The name tightened my chest again, but Kane stood right there, real and solid.I nodded.“Okay.”
Kane disappeared down the hall and returned with a faded black hoodie.The sleeves held the memory of his arms even when empty.He offered the garment without ceremony.
“This will help.Cold outside.”
I slipped the hoodie on.The sleeves engulfed my hands completely.Warmth wrapped around me, becoming my armor.
His gaze lingered on me wearing his clothes.Something dark flickered behind his eyes, quick and restrained.
“Come on, little stray.”Kane grabbed his cut from the hook.“Time to meet the pack.”
“You called me a dog.”I followed him toward the door while I pretended my pulse remained steady.
“Yesterday you called me one.”He opened the door and scanned outside.“Bruno, remember?”
“You’re impossible.”
“You’re adorable.”He glanced back, grin crooked and dangerous, then stepped out into the cold.
Morning had broken fully.Pale blue sky stretched over the compound.Cold air bit my nose, sharp and clean.The daylight transformed the place from nightmare hideout to rough neighborhood wrapped in fences and rules.Bikes stood in rows, gleaming metal beasts at rest.A stray cat darted under a truck.Smoke curled from a barrel behind the main building where someone burned trash.
Barbed wire still crowned the fence.Men still carried guns.
Kane walked beside me, his hand hovering near my back without touching.I sensed his presence without feeling owned.He guided without pushing, understanding how my skin remembered wrong hands.
The clubhouse enveloped me in warmth when we stepped inside.Coffee scents mingled with leather and old wood.Voices hummed in the background while blues played low from the jukebox.The building seemed to breathe with its own rhythm.
Three women turned toward us at once.
“There she is,” said the dark-haired one, stepping forward with a smile carrying both softness and steel.“Our new little hurricane.”
I felt Kane’s hand brush my lower back.“Jade, meet Marci, Casey, and Solena.”
Marci approached first.Her long dark hair framed sharp eyes and a calm face.She kept enough distance to respect my space while standing close enough to feel protective.
“I’m Marci.”Her gaze took in my bruises without making me feel exposed.“Ace’s old lady.”
“Thank you,” I managed.“For… welcoming me.”
Marci waved it off.“We save our best glares for men and women who deserve them.You’re not one of those.”
A hug came fast, brief, careful around my sore spots.My body tensed on reflex.Marci pulled back immediately, eyes narrowing with understanding instead of offense.
“Okay?”Her voice softened.
“Yeah.”I swallowed.“Not used to people touching me unless they want something.”
Marci’s expression hardened.“We’ll work on that.”
Casey approached next with blonde hair in a messy ponytail and a sweatshirt reading MAMA BEAR.She carried a mug in one hand while confidence radiated from her stance.
“I’m Casey.Maui’s old lady.When you hear a tiny tornado screaming somewhere, my kids have probably escaped.Especially the oldest.Two screams means Solena’s daughter joined the chaos.Three or more?Run for your life.”
Solena snorted from her perch on a barstool, owning every inch of space around her.Dark curls piled atop her head complemented her perfect eyeliner and razor-sharp smile.“I take offense to such accusations.”
Casey bumped her shoulder.“You love it.”
Solena leaned forward, eyes assessing me with a quick, clinical sweep.Not judgment.Evaluation.“Welcome to the madhouse.”
