It does.
He calls me a few choice names under his breath and then the four of them start their bikes and roar off in a cloud of dust and anger.
“All right?” Callum smacks my shoulder as he lets me go.
“Fucking Birch.”
“Yep.”
I’ve got better things to do today than worry about that arsehole, but they’ll all have to wait because that feeling I had earlier hasn’t gone away.
Callum Holt is my second in command but he’s also one of my best friends. We’re so attuned to each other, I’m not surprised when he comes to stand in front of me, dark eyes boring into mine. “What’s wrong?”
I sigh, because it’s not something I can put into words. “It’s probably nothing.” I deserve the scathing look I get for that.
Like I said, you never ignore instincts, and mine is telling me to be on fucking guard. “I’m not sure,” I say instead. It’s the truth this time, and he nods, getting it without me having to explain.
“We calling anyone else?”
Our route home takes us uncomfortably close to the edges of the Feral Beasts’ territory. It’s not an issue most days—we do our best to keep away from each other. “You think they’ll be waiting for us?”
He blows out a breath, glancing in the direction Birch went. “I would be, if I was him.”
After what went down just now, I would be too.
But Birch isn’t me.
The Feral Beasts are a bunch of fucking cowards. I’m not sure they’ll do anything other than crawl home and bitch about us. But there’s always a chance Birch could surprise me with a backbone.
There’s no way he’ll try and ambush us with just the three he had with him. If he’s going to do anything, he’ll send for backup first. We could probably take on whoever turns up to join him, but I’m not about to risk anyone getting hurt against those wankers.
Not with what’s coming in a few days.
“Get Jet and Mal to meet us just outside of town and tell Flint to double the guard in case those arseholes think attacking the compound is a better idea than ambushing us.”
He nods and pulls out his phone.
I get on my bike and start her up. The familiar purr of the engine settles my nerves some, but that niggle of wrongness lingers. I doubt it’ll go away until whatever’s going to happen, happens.
I just hope it can wait until after the weekend.
Turning to the others, I say, “Be extra fucking careful.”
They nod in return, and with one last look at the hot blond in the pub opposite—because I can’t seem to help myself—I lead them out. If it feels like I’m leaving something important behind, then that’s no fucker’s business but mine.
3
MORGAN
“Jesus Christ.”Ash drags a hand through his hair as we sit and watch the four Wild Wolves tear off down the road. Excited chatter starts up around us, the relief in the air palpable. “I thought for sure that was going to escalate into a fucking riot.”
“Same.”
“I mean,fuck’ssake. They almost killed each other. Wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve all driven off somewhere to do it where no one can see.”
“Hmm.” I watch the bikes until they round the corner and disappear from sight. When I face Ash again, he has his eyebrows raised. “What?”
“How are you sat there with a dreamy look on your face when the rest of the pub is breathing a huge sigh of relief that we’re not dead?”
