Fear flashes across her face. "Ava, what did you get into?"
"Something bigger than I realized. But I'm going to finish it, and I'm going to make sure you're safe while I do." I look at Ice Pick. "Can the club protect her?"
"We can, but it's going to mean staying here, following our rules, and letting us handle security." He focuses on Sarah. "Can you do that?"
Sarah looks overwhelmed, but she nods. "If it keeps me alive, yes."
Vulture arrives with Falcon, Sterling, and Condor in tow. After Ice Pick fills them in on the situation, Vulture’s expression is grim.
"This confirms what we suspected. Whoever's behind this operation, they're not done. Taking down the Reapers and arresting the buyers wasn't enough. They're trying to eliminate witnesses and evidence." He looks at me. "How secure are your backups?"
"Encrypted, multiple copies stored in different locations. But if they got into my apartment, they might've found some of my secondary research. Notes that aren't digitized, contacts I'd written down." My mind races through everything I kept at the apartment. "There's a notebook. Blue, leather-bound. It's got names, dates, connections I was still verifying. If they found that..."
"Then they know how close you were to identifying them," Condor finishes. "That makes you an even bigger target."
"Which is why she's not leaving this compound until we've neutralized the threat," Ice Pick says, his tone brooking no argument. "And her roommate stays here too. We put them both under protection until this is resolved."
Vulture nods. "Agreed. Sterling, set Sarah up in one of the spare rooms. Make sure she's got everything she needs. Condor, I want you to monitor for any chatter about Ava or her investigation. If someone's making moves, I want to know about it before they get close."
Everyone disperses to their assignments, leaving me alone with Ice Pick and Sarah. My roommate's watching him with wide eyes, clearly trying to reconcile the dangerous biker with the man who's apparently keeping me safe.
"So you two are..." she trails off, looking between us.
"Together," Ice Pick supplies. "And before you ask, yes, I know it's complicated. No, I don't care."
"I was going to ask if he's the reason you've been ignoring my calls for a week, but that works too." Sarah turns to me. "Ava Langley, dating an outlaw biker. Never thought I'd see the day."
"I'm not dating him. We're just..." I pause, realizing I don't actually know what to call what we are. "It's complicated."
"Complicated how? You're sleeping with him, right?"
"Sarah."
"What? I'm just trying to understand the situation." She grins despite everything. "And honestly, if I were trapped in an MC compound, I'd probably jump the hot Sergeant-at-Arms too."
Ice Pick's mouth twitches. "I like her. She's got good taste."
"Don't encourage her." But I'm smiling too, grateful for the moment of levity. "Come on, let's get you settled. You look like you haven't slept in days."
I show Sarah to the room Sterling's prepared, helping her get comfortable and answering her increasingly concerned questions about what I've gotten myself into. By the time I leave her to rest, it's nearly dinner time and the common room's filled with brothers grabbing food and beer.
Ice Pick finds me near the kitchen, pulling me aside with a hand on my lower back that's become familiar over the past few days.
"Your friend's safe. Sterling's got eyes on her room, and Zip's running checks to make sure she wasn't followed." His thumb traces circles on my spine. "How're you holding up?"
"Honestly? I'm furious. They went after Sarah to get to me. She's got nothing to do with this except being unlucky enough to share an apartment with me." I lean into his touch. "I need to finish this. Need to identify whoever's pulling the strings and make sure they can't hurt anyone else."
"We will, but right now, you need to eat. We can't solve mysteries on an empty stomach."
He's right, as much as I hate to admit it. We grab food and find a quiet corner away from the main group. The club whores give me curious looks, but none of them approach. Ice Pick's claimed me publicly enough that everyone knows I'm off limits.
"Question," I say between bites. "Why do they call you Ice Pick? I know the story about the bar fight, but there's got to be more to it than just the weapon you used."
He's quiet for a moment, and I think he's not going to answer. Then he sets down his beer and looks at me with an intensity that makes my breath catch.
"It's not just about the weapon. It's about the coldness. The ability to shut off emotions and do what needs to be done without hesitation." He pauses. "I'm good at violence, Ava. Really good. And when I'm in that headspace, when I'm beingIce Pick instead of Mason, I don't feel guilt or remorse. I just execute the mission."
"That scares you."
