She studies my face, then nods. "Okay."
"I've got calls to make. Coordinate with Cole about the protection detail. You sleep. I'll be right outside the door."
She disappears down the hall to my room. I hear the door close softly.
I make my calls from the living room. Cole agrees to have brothers watching my place while I'm gone tonight. Two on first watch, two on second. Nobody gets near my house without the Brotherhood knowing about it.
Hours pass. I check on her twice—both times she's asleep, curled on her side in my bed, her hair spread across my pillow.
After the sun has set and full dark settles over the house, I slip into my room one more time. She's still asleep, breathing deep and even. Safe.
I grab my gear quietly, then head for the door. Time to see what secrets that hotel room is still hiding.
11
SHAW
The hotel room yields exactly what I expected—signs of a thorough search, Mira's belongings rifled through, and no useful evidence the intruder left behind.
It's nearly three AM when I pull back into my driveway. The house is dark and quiet, exactly as I left it. Brotherhood security is still posted—I can see the glow of a cigarette from where one of the brothers stands watch near the street.
Inside, I move silently down the hallway and ease open my bedroom door. Mira's still asleep, curled on her side exactly where she was hours ago. Her breathing is deep and even. Safe.
I close the door quietly and head back to the kitchen, pulling out my phone. Sleep can wait. First, I need to handle the people who gave a stalker access to her location.
Cole answers on the second ring.
"She safe?"
"Yeah. At my place." I keep my voice low even though Mira can't hear me from the bedroom. "Got her settled. But I need you to handle something."
"Name it."
"I found out a hotel clerk gave Mira's room number to somebody." Rage simmers just beneath my surface, controlled but present. "And a member of the housekeeping staff confirmed Mira was staying there when someone called asking about her."
Silence stretches for three seconds. Then Cole's voice comes through, flat and knowing. "Where are they?"
"Anchor Bay Inn, downtown location. Night shift." I check my watch. "Should still be on for another few hours."
"You going to have a conversation?"
"Yeah. But I need someone watching my six in case this gets messy." My jaw tightens. "They gave a stalker access to a woman's location. Someone who's already proven he's willing to burn down buildings. That kind of negligence doesn't get a pass."
"I'll meet you there in twenty." Cole pauses. "Will's at the bar if we need backup."
"Won't need it. Just a conversation." My knuckles ache from how tightly I'm gripping the phone. "Educational one."
I end the call and move silently through my house, grabbing my kutte from where it hangs by the front door. The leather settles across my shoulders with familiar weight. Brotherhood colors displayed openly because tonight, whoever I'm dealing with needs to understand exactly who's delivering this message.
I grab the keys to my truck instead of the bike. Quieter. Less distinctive.
Twenty minutes later, I'm pulling into the Anchor Bay Inn parking lot. Cole's already there, leaning against his Harley near the back entrance where staff comes and goes. He straightens when my truck approaches.
"Night manager and one housekeeper on duty," he reports, voice low. "Manager's name is Stan Kemp. Housekeeper is Linda Morrison. Both confirmed they gave information about Mirato someone calling himself 'her colleague from the insurance company.'"
"They verify credentials?"
"Nope." Cole's expression goes hard. "Just took his word for it over the phone and told him everything he wanted to know. Room number, how long she was staying, what time she usually came and went."
