My jaw hardened, and the edges of my control frayed further as I ground out, “Why her?”
Rebel shifted forward, his own expression tense, and answered me with a grim shake of his head. “We’re not sure yet, but there’s something else. Evidence points to them watching Hannah before she even came to Riverstone. As far as we can tell, it started right around the time she began fostering Isa.”
My gut twisted. “Then maybe it’s about Isa and not Hannah.” I paused, my thoughts racing. “But if it’s only about Isa, why the fuck are they poking into my life?” Then realization struck me like a lightning bolt. “Are they the reason Gavin’s hiding?” I leveled a hard stare at Wizard. “Where the hell are we at with finding that son of a bitch?”
Rebel leaned back against the couch, folding his arms across his chest and narrowing his eyes. “Gavin’s still off-grid. Wizard’s piecing together his last movements, but we’ve got boots on the ground in Atlanta digging deeper. They’ll be looking closer into Division Nine now, too. But brother, right now you’ve got to act like everything is fucking normal. We can’t spook these assholes, or they’ll move before we’re ready. Echo’s got eyes and ears on their movements, and Wizard’s tracking their digital footprint.”
I swallowed the growl threatening to rip from my throat, the effort to contain my fury taking nearly everything I had. “Fine.”
Wizard cleared his throat, drawing my attention once more. His expression was uneasy. “One more thing. The chatter we’re picking up around your name—it’s all coming from Division Nine.”
My muscles tensed harder, my fingers flexing involuntarily. The instinct for violent, lethal retribution surged, hot and nearly overwhelming. I was a man accustomed to solving problemsswiftly and brutally, but patience was something I’d always managed. Until now. When it came to Hannah and Isa, holding back felt impossible. Every protective instinct in me screamed to handle it immediately.
Blaze interrupted my spiraling thoughts, his eyes zeroing in on me with laser focus. “We’ll keep security tight on Hannah and Isa. Keep them close, and if things even start to look sideways, bring her to the clubhouse.”
I gave a sharp nod, then spun on my heel and stalked out of the room, tension radiating with every step as I headed back toward the common room. The short walk felt interminable as my mind raced, every step driven by the raw determination to shield Hannah and Isa from whatever chaos Gavin had stirred up.
When I reached them, Hannah was sitting on one of the leather couches, Isa cradled gently in her arms. She was laughing softly at something Isa was doing, the sound warm and effortless, filled with happiness. The innocence and peace at that moment twisted my heart, tightening it with the knowledge that she had no idea about the darkness looming just beyond her awareness.
I paused in the doorway, my gaze sweeping slowly over her. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a soft smile curved her lips. Her eyes sparkled, relaxed and carefree, completely unaware of the threat breathing down her neck. I swore silently, making a vow so fierce and absolute it was etched in my bones. No fucking harm would come to my family, not as long as there was breath in my body.
Unable to resist, I crossed the room, a primal need to be connected surging through me. I moved to the couch, leaning over her and caging her in with my arms. Hannah glanced up, surprise flickering across her beautiful features. Her pulse quickened visibly in her throat, and I saw a flush spread downher chest. I felt that familiar, consuming hunger ignite inside me, despite everything swirling around us.
“Everything okay?” she asked softly, sensing my tension even as she kept her tone light.
I gave her a small nod, my voice rougher than intended as I murmured, “Yeah.”
My hand reached out, gently cupping her jaw before tightening possessively, angling her face upward. She gasped softly, her pupils dilating as I leaned in slowly, closing the space between us and sealing my mouth firmly over hers. I kissed her slowly and thoroughly, taking my time as I reminded myself of how perfect she felt. How deeply she belonged to me. Her lips softened beneath mine, her body melting under my touch.
I pulled back only far enough to meet her eyes, holding her gaze with fierce intensity. Nothing on this earth was going to stop me from keeping this woman forever. And anyone who tried to take her from me was gonna find themselves learning the limits of their pain.
13
HANNAH
Griffin had seemed tense every once in a while, but the past few days had been quiet in the best possible way. I had never enjoyed vacation days more, and we hadn’t even gone anywhere.
Tonight was no different. Griffin was on the living room floor with Isa propped against his bent knees. She was wide awake, alert, and perfectly content. Her tiny fingers were wrapped around one of his much larger ones while he talked to her in a soft tone that made my stomach flutter.
“You gonna be a little troublemaker?” he murmured, gently bouncing her. “Keep us on our toes because you’re too damn pretty for my own good?”
Isa’s answer was to coo and kick her legs while gripping his finger tighter. Griffin’s eyes crinkled at the corners with a smile that was becoming less rare as the days went by.
I sat on the couch watching them, my heart so full it almost hurt. This big, tattooed biker who could easily terrify most men cradled Isa like she was the most precious thing in his world.
“If she gets into trouble with you, all she’ll need to do is blink those blue eyes of hers to be forgiven.” I slid off the couchto kneel beside them, adjusting the blanket that had slipped off her shoulders. My hand brushed Griffin’s and felt a spark of connection zip through my arm. “She’s already got you wrapped around her finger.”
Griffin looked up at me and smirked. “Guilty. Both my girls do.”
I melted into a puddle of goo every time he called Isa and me his, and she seemed just as happy even though she didn’t understand the weight beneath that phrase. She made a gurgling sound and reached for my hair. I laughed softly and let her grab a strand, her grip surprisingly strong for such a tiny thing.
The three of us stayed like that for a long minute while Griffin talked nonsense to her, and I’d never been happier.
We eventually got Isa settled into her crib. She fussed for only a few minutes before drifting off. Griffin took my hand as we left the nursery, threading our fingers together like he wanted to keep me close. Something he often did.
When we got to the kitchen, he grabbed a beer for himself and poured me a glass of wine. We’d barely sat down on the couch in the living room and taken our first sips when a knock sounded at the front door.
Griffin’s demeanor shifted in an instant, the softness leaving his face. “Stay put, sweetheart.”
