The fear in his expression, barely concealed beneath the anger, makes me nod. "Okay. Today. But I need to work, need to keep my mind occupied or I'm going to lose it."
"Work from my room. I'll bring you whatever you need." He presses a kiss to my forehead. "And Ava? Don't open the door for anyone except me or Falcon. I don't care if they say it's an emergency."
"You're scaring me."
"Good. You should be scared." His thumb traces my cheekbone. "But I promise you're safe here. I won't let anyone hurt you."
The FBI arrives an hour later, Agent Monroe leading a team that sweeps the perimeter for evidence. I watch from Mason's window as they work, documenting footprints and disturbed vegetation, setting up additional cameras and motion sensors.
Sarah joins me around nine, looking as trapped and anxious as I feel. "This is insane. We're prisoners in an outlaw clubhouse because some mysterious billionaire wants us dead."
"When you put it like that, it sounds like a bad thriller novel."
"Except this is our lives." She settles onto Mason's bed, hugging a pillow. "Ava, how much longer can we live like this? Constantly looking over our shoulders, never feeling safe?"
"I don't know." That’s the honest answer, even if it's not comforting. "The FBI's working the case, trying to identify the Collector. But until then, we just have to be careful."
"Careful is one thing. This is something else entirely." She's quiet for a moment. "Condor asked me to stay. Said I could work remotely for my company from here, that the club would keep me safe."
"And what did you say?"
"I'm thinking about it. Which is crazy, right? Considering staying at an MC compound because I'm too scared to go back to my own apartment." She looks at me. "But then I see you and Mason, see how he is with you, and I wonder if maybe there's something here worth staying for."
"You and Condor?"
"Maybe. I don't know. He's sweet, nerdy, completely different from anyone I've dated." Her smile is small. "And he makes me feel safe in a way I haven't felt since all this started."
"Then stay. At least until the threat's neutralized." I cross to sit beside her. "Besides, someone needs to keep me sane while I'm stuck in lockdown."
We spend the morning working side by side, her handling emails and video calls for her job while I outline my next article. The Collector story's not done, not by a long shot, and I'm planning a deep dive into how billionaires use shell companies and legitimate businesses to hide criminal operations.
Lunch is delivered to the room by Harrior, who looks apologetic about the security measures but also completely unbending on them. "Vulture’s orders. No one leaves their designated areas until the FBI gives us the all-clear."
"How long will that take?" Sarah asks.
"However long it takes." He glances at me. "Ice Pick's downstairs coordinating with the feds. Said to tell you he'll be up as soon as he can."
After he leaves, Sarah turns to me. "Ice Pick. That's such a weird name. Why do they all have road names?"
"Tradition, I think. Identity protection, maybe. Mason's is because he once used an ice pick to defend Vulture during a bad deal." I close my laptop. "They all have stories like that. Violent origin moments that define who they are in the club."
"And you're okay with that? The violence?"
"I'm okay with Mason. The violence is part of his world, part of who he is." I meet her eyes. "I'm not going to change him, and I don't want to. I just want him."
"You really love him."
"Yeah. I really do."
Mason appears around three, looking exhausted but determined. "FBI's done with the perimeter sweep. They've got evidence of at least two people surveilling the compound, professional equipment, military grade optics. Whoever they are, they're serious."
"Did they find anything that identifies them?" I ask.
"Not yet, but they left in a hurry when Zip spotted them on the cameras. They might've dropped something in their rush." He sits heavily on the bed. "Agent Monroe wants to set up a sting. Use you as bait to draw them out."
"She already suggested that. We said no."
"I know, but she's pushing harder now that we've got confirmation they're actively coming after you." His expression is conflicted. "And part of me wonders if she's right. If this is the only way to end this."
