I frowned, not quite believing him. Nothing was ever free. There was always a cost.
"What's your name?" he asked.
I hesitated, then spotted a notepad on the desk. I picked up a pen and carefully wrote "Liam" in crude, blocky letters. My education had been limited to what I could teach myself from discarded books and occasional visits to public libraries when I could slip past security.
"Liam," he read. "I'm Daniel, but everyone calls me Rooster."
The door opened behind us, and the bearded leader stepped in. I immediately shifted position, putting the desk between us and moving closer to the window.
"This him?" the man asked Rooster.
Rooster nodded. "Butch, this is Liam. Liam, this is our club president, Butch."
I gave a slight nod, but remained poised for quick movement.
Butch studied me with piercing eyes that seemed to see more than I wanted to show. "Thank you for catching our intruder. We've been trying to figure out who's been accessing our systems."
I shrugged. Wasn't my business. I just didn't like thieves.
"You've been taking the food Rooster leaves out," Butch continued. "How long have you been watching our place?"
I held up three fingers.
"Months?" When I nodded, he exchanged a look with Rooster that I couldn't interpret. "Where are you staying?"
I didn't answer. Some information was too dangerous to share.
"We can help you," Butch said. "If you need a place—"
The door opened again, and a massive man filled the doorframe—the largest of the bikers by far. His presence seemed to suck all the oxygen from the room.
My body went into automatic assessment: too big to fight, too strong to resist, blocking the main exit. Window behind me. Two large men between me and the door. Odds of escaping unharmed if they decided to keep me here: minimal.
I edged toward the wall, eyes darting between all three men.
"This the kid?" the new arrival rumbled.
That was enough. I'd pushed my luck too far already.
In one fluid motion, I vaulted onto the desk, leaped to the floor on the opposite side, and darted past Rooster. He reachedfor me, but I was already gone, slipping through the gap between him and the doorframe.
I sprinted down the hallway, ignoring the shouts behind me. Through the kitchen, out the back door, across the yard in a blur of movement. I heard heavy footsteps in pursuit, but no one could match my speed, not even on their best day.
I disappeared into the gathering darkness at the edge of the property, the plants parting to make a path only I could see, then closing behind me to cover my tracks.
They'd been kind. They might even have meant their offer of help. But kindness could be revoked, help could become a trap, and I'd survived this long by trusting no one completely.
Still, as I melted into the shadows, I found myself wondering what might have happened if I'd stayed.
Chapter Three
~ Rooster ~
I stared at the empty doorway where Liam had disappeared, his escape so quick it was almost supernatural. The kid moved like water—there one moment, gone the next. I hadn't even had time to process what was happening before he'd slipped past me with the agility of the lynx I suspected he might be.
"That went well," I muttered, turning back to face Butch and Bear.
Butch ran a hand through his beard, his expression caught between irritation and admiration. "Fast little shit, isn't he?"
