I stood in the parking lot a little longer, taking deep breaths to try to steady my racing heart. Needing to gather my thoughts and lower my temper, I gazed at the lot. The brothers’ bikes were lined up, chrome glinting under the floodlights. Each one carried its rider’s scars, dented fenders, and patched seats, but every gas tank bore the same skull-and-sickle emblem. A Dead Knight’s bike wasn’t only metal, it was a warning.
By the time I stalked down the back hallway, I was still raging.
That’s when Gabby stepped out from one of the side rooms, blocking my path like she’d been waiting.
“You’ve been hard to pin down lately,” she said, folding her arms under her chest. “Not like before.”
I kept walking, forcing her to fall into step beside me. “Been busy.”
Her tone turned sweet, but the look in her eyes wasn’t. “Guess you’re too busy to come to bed when I ask. Never used to turn me down.”
I stopped long enough to meet her gaze. “Yeah. Things change.”
She tilted her head, smile sharp. “Must be because of Lucy.”
The way she said it—like Lucy’s name was something sour on her tongue—had my jaw tightening before I could stop it. I didn’t give Gabby the satisfaction of a reply. I kept walking, leaving her smile hanging in the empty hallway.
I paced back and forth in the dimly lit office of the clubhouse, the scent of spilled beer and engine oil thick in the air. My mind was tangled with threads I couldn’t quite follow—Lucy’s arrival, the missing shipment, the money that should’ve been there... and the fact that one of our own might be playing both sides.
Then there was the Fangs, sniffing around our gates tonight like wolves. Bold. Too bold. Either someone inside fed them the info that Lucy was there, or they were watching closer than I thought. Both possibilities stank.
But what clawed under my skin wasn’t just the Fangs—it was Lucy.
The image of her standing in the gravel lot with Link at her side wouldn’t shake loose. Link had squared up when the Fangs came at her. He hadn’t run, hadn’t folded. I’d almost respected him for it.Almost.
But when I saw her there, her eyes flashing, chin high, letting him hover too close, it burned in a way I couldn’t name. She wasn’t his. Hell, she wasn’t mine either. I didn’t even want her. Except my body still hadn’t got the message.
I raked a hand through my hair, trying to shake it off, but all I could see was the way she’d yanked her wrist out of my grip, eyes daring me to try to claim her again.
Christ, help me, I wanted to.
“Boxer, Riot,” I barked as the two men walked into the room, their faces grim. “We’ve got a problem.”
Boxer’s heavy boots hit the floor, his eyes scanning the space before settling on me. “You don’t have to tell me twice. The kid’s a mess. You want him patched up, or are we taking care of this now?”
I shook my head, frustration creeping in. “Take his patch and kick him. But something else first. The shipment’s gone... and the money. Don’t tell me it’s a coincidence that we’re getting visits from the Fangs, and now this.”
Riot crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, his brow furrowed. “You think someone’s ratting us out?”
My gaze locked onto Riot, the silent question hanging between us. Riot knew better than anyone that there was no room for mistakes in this game. A rat in the ranks was a death sentence.
“Could be,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. “But it’s not only about the shipment. It’s bigger than that. Someone knows something they shouldn’t, and we need to find out who before this turns into a goddamn war.”
Riot grunted, his fingers tightening around the handle of his gun. “I’ll make a list of who’s been acting weird. Maybe someone’s slipped up.”
I turned to Boxer, who was always the most level-headed of the group. “Box, I need you to set up a church meeting for tomorrow. We need the whole club here. All hands on deck.”
The big man nodded, his jaw tight. “I’ll get it ready.”
I nodded, watched them leave, then I leaned back against the table, hands pressed to my face. I could feel the weight of it all.Lucy’s presence complicated things more than I’d thought. She wasn’t only someone’s sister—she was Caleb’s sister. That meant something, to me at least.
Her running around with the club had me wound tighter than a spring. It wasn’t just the danger she was in that bothered me. It was the way she had looked at me earlier that day, the way she lookedthroughme. She wanted answers, and I wasn’t sure I could give her any that would make sense.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that keeping her close was the only way to protect her. She was already in it, and it was too late to pull her out.
Chapter 17
Lucy
