she say that they have on me?" I asked. "There's nothing."

  "She didn't say, but she said she believes the guy."

  I reached out and took Krystal's hands, knowing that I risked interference from the deputy. "Baby, there's no way he has a smoking gun, because you and I both know that there was no premeditation. Since that's the case, there's no way that there could be evidence of premeditation, right?"

  Bryan chimed in. "For all we know, the prosecutor just told the FBI chick that so she'd tell you — to try to rattle us into pleading guilty."

  "No plea," I said to Bryan. "Not under any circumstances."

  Bryan rolled his eyes. "I know, Luke. You've said it about a million times, just this week alone."

  I decided to redirect the conversation to a more productive topic. "Bryan, what's the timeline on the case? You said you're waiting to get the list of depositions they want to take, right?"

  He pulled a folder out of his briefcase and opened it. "Right. I should have their list of witnesses in the next week or so, and they've also promised the list of exhibits they want to introduce into evidence. That should go a long way toward helping us figure out their strategy."

  "Good. Sounds like you're on top of that," I answered, wanting to assure Krystal that everything that could be done, was. "Krystal, I'm going to need you to meet with Bryan in the next few days and get the dispensary license paperwork started. Bryan said there's no way they'll give me the license, so we're going to put it in both your name and Sable's." Krystal started to protest, and I held up my hand to stop her. "Baby, I know that you and Sable aren't exactly best friends, but you're going to have to sort that shit out. I love you. She's my birth mother. Figure it out."

  Krystal studied my face for a few seconds before she answered. "Okay, Luke. I'll do my best."

  "Bryan, can you give us a few minutes?" I knew that he really wasn't supposed to leave us alone, as the only reason I was able to see Krystal without being handcuffed and supervised was because I was meeting with my attorney. But I also knew that he could use a bathroom break to buy me a couple of minutes alone — with the exception of whoever was behind the mirror — with the woman I loved.

  He left, and the door closed. I reached over and took Krystal's hand, knowing that even that much physical contact was against the rules. "Baby, you doing okay?"

  Tears welled in her eyes. "Not really. I just feel so awful that you're in here because of me."

  "Stop it," I said, in a tone that would accept no defiance. "I'm here because Bug tried to kill you, and I stopped him. I'd do it again. It's not your fault, and I won't hear any more about it." I tried to change the subject. "The folks at the Ritz treating you okay?"

  "They're wonderful. I've gotten to know the bartenders and the people at the front desk have been so nice. I just miss you. I wish I had you beside me in bed at night, and I wish I could open my eyes in the morning and find you there."

  "It'll happen, Krystal. Not as soon as we want it to, but it'll happen. How's work?"

  "Fine. Nothing interesting. I'm excited about starting school in September, though. I need to go get my books next week."

  "Do you have enough money for books and everything else?" I'd taken great pleasure in being able to take care of Krystal financially while I was locked up. Money didn't buy happiness, but it sure could solve some problems.

  "I have plenty. You've given me more than enough."

  I knew that I shouldn't, but I leaned forward and kissed her, hoping that she'd understand just how much I cared about her from a single kiss. She smelled so good — so clean, so sexy, and so completely unlike any of the smells I'd had in jail for the last month. Just being so close to her — even if it was for a second — was absolutely intoxicating. Thinking about my dream again, I felt the beginnings of an erection, and I whispered to her, "I had an amazing dream about you."

  I leaned back when I heard the guard outside fumble with his keys before unlocking the door. I might have cut my visit with Krystal short because of the kiss, but I decided that it had been worth it.

  "Will you tell me about your dream?" Krystal asked, quietly enough that only I could hear.

  "Absolutely," I answered. "I love you. Don't worry, baby. I'll be out soon, and everything will be okay."

  The guard handcuffed me, and I watched Krystal as long as I could as the guard led me out of the room and back toward my cell.

  Chapter 3 -- Krystal

  I was wiping down the bar around ten o'clock that night, grateful for the lull after the dinner rush and the late-night drinkers who would be crowding the bar shortly, when Kate Tanner walked in.

  "Hey there," I said, surprised to see her.

  She was wearing jeans and a tank top, and she sat down at the bar and picked up the beer menu. "I decided that I needed a drink after today."

  "Tough day?" I asked, putting a coaster in front of her.

  "Fucking awful," she answered, all of her attention on the beer menu.

  "I'll give you a minute to look, and I'll be right back." I was a little taken aback by the difference in Kate compared to her professional demeanor and attire when I'd seen her before. I stopped and checked in with the guys at the center of the bar who'd been putting away expensive beer and talking about their fantasy football teams and how much they were looking forward to the next season.

  "Decide on a beer?" I asked Kate, seeing that she'd set the menu down.

  She ordered a pale ale and we were both quiet while I poured the beer and set it in front of her. I figured that she couldn't talk about anything that had to do with her work, and sometimes the best bartender is one who's ready to listen.

  She took a long drink of the beer and set it down. "Thanks, Krystal." She nodded at me, and I realized that if she were any other customer, I'd take her nod as a dismissal, so I headed back to cleaning up behind the bar.

  I thought it was a little strange that she'd come into the Taphouse for a drink to wind down, but she was still a customer, and I wasn't going to bug her. When I noticed that she was nearly to the bottom of her pint glass, I asked if she wanted another.

  "Yes, please." Kate fiddled with her napkin while I poured her beer, and I could tell that something was bothering her.

  "You okay?" I asked, sliding the beer toward her. "This isn't exactly your usual hangout."

  She sighed. "No, I guess it's not. I came to see you." She laughed. "I guess that's obvious, isn't it?"

  I shrugged and smiled. "A little."

  "Krystal, I did something I shouldn't have today, and I'm feeling a little guilty about it."

  I was curious. "Okay?"

  "I went and talked to the prosecutor again this afternoon, and he told me a little about his case. Apparently there's a guy who's indicated in his statement that Luke had it in for Bug because of you. That he was jealous of your relationship with Bug and that Luke wanted you for himself. The prosecutor thinks that even though the evidence is circumstantial, that it's enough to get a jury to convict Luke of manslaughter."

  "But they've charged him wit
h murder!" I said, sickened by the whole tangle of the legal system.

  "That's not an unusual tactic, Krystal. It's common for prosecutors to overcharge. You can always back down, but you can't charge a defendant with something more serious without starting all over."

  "So what does this mean?"

  "It means that Luke's going to prison, Krystal. How long is up in the air, but he's going to prison. I'm sorry."

  I was too stunned to say a word, or even to cry. Kate clearly knew what she was talking about, and according to her, there was no hope. Because of me, Luke was going to prison. He'd have a criminal record, and who knew what kind of person he'd be when he came out, that's if he even wanted to see me when he was finally released. I stood there, in a bit of shock, I guess, until I heard Kate speak, interrupting my awful contemplation of the future.

  "Hey," she said gently. "I hate to have to give you such awful news, but I figured you're better off knowing the truth about what you're dealing with."

  "How can this be happening?" I asked. "Luke didn't plan anything. He saved my life. That's all."

  "For what it's worth, Krystal, I believe you. I shouldn't say this, but sometimes justice isn't served by the court system. Every now and then an innocent man goes to prison. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen."

  I was shocked by her admission. "Is there anything we can do?"

  Kate shook her head. "It sounds like Luke has a good attorney. You need to prepare the best defense you can, and if it's offered, Luke should probably consider a plea agreement so that he can do less time."

  "Bryan's mentioned that, and Luke won't even discuss it. He's innocent, and he won't plead guilty."

  "Well, then you're going to have to hope that the witness doesn't convince the jury that Luke's a murderer."

  "Who's the witness?" I asked.

  "Jack wouldn't say, but my guess is that it's one of the guys in the MC."

  "No way," I said, shaking my head emphatically. "Those guys are brothers. Not only do they have each other’s backs, but if they were going to betray one another, it certainly wouldn't be to the police."