I glanced at Colter, whose smirk made it clear he was enjoying the show.
“Yes, yes, and he can hear you.”
Clara squealed again. “Hey, hot biker. Do you have a name?”
Colter answered, “Call me Ace.”
“Ace,” she echoed with a laugh. “Love it. Please tell me I haven’t heard from my bestie because you’ve been keeping her too busy…in bed.”
My cheeks flamed, and I covered my face with my palm as I shook my head.
“Well, she’s pregnant and basically moved in.”
Colter’s reply had Clara shrieking again. “Poppy! You’re pregnant with a biker baby? Whoa! That’s awesome.”
I laughed, tears spilling down my cheeks at how easily she accepted the news. “Yeah, we just found out yesterday.”
“And I’m the first person you told?”
She couldn’t see my nod, so I whispered, “Of course.”
“Okay, that makes me feel better. All is forgiven.” There was a brief pause before she added, “As long as I get to see you soon. I need to hug you. And bring a present because I’m going to be this baby’s favorite auntie.”
I wiped my eyes, grinning so wide my cheeks hurt. “We’ll set something up soon. Promise.”
We talked a few more minutes, and when we finally hung up, I set the phone down and looked at Colter.
“She sounds like trouble.”
I giggled. “The best kind.”
“Now, where were we?”
I reached for the hem of his shirt. “Right about here.”
18
ACE
The cool air outside the compound doing nothing to temper the molten fury burning under my skin as I strode toward my bike. Rebel and Cross flanked me on either side, their expressions tight, mirroring my barely contained rage. Wizard and Fallon were already waiting near their hogs, and as we reached them, the clubhouse door slammed shut behind us.
I glanced over my shoulder, surprised to see Blaze stalking toward us with purposeful strides, fresh off the run he’d just returned from. The man looked fierce even on his best days, but right now, the shadows cast by the dim exterior lights sharpened the dangerous edge in his eyes.
He jerked his chin toward me as he approached. “Heading out?”
I nodded, my jaw tightening. “BAM Financial. Time to wipe them off the fucking board.”
He studied my expression, then glanced at the others gathered around me, his lips curving just slightly at the edges. “Need backup?”
“Not yet,” I answered as I swung my leg over my Harley. “But keep your phone handy. If this turns ugly, I’ll need someone who knows their way around an accelerant.”
Blaze chuckled darkly. “I’ll just tag along now. I have a feeling ugly is exactly how this is gonna go.”
Knowing his presence could only strengthen our position, I wasn’t going to argue. With a nod, I twisted the throttle, my bike roaring to life beneath me. The others followed suit, engines rumbling in a lethal harmony that sent a thrill of adrenaline through my veins.
We rolled out in tight formation, navigating the darkness to a nondescript building at the outskirts of a neighboring city. The building’s facade was purposely bland—nothing marked it as anything other than a generic office complex. But Wizard had done his homework thoroughly, tracing those financial breadcrumbs until they landed us right here at BAM’s doorstep.
We parked the bikes in the shadows across the street, and after a silent nod of agreement, we moved swiftly across the pavement. Rebel took point and quickly disabled the keypad at the side entrance. The lock clicked softly open, and Cross pushed the door inward just enough to let us slip silently inside.
