“What?”
“Never mind.” Damn it. I was a motherfucking vault, a lifetime of secrets crammed into every crevice of my soul. But Locke, man... he broke me in all the best ways. “Just be careful. And text me when you’re home?”
“Always do.”
No, he didn’t. He messaged the group chat whenOrlawas safe in her flat. I wasn’t asking him for that—I needed more, in every fucking sense.
Locke heard the chaos raging inside and the concern in his touch was too much. I had togobefore I opened my mouth and the world came tumbling out.
Like a literalsaint, my silent brother appeared at the door, sweeping the bar until his gaze landed on me, alive with the words he didn’t say.Let’s go.
I’d somehow wound up hunched over the bar, Locke’s steadying hand at the base of my spine.
I heaved myself upright, tipping him a nod. “I’m rolling out.”
Locke let his hand slip from my back. “Stay in touch?”
That was a new one, and I gave him the only answer I could. “I’ll try.”
I kissed Orla and left, my lipsachingwith the need to lay them on Locke. It made zero sense to me that I found that shit easier when he was naked and touching Orla too, but I knew it would if I thought about it too hard, and I didn’t have time for that.
Saint waited for me at our hogs. “Tools?”
He meant weapons.
I nodded. “I’m good.”
“You should do it.”
“Do what?”
“Him.”
Saint roared away without explanation, and it was the start of the longest night since the last never-ending ride had done my box in.
We chased down Crows and found nothing.
Rode into our meet with Jakov the Russian six hours later and this crazy fucker was trying to give me adog.
I rubbed my face, unsure if I was misunderstanding the thick Russian accent that had to be a joke. First time I’d met this dude, he’d claimed to be Spanish. “Why are you giving me a dog?”
Jakov the Russian was hard to read, like every other cunt I had to deal with on the road, but even I wasn’t dense enough to miss the sudden distress in his eyes. “She is Viktor’s. He would want her to be safe, and this is what you do, no? Look after the strays?”
I cast a glance at the dog at his feet.Shewas a small Belgian Malinois with big ears, a long nose, and the fiercest glare I’d ever seen. “We aren’t an animal shelter, and that thing looks like she wants to eat me.”
“She is a good girl.”
“Good for what?”
“For whatever you need her to be. Ask your soldier.”
“Which one?”
“The marine. Tell him she came from the paratroopers in Al-Shaafa. He’ll know what you mean.”
Folk. He had history with the Russians that predated gang wars. Lucky him. Still wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with Viktor’s canine friend. “All right. Enough bullshit. You asked for this meet. What do you actually want?”
Jakov blinked. “I have told you what I need from you.”
