Ghost caught the exchange, his head turning slowly until his gaze locked with mine.Without breaking eye contact, he revved his engine aggressively in a clear warning.
The light changed to green, and Ghost shot forward, putting him and Wren between us and Hotwire.We rode for another twenty minutes, the urban landscape gradually shifting from anonymous commercial zones to the industrial outskirts.I imagined I felt the shift when we crossed into what everyone recognized as Bound in Blood domain.
The compound appeared ahead, a converted warehouse complex surrounded by a high chain-link fence topped with razor wire.Security lights illuminated the perimeter, casting harsh shadows that danced as we approached.
Two prospects manned the gate.They relaxed slightly upon recognizing Ghost and Jack.Both men nodded as we passed through the gates.
The main building loomed ahead, windows glowing with light despite the late hour.Club members emerged from various doorways, drawn by the unusual arrival.Their expressions shifted from curiosity to suspicion when they spotted me, an outsider in their sanctuary.
Jack dismounted first, running a hand through his shaggy salt-and-pepper hair.His massive presence seemed to fill the courtyard, drawing eyes away from me.
Ghost killed his engine and swung off his bike in one fluid motion before turning to help Wren.His hands gripped her waist with a gentleness that contrasted sharply with the rigid set of his shoulders.She slid to the ground, legs wobbling slightly, which I figured stemmed more from fright than the ride.Ghost steadied her, his protective instinct palpable even from where I stood.
Marcus nudged me and I got out of the SUV, my boots hitting gravel with a finality that resonated through my bones.This marked my first time inside the Bound in Blood compound, a place I never expected to see from the inside.Certainly not under these circumstances.
Ghost murmured something to Wren, his voice too low for me to catch.She nodded once, her expression unreadable in the harsh compound lighting.Then Ghost turned to me, his face transforming as he approached.The gentle father vanished, replaced by the vice president of Bound in Blood MC.A man who’d earned his reputation through blood and loyalty.He stopped inches from me, close enough that no one else could hear his words.
"You got five minutes to explain yourself before I put a bullet in your Goddamned head," he said, voice deadly quiet, each word precise and measured.No emotion colored his tone, making the threat all the more chilling.
I met his gaze without flinching."Fair enough."
Ghost jerked his head toward the main building."Inside.Now."
I followed his direction, feeling the weight of dozens of hostile stares tracking my every movement.Wren walked ahead with Jack, her shoulders set in a tense line.The emotional distance between us stretched with each step, and I wondered if I could ever bridge it again.If she would let me try once she knew the whole truth.Thankfully, Marcus followed us in.He could back up my story.Any chance I had of salvaging something with Wren came down to this moment.
The walls seemed to close in as we entered, my eyes adjusting to the dimmer lighting that revealed a space both clean and lived-in.Worn leather furniture, pool tables, and a long bar lined one wall, while club memorabilia and framed photos plastered every available surface.The place smelled like leather, motor oil, and decades of cigarette smoke ground into the very foundations.Unlike the Copperheads' deliberately intimidating aesthetic, this place felt like exactly what it claimed to be.A home for people who chose each other as family.The kind of place Wren belonged.The kind of place I never could.
"Jack!"A female voice cut through the tension, and I turned to see a petite blonde pushing through the crowd.Had to be Honey.Wren had mentioned her friend several times and I thought I remembered her at the Valentine’s Ball.She moved with purpose, her slight build belying the confidence in her stride.Her eyes flicked between Wren and me, instantly reading the situation with uncanny accuracy.
"Not now, Honey," Jack growled, but she ignored him, stepping directly into his path.I guess his old lady didn’t have the same fear of him everyone else did.
"Exactly now," she countered, her voice low but firm.She turned to Wren, taking her hands and examining her face."You okay, sweetie?"
Wren nodded stiffly."Fine."
Honey shot me a look that said she was not happy with me, then turned back to Jack."Office?"She made the request like it was actually a request.In any other situation, I’d be laughing my ass off at the big bad MC president being managed by his old lady.
Honey hooked her arm through Jack’s and physically tugged him aside with a familiarity that surprised me.Jack allowed himself to be led a few steps away, their heads bent together in urgent conversation.
I stood awkwardly near Wren, close enough to catch her scent.Neither of us spoke or looked directly at each other, yet I felt her presence like a physical touch against my skin.The club members continued to watch us, their expressions ranging from curiosity to outright hostility.
"She never could mind her own business," Wren muttered as she glared at her friend.
"Good thing?"I ventured, keeping my voice low.
Wren shrugged, her eyes fixed on Honey and Jack.Ghost had now joined the couple and they all seemed to be having a quiet, if spirited, discussion."Depends on what she convinces him to do."
"They need to sort this shit out," Honey said, her voice rising just enough that her words carried clearly to where we stood."Alone."
Ghost shook his head emphatically."No fucking way I'm leaving her alone with him."
"They need space to talk," Honey insisted."Whatever happened between them, they can't figure it out with you hovering like an overprotective helicopter parent."
Ghost's eyes narrowed dangerously."He lied to her.Used her.And you want me to give them privacy?"Honey opened her mouth to reply.Then Ghost added, “And I’mnota helicopter parent, Goddammit!”
Honey didn't back down."Yes.Because you know damn well she won't get closure otherwise."
Jack moved then shifted his weight, wrapping an arm around his woman."She's right," he rumbled."You crowd this, it only pushes the girl toward him."
