Shield My Heart (Heaven Hill Book 9) by Laramie Briscoe

been with the twins. He’d taught her what a real man was like when his woman was expecting.
    “I just don’t see it. Why didn’t Dalton come to me and tell me that if he did?” Liam argued. His guys were the best in the world, and he’d never had to worry about any of them. They’d always been honest with him, even when it’d be easier not to be. “There’s a sort of respect he needs to give me as her dad and his pres. If I find out he’d done something he shouldn’t; there’s gonna be hell to pay.”
    Denise sighed, burying her face in his shoulder. She had a feeling there was definitely going to be a lot of that, and she wasn’t sure who would be left standing in the end.
    *
    This was the last place Dalton wanted to be, but if he wanted answers, he knew his dad could give them. He was going to have to keep coming back until he got what he wanted. Giving up wasn’t an option, because he wanted this over with. He wanted to move on with his damn life.
    “Two visits in a couple of days? To what do I owe this pleasure?” Lance asked as he had a seat across from his son. He deceptively put his feet out in front of him, acting like he didn’t have a care in the world.
    Dalton was familiar with the air his dad put on; he tried to do it whenever he could too. So that others wouldn’t think he was nervous–so others would think he was in control at all times. It was nothing more than a lie. The biggest lie of them all. He had a feeling his dad was nervous as hell, and the fake relaxation gave him a little bit of a thrill—the fact that he’d made his dad nervous. It was the best gift he could have ever gotten, sick as that realization was.
    “Calvert.” Dalton said the one word that his dad didn’t want to hear. He could tell by the way his dad let his head fall back against the seat. He rolled his eyes dramatically as he tried to look at his son. Dalton didn’t let the drama derail him. “I know you can figure out where he is and how I can talk to him. Samuel doesn’t want me to have any part of this, so he’s not being very helpful. For once in your life, I need you to put aside your own selfishness and help me out.”
    “I don’t know,” Lance argued, raising his eyebrow and leveling his son with a gaze. “You’re asking me—someone on the inside—where someone on the outside is. Do you know how crazy that is?”
    Dalton smiled, but it was smartass at best. “You’ve got your fingers into everything and you know it. Now cut the shit and help me find Calvert or tell him where he can find me. I want to get this taken care of. I don’t want Samuel, me, or Deacon to have to live with a target on our backs. We already have a small one from the shit you’ve pulled over the years,” he took a jab, hoping it had the effect he wanted it to.
    Lance sat back in his chair, ignoring his son’s words. His own smartass smile covered his face as he dropped what he hoped was a bomb. “I hear you’ve taken a leave of absence from Heaven Hill.”
    How did he know that? Dalton felt himself get colder at the thought there was someone he knew feeding other people information. Especially about the club. “How’d you hear that?”
    “People talk when they think no one’s listening.”
    His temper fumed, and he fought hard not to show it. “Which means I know you know where Calvert is. Just tell me.”
    “Sorry.” Lance lifted his hands up. “I have no info for you, but I have to say, son, it was a good time for you to let that weak-ass club go.”
    Dalton tilted his head. “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned Heaven Hill being weak. Do you know something I don’t?”
    “Makin’ observations.”
    “Here’s an observation I want you to make. Listen real good when you go back to your cell, and find out where the fuck Calvert is. I need to talk to him. He found me once, he can find me again. Got me?”
    Lance’s smarmy smile disappeared. “You think you’re hot shit, son. Someone’s gonna