He gave me a lopsided smile that wasn’t even the least bit apologetic. “Yeah? Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but life’s full of disappointment. I mean, just look at your face.”
“Hey!” I tried to jab him with my elbow, but he jumped out of the way laughing. “Asshole.”
“I kid, I kid. Damn, you don’t have to get so violent. Fuckin’ savage. Seriously, though, how’s the room working out for you? You get unpacked yet?” He’d texted me last night to let me know the club had voted, and I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted.
“Not completely,” I admitted. “Jet lag and stress are still kicking my ass.” And crossing back over into Canada on a motorcycle held no appeal to me whatsoever. But, Levi had said the club would keep me safe, and I was kind of excited about the prospect of my continued existence. Beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that. “Do I have to come along on this wedding shindig?” I asked.
“I’d prefer you did in case there are any new developments, but it’s not necessary. Just keep your phone on so I can call you if I find anything out or have more questions for you. A few of the brothers, the old guard, some ol’ ladies, kids, and a couple prospects always stay behind to keep the place up and running. Our security system is top-notch, and you’ll be safe here, even if I’m not with you.”
Relieved to hear that, I tried to tone down my smile. We’d just reconnected, and I didn’t want to seem like I was brushing him off already. “I’d like to get settled in.” I stepped off the stairs and onto the ground floor. “Unpack, catch up on my rest.”
He didn’t look happy about my response, but he nodded. “I don’t want you going anywhere alone. Hound—the guy you met in my office—is staying behind. If you leave the fire station, take him or one of the other prospects with you.”
“I’ll have a bodyguard? People will think I’m royalty.”
He chuckled. “Biker royalty. It’s actually a thing, Meals.”
“It is?” I asked, intrigued.
“Yeah, you should see how protective these guys get over their women. Hell, Bull spent his entire time as a prospect guarding Link’s ol’ lady. Stocks took a bullet for Havoc’s.”
“Weird, but strangely romantic. And I thought you said I’d be safe here. Why are guards and bullets necessary?”
Brushing my question off with a wave of his hand, he replied, “None of that happened at the fire station. It’s a big, bad world out there, Meals. Which is exactly why you need to take Hound if you go anywhere.”
Reminding myself that he was concerned about my safety and trying to help me, I fought the urge to tell him to get bent. We wove our way through the common area and toward the sounds of conversations coming from the kitchen. “We’re a long way from Ottawa.”
He grabbed my arm and stopped, pulling me to a halt beside him. “This guy is hiding from meandTap. You don’t know enough about us to understand how unusual that is. We find our guys, and it bugs the shit out of me we haven’t found this one yet. He’s got resources, and he knows his shit. Until we catch him, I don’t want to take any chances. You came to me because you knew I’d keep you safe, and I damn well intend to do that, Meals. Do me a favor and make it easy on me.”
His tone raised my hackles. “I’m not stupid or reckless.”
“Never said you were, but I take security very seriously. This is what I do, and I’m fuckin’ good at it. With your help, I can guarantee your safety. Without it… we’ll be leaving a lot of shit up to chance. You know I’m not much for gambling.”
Gambling? The asshole could count cards. It was one of the many things he’d gotten in trouble for on the compound. When the reverend allowed us kids to play with cards, he mentioned games like go fish and solitaire. Although he never revealed his source, Levi had somehow learned how to play blackjack, and taught several of us kids. We didn’t have many things of value, but Levi won everything we could give when he learned how to count cards, claiming it was math, not gambling. He ran quite the racket until someone snitched and the reverend got involved. “I remember. Freakin’ cheater.”
He flashed me a smile. “Good. Now let me do my goddamn job and keep you safe.”
I’d expected Levi to set me up with a place to crash, but his determination to help surprised me. Especially after all the years we’d been apart. My safety was important to him, and that warmed my heart a little. It was nice having someone care.
“Fine. I’ll be a good little damsel,” I promised.
He chuckled. “Considering I was under the impression you were a simple, goody-goody schoolteacher less than twenty-four hours ago, I doubt that very much, but a man can hope.”
I followed him into the kitchen where we were greeted by several bikers who were all dressed like Levi. A spattering of women—some wearing black leather vests like the guys—were woven into the crowd. Everyone was talking when we entered, but Levi smacked a hand on the table, drawing the attention of the room.
“Everyone, this is my cousin, Amelia. Amelia, this is everyone.”
Introductions at their finest. I waved awkwardly to a chorus of hellos and curious looks.
A beefcake seated at the end of the table eyed me suspiciously. He had long blond hair pulled back into a low ponytail and a gorgeous brunette tucked against his side. “You’reMorse’s cousin?” he asked, skewing up his face like he didn’t believe it for a second.
I nodded hesitantly. “Yeah. Why?”
“You seem like a cool chick, and he’s… well, he’s a loser.”
“Don’t mind this clown,” Levi said, shoving the blond forward. “He’s not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.”
Someone waved, and Levi excused himself before drifting off to answer the summons.
