"I know."I gave her a half-smile that felt more like a grimace."And, though I don’t want to admit it, I appreciate you looking out for me.Really."
She reached out and squeezed my hand."Just be careful.And smart.Don't let your pussy cloud your judgment."
I barked out a laugh and squeezed her hand back.“If I think that’s happening, I’ll repeat your phrase in my mind over and over.”But even as I nodded my agreement, I felt the pull of Rocky's message like a physical thing, drawing me toward a path I knew was dangerous.
Three days.I could wait three days.
Right.And pigs could fly.
Chapter Six
Rocky
Iunlockedmyapartmentdoorand stepped inside.It had become habit to sweep the place for anything unusual.I hadn’t lasted this long with a club like the Copperheads to get caught out of carelessness.I had security in place or I wouldn’t have brought Wren.My present situation, however, warranted an abundance of caution.
Three days since I'd seen Wren.Three days of playing my part with the Copperheads while she haunted every corner of my mind.Nothing about my feelings made sense.I barely knew her, was essentially using her feelings as a fail safe in case I needed a quick escape.No matter how infatuated I became with her, once she knew meeting her had been calculated on my part, she’d never believe I didn’t fuck her to manipulate her.
I crossed to the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge.The cold liquid hit my throat as I leaned against the counter.The beer tasted like shit, but I drank it anyway, needing something to calm my mind without dulling my wits.
Wren texted me back after a brief delay.I'd stared at her reply for a full twenty minutes, trying to read between the lines.
Been busy.Maybe soon?
Had she discovered who I really was?Did she suspect?Or did my guilty conscience bother me?Hell, I thought an awful lot of my prowess and my charm.She probably had half her club sniffing after her.Why would I suddenly be the one she couldn’t forget?
Fuck, this wasn't supposed to happen.Wren was meant to be a strategic connection.A friend.Withoutbenefits.Not someone who invaded my thoughts, whose scent I could still catch on my sheets despite washing them twice.Not someone whose laugh played on repeat in my head during silent moments.
I crushed the empty beer can and tossed it in the trash, then moved to the bookshelf.The Harley-Davidson repair manual on the third shelf looked identical to the others.I pulled it down, feeling the slightly different weight.The pages had been hollowed out, creating a hidden compartment where I kept the satellite phone, the link I had with Vittorio Luca.
I hadn't called Tori in since he’d given me instructions to befriend Wren, and yes, he hated being called Tori.Just meant I did it more often than I would have otherwise.Just not in front of anyone important.I wasn’t exactly sure what I intended on saying to the man, but he needed a heads up that I’d bungled this big fucking time.
I slid the phone into my jacket pocket and grabbed my keys.Couldn't risk making the call from here.Even though Acid seemed to trust me more and more, I wouldn’t put it past the bastard to be playing me.If so, the best way to draw them out would be to go somewhere I could easily spot them.I'd ride out of town, find somewhere isolated, somewhere the only witnesses would be stars and wind.If Acid had me followed, I’d kill the tail.End of problem.
I checked my gun again, made sure it was secure at my back, then grabbed the leather jacket hanging by the door.I’d had to replace the Copperhead insignia patch on the back after a fight had damaged it.
With one final glance around the apartment, I flicked off the lights and stepped back into the hallway before shutting and locking the door.As I headed down the stairwell, each step echoing in the empty space, I tried to prepare myself for the conversation ahead.
Tori needed to know about Wren.More specifically, he needed to know I’d slept with her.Normally, Tori would give two shits, but this was one of his enforcers’ daughters.Ghost might be vice president of the club, but he made decisions just as much as Bloody Jack.The last thing I wanted was to jeopardize Tori’s relationship with Bound in Blood.Of course, fucking Wren had seriously jeopardized his relationship with the club in the first place, but maybe Tori could help me out.Maybe keep me from getting killed.
But mostly, he needed to know I wasn't compromised.That I could still do what needed to be done, still finish this mission, still bring down the Copperheads and their trafficking network.Unfortunately, my confidence in success might not be so good anymore.
I headed out, looking forward to the ride.I needed to clear my head before talking to Tori .Climbing on the big Harley always eased my spirit, as would the wind howling around me as I rode down a ribbon of highway.
The engine rumbled to life beneath me, a throaty growl I felt in my bones.I pulled out of the lot and headed out of the city.
The night air bit at my exposed skin as I navigated through the outskirts of town.I didn't expect to be followed but kept a close eye out.The Copperheads still saw me as a useful new recruit with some sense about me, someone with skills they needed.But a lifetime in Tori 's service had taught me to assume I was always being watched.Paranoia kept you breathing.
I made one stop to make doubly sure no one was following before I took the freeway on a route with multiple exits very close together to where I needed to change roads.When no tail gave itself away, I took my route with more purpose, exiting to a highway that would eventually take me up winding mountain roads.I drove for three hours.Overkill?Maybe.But what I had to tell Tori could not be heard by anyone who could use Wren against me.
By the time I reached my little hunting cabin, it was two in the morning.I’d had to leave my bike in a barn closer to the county road, but I was more confident about that barn being secure than anywhere other than my cabin.No way was I taking my Harley through the woods.I had an ATV in the barn specifically for this reason.
I parked outside and scrubbed a hand over my face.Despite the time it took to get here and the remoteness of the location, this cabin represented the only place I ever felt truly at home.
Once I cut the engine, the silence nearly overwhelmed me.I took a breath, closing my eyes to center myself.My heart pounded with the enormity of my situation and I had to admit, I might be in over my head.
Honestly, what the fuck did I know about women like Wren?She challenged me with her harsh innocence.She had a vulnerability about her at odds with the way she presented herself.I pegged her as experienced.While not a virgin, I was fairly certain she’d never had a man like me.
With a deep breath, I dismounted and went up the steps to the one room cabin.I called it a hunting cabin but the place was more like a one room apartment.I took pains to make it look rough on the outside, but it was sturdy and well insulated.I had a basic security system designed mostly to detect game in the surrounding area, but there was just enough cell service to get a message when motion was detected and recorded everything for thirty minutes after the last detected movement.
