“I don’t know what he is or isn’t capable of, man. It’s been ten years. She’s been in hiding since she left that family. Hell, she doesn’t know if he’s alive, dead, in a coma, or what. Like you, she can’t find any information and doesn’t want to contact her family. They protected that monster all her life instead of the ones who needed protecting from him.” He wished he could have been there to shield her and her twin. His fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard it creaked.
“I’ll keep digging, but honestly, even if the family had Bill Gates' kind of cash, I don’t think he’d be out running free after killing his own sister. Ifsomeone is trying to kill your woman, you need to start looking somewhere closer to home.”
That was something he worried about. The unknown was a factor he didn’t like dealing with. He liked figures that could be solved, dammit.
“I’m going to try to talk her into coming home with me. Having her surrounded by people I trust, our brothers, will go a long way to making me feel a lot better. If some fucker thinks he can take her out under my watch, he’ll learn really fucking quick I don’t play around.”
“Ah, I hear that Viking heritage coming out in ya, boy. Are you gonna come back with her slung over one shoulder, holding an ax in your other hand, ready to start a war?” Key’s tone suggested he was all in.
“Hell yeah. I’ll hide her away first, of course.”
Keys belted out a laugh. “Good luck with that one. I gotta go. My ole’ lady is hollering for me. I’ll keep you posted when or if I find anything. Let me know if you need any help getting the two of you down here. I know you rode your bike up there, so if you need—”
“Nah, I got my truck and trailer that can haul my bike back. Thanks, Keys. Talk to you soon.” He hung up, turning onto the road that leads to Jinx’s place behind her.
Chapter Eighteen
Jinx could see Viking in her rearview mirror. By the looks of it, he appeared to be talking to someone. She wondered if it was one of his MC friends or brothers. They called each other brothers. She missed having her sister.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, focusing on the road in front of her. Frank would rebuild, and he’d offer to let her go back to work for him. In her heart, she knew the fire had something to do with her. She didn’t know if they’d made the connection yet or if they were aware of the timing of her flat tires and the fire. But it wasn’t lost on her that she’d have been trapped inside with no means of escape had she not called Bekkett.
A niggling of fear hit her. What if he’d set the fire? “No, he was with me,” she muttered.
When she’d called him, he’d been home and come to get her. She would bet her left tit he hadn’t been anywhere near the bar before, during, or after the fire had been set. No, whoever set the fire was definitely not Bekkett Larsen. Which meant she had an enemy out there.
She turned into her driveway, looking around on both sides for hidden dangers. Every looming shadow, dark space, or overgrown area could potentially hide a person.
A shiver went down her spine. She looked back, happy to see Viking right behind her. With a press of a button on her garage door opener, she accessed her home. The alarm icon on her phone beeped a warning, reminding her she’d set it before they’d left. She pressed the red button, silencing the warning as she pulled in. Viking’s big truck stopped right behind hers, so she left the door open to the garage. Before she’d unbuckled and gathered her things, her big protector stood outside her door waiting. She hit the unlock button, smiling down as he opened her door.
“Hiya, handsome. Long time no see,” she whispered.
“You’ve been crying.” He brushed his thumbs under her eyes.
“I was just thinking about my job, or lack thereof.” Jinx had thought she’d been doing pretty good at hiding her emotions.
Viking reached in and pressed the button to close the door, sealing them inside her garage. She took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of Viking.
“You’ve had a rough morning, Vakker. Let’s go inside. I want to discuss something with you.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound good.” She bit her lip before she asked him if he was breaking up with her. Silly thing to think since they weren’t a couple, even though in her heart she’d already admitted she’d fallen head over heels in love with him.
“Trust me. I told you before I wouldn’t hurt you. Put your faith in me again. I promise you won’t regret it.” He gripped her by the hips and eased her out of the truck.
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Hey, I am easy. What can I say?” he said, wiggling both brows.
“You did put out on the first night.”
“Technically, it was the second,” Viking corrected her, still holding her hips with both hands. “And if my memory serves me correctly, you tempted me like Eve tempted Adam.”
She widened her eyes, trying to look shocked. “How did I tempt you exactly?”
He pulled her away from the truck before shutting the door. “You breathed.”
Jinx tossed her head back and laughed. “Well, if it’s that easy, then you’re screwed when I decide to really seduce you.”
Viking lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing. “Baby girl, I don’t know if my heart could handle that kind of temptation. Wrap your legs around my waist.”
