The man still hadn’t shown his face since that night in my kitchen. Not once. But I knew his men were still around. I caught glimpses of them when I pulled out of my driveway—different bikes, different faces. Always watching.
At first, it irritated me. But now? Now I had mostly accepted it. They weren’t going anywhere.
Later that week, I stopped at the gas station a few blocks from my house. It wasn’t anything exciting, just one of those quick errands you don’t think twice about. I needed milk.
The convenience store attached to the station was closer than the grocery store, and I didn’t feel like driving across town for one thing. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly as I pushedthe door open, the familiar smell of gasoline and burnt coffee hanging in the air.
I grabbed a small carton of milk and walked toward the register, my cast bumping awkwardly against the counter as I set it down.
“Evening,” the clerk said.
“Hi.”
While he rang me up, someone stepped up beside the coffee station. A man. Tall, broad shoulders, leather vest. My eyes flicked toward him automatically.
Not Hawk’s club. I’d seen their cuts enough now to recognize them instantly. This one was different. The patch on the front caught my eye.
Prospect.
I wasn’t exactly an expert on biker clubs, but I had started recognizing the basic layout of their patches after the past couple of weeks. Prospect meant he wasn’t a full member yet, but definitely part of something.
For a second, I wondered if Hawk had other clubs helping keep an eye on things. Honestly? That wouldn’t have surprised me.
The man leaned casually against the counter, pouring himself a cup of coffee. His eyes drifted toward me, then down to my cast, and back up again. A slow smile spread across his face.
“Rough night, Emma?”
I blinked. The sound of my name from a stranger made something in my chest tighten.
I lifted my arm slightly.
“Tripped,” I said dryly.
He chuckled.
“Looks painful.”
“Only when I try to use it.”
The cashier handed me my receipt, and I grabbed the milk. The man took a slow sip of coffee, still watching me. Something about the look made my shoulders tighten slightly. Not threatening. Just… strange.
Like he knew something I didn’t.
“Be careful out there,” he said casually before walking out.
Just like that.
I stood there for a moment longer, staring at the door.
“Okay,” I muttered quietly.
“That was weird.”
But I grabbed my milk and walked out to my car anyway. It was probably nothing. If Hawk had other clubs helping watch things, it would make sense they knew who I was. Right?
Still, as I climbed into my car, I glanced around the parking lot one more time. The man was already gone, and for some reason, the way he had said my name hadn’t sounded friendly at all.
I shook the thought away and started the engine.
