3
Grit
Istared at the coffee pot, willing it to brew just a little bit faster so I could go do my morning laps around the property. Just because I’d left the military didn’t mean that I stopped training rigorously. We might not be in combat zones overseas, but we were still in a combat zone, nonetheless. But training wasn’t going to happen if I didn’t get some fucking caffeine in my system within the next five minutes.
Grunting, I snatched the coffee pot off the burner as soon as it stopped dripping and poured some of the black gold into my coffee cup. I didn’t bother with sugar or creamer because, according to Carter, I was a psycho like that, and just blew on it, then swallowed some down, ignoring the way it burned the roof of my mouth and scorched my tongue.
That was a problem for later me. Later me would hate current me, but that was an issue for another time. I didn’t have much longer before Blink, Carver, and Carter would be getting up for the day, and I liked to enjoy my morning runs in peace. AndCarter, while I loved him like a brother, talked way too damn much before noon.
I swallowed another generous, scalding mouthful and damn near jumped out of my skin when the phone began ringing on the wall behind the bar. Scowling, I marched over to the phone, my coffee cup still in my hand. Who the fuck was calling at just a little after six in the fucking morning? Someone who had a death wish, that was who.
I yanked the phone off the hook and put it to my ear. “Somebody better be dying,” I growled.
“Grit?” While I’d only spoken to her twice, I would know her voiceanywhere. Why the hell was Nicole calling me so early? And whythe fuckdid she sound so afraid? My fingers tightened around the phone. “There’s bikers riding onto my property.” Her voice shook. “I’m assuming they’re not you guys since you answered?” she croaked.
Goddammit. How was our shit already touching her? How the fuck did the Lockheart MC know we’d eventalked? And that wasallwe’d done. I hadn’t touched her or fucked her. None of that. I’d kept my distance toprotecther because IknewI’d get attached to her and only drag her into this war.
“No, it’s not us,” I snarled, fucking pissed she was being targeted and terrified for her safety because I wasn’t there to protect her. “Get somewhere safe, Nicole, and call the police.”
“The police?” she squeaked. “Why—” Something crashed in the background, and she shrieked. The line went dead, the dial tone ringing in my ear. And I sent my coffee cup crashing against the wall. It shattered to pieces, dark liquid staining the light brown walls and slowly leaking onto the floor.
This wasn’t supposed to touch her!
“What the fuck is going on? People are trying to fucking sleep, asshole,” Carver barked as he hurried down the hall, still tugging his sweatpants up around his hips.
“We need to go. Get everyone up,” I snapped. “Remember that woman who wanted to talk to Blink about a charity run?” He nodded, but I was already rolling on, heading for the hall so I could get my bike keys out of my room. “Lockheart MC has found her, and I’m pretty sure they got to her before she could get somewhere safe or call the police.”
“Fuck,” he swore, hurrying after me. I banged on Blink’s door, dragging him awake on my way to mine. Carver hurriedly filled him in, and Carter, who’d emerged from his room, caught enough of what Carver was saying to get on board.
“I’m leaving now,” I announced.
“The fuck you are,” Blink snapped at me, moving to block my way. I bared my teeth at him like a rabid dog. “We don’t ride alone, brother. Not into something dangerous.”
“And she could be fighting for her fucking life right now,” I growled. “You’re not stopping me, Blink. I can at least fucking deter them long enough so she can get to safety. She’s acivilian. She’s fuckinginnocent, you hear me? Our shit should have never touched her, but it has, solely because she popped up on our fucking doorstep, and I talked to her for two damn minutes in the fucking ice cream aisle.”
“Let him go,” Carver told Blink from inside his room, where he was hurriedly getting dressed. Changing in front of each other was nothing new. After showering around each other and literally watching each other piss and shit in the middle ofnowhere, there was no shame between the four of us. We were soldiers, and soldiers didn’t have the mentality to worry about whether someone was seeing them naked. “We’ll catch up.”
“Goddammit,” Blink snarled. He pointed a finger at me. “If you fucking die, Grit…”
“Not dying,” I promised. “Fucking world can’t get rid of me that easily.”
And then, I was gone, hurrying out of the clubhouse and sprinting to my bike. Nicole didn’t have much time, which meant I didn’t either if I wanted any hope of saving her before they tortured her—or worse, killed her.
And I wasnotlosing that woman before I ever had a fucking chance to have her.
4
Grit
Since I was a bit of a stalker who looked up Nicole’s address in the phone book a few days ago, I knew where to go. Which meant I made it there before my brothers did. Two bikes were in her yard, and her car was still sitting in the driveway. Her front door was closed but not all the way, letting a sliver of light out onto the porch.
I knew Nicole wouldn’t have left that door ajar. Just as I knew if she wasn’t inside, the Lockheart MC members wouldn’t have stuck around either. Which meant they were inside… with her.
I got off my bike, and with my gun in my hand, I made my way into her house. I had no doubt they’d heard me pull up, so I stayed close to the walls of the house to shield myself. When I got to the front door, I pushed it in, then slowly made my way inside, my boots silent on her linoleum floors. Her shoes were by the front door, but there were boot prints making their way around the corner and into what appeared to be the kitchen.
The sound of Nicole gagging and crying reached my ears. My heart pounded faster, adrenaline surging through my veins, but I kept my bearings. I was on my own until the other three got there, which meant I needed to play this safe. Be careful. Keep a level head on my shoulders so I didn’t get both me and Nicole killed.
I kept close to the wall and dropped into a crouch. Her kitchen led straight into the living room, and I could see her on her knees on the floor. The president had her dark curls wrapped around his fist, and he was fucking her throat, uncaring that she was pushing against him and crying.
