A Kiss To Send Us Off

Chapter 26

Juice walked Amelia to the front door and while it wasn't exactly late, they'd been gone for hours and she was positive Max would be furious. With a soft touch and immense painful longing, despite their time together, Juice kissed her. Stepping back, he watched as she limped back into the house of a man who he hated more than anyone.

"I was so worried about you, sweetie." Max was on her in an instant. "Raylan thinks this is still a risk; I don't trust anyone around you anymore."

Amelia nodded and dropped her purse on the coffee table. "You don't even trust my husband?" Asking with an exasperated look, Amelia realized it was a stupid question so she continued without allowing him time to reply. "Juice isn't involved, please believe that."

"How can I?" He asked, growing more and more agitated. "I just buried my wife, she was killed because of his club, and I won't let it happen to you too."

"But she wasn't killed by them," Amelia countered with force. "Juice loved Helen; he feels awful, don't try to blame them."

"You don't?"

Pausing, Amelia slowly sank down to the couch. "No."

"Then why are you here?"

"I guess," she stuttered, "I mean, I'm angry. Just because they didn't actually do it doesn't mean I," she stopped and sighed. "I'm tired. I need to sleep."

Without speaking, Max watched as she slowly took the steps with one crutch. The entire point was to keep her close and make the club pay but no matter what he did, she kept straying. He had no idea so many people were on to him, albeit he felt Raylan's suspicions as the Marshal refused to hide them, but if Max knew it all it would have only made him more desperate and dangerous.

—

Chibs didn't head back to Charming. While Juice and Amelia were reconnecting, he decided to do some of his own. He followed Desiree from Max's to her place and after staring at her home for over an hour, Chibs decided to head up the short path to her front door.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her eyes glazed over and her voice distant.

"I wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"You shouldn't." She was antsy but Chibs chalked it up to the obvious drug use. "You should probably just go."

"Desiree, let me in." Forcing his way in, nonviolently, Chibs looked around at the mess. "You're using again," he said with disappointment. It was far from so cluttered and trashy when he and Juice were there what felt like years ago and Chibs couldn't help but worry even after it all.

"What do you want to talk about?" Desiree cracked open a beer and looked at him expectantly.

"Max."

"I'm not doing this."

"Did he threaten you too? I need to know why, Desi, I need to know why he's doing this." Gripping her shoulders, he gave her a solid shake. "He had your sister killed, or he did it himself and he's been hurting our little girl for years."

Desiree shook her head, she wasn't getting into it, she was adamant. "He's not hurting her; he's trying to keep you from getting her killed. All you do is hurt the ones closest to you. You take people from their families. You're murderers and the reason for so many innocent deaths."

"Innocent deaths?" Chibs couldn't fight with her about each claim she spilled, she was high and it would take all night, but he couldn't let it all slide so easily. "What are you talking about?"

"The guns you sell," she muttered. "You think none of those hurt an innocent person? You don't think stray bullets and evil criminals can be blamed for some women and children?"