"Morning,” she breathed.
"You eat?" he asked. She looked down at her plate and then back at him. Was that his version of concern? The realization was oddly adorable.
"I did,” she said. He nodded, apparently satisfied, and then he poured himself coffee. Black—of course. Everything about Hulk screamed black coffee. The thought nearly made her laugh.Before she could say anything else, Gorgon entered the kitchen. The Kings of Anarchy president had a presence that demanded attention. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and intimidating in his own right with the way that he carried authority naturally.
Buck followed him a moment later, and the club's vice president looked entirely too amused about something. Leah immediately became suspicious, especially when Ghost appeared behind them wearing a grin that suggested trouble—lots of trouble. All three men noticed Hulk sitting across from her, and their expressions changed immediately.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Hulk muttered.
Leah bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. "What?" she asked, playing dumb.
Ghost dropped into a chair. "Nothing."
Buck sat beside him. "Absolutely nothing." They were liars—every single one of them. Fortunately, Gorgon looked slightly more professional—at least until he sat down. That was when his expression turned serious, and the shift sent anxiety crawling through Leah's stomach.
"What happened?" she asked. The room grew quiet, and Hulk set down his coffee.
"We found where one of the photos was taken,” Gorgon said.
Leah's pulse jumped. "Where?” she asked. Buck reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph and slid it across the table. Leah stared at it, and recognition came instantly.
"The coffee shop,” she said.
Buck nodded. "We matched the angle." Her stomach tightened as the familiar feeling of fear returned immediately. She hated how easily it happened. Leah hated how Derek could still affect her even after all these years.
"There's more," Gorgon said. There was always more—always another problem or another threat. There was always another reason to run.
"What now?” she asked.
This time, Buck answered. "We talked to the owner of the coffee shop."
Leah waited him out, trying to be patient. "And?"
Buck leaned forward. "Nobody remembers seeing anyone with a camera."
Confusion flickered through her. "I don't understand."
Ghost scratched his beard. "Means they weren't using one." Then it clicked—whoever was stalking her had been using a phone. They had been watching her and probably looked completely normal. Like they were just another customer or another person walking down the street. That realization made her feel sick because she'd probably walked right past them, too. Maybe she stood beside them in line, or held the door open for them, all while they were documenting her life. Someone was watching her and waiting for her to make another move so that they could report back to Derek.
Leah wrapped both hands around her coffee mug, trying to stop the shaking and trying to stay calm and not panic. The familiar spiral threatened to drag her under until Hulk spoke. "We'll find him." Leah looked at him, and the confidence in his voice shook her. Not because she didn't want to believe him, but because she did—desperately. The problem was, she'd learned a long time ago that confidence didn't always win.
"What if you don't find him?” she asked. The question escaped before she could stop it, and silence followed. Hulk stood, and the movement immediately drew her attention. He rounded the table and stopped beside her. He stood close enough so that she could feel his warmth. He was close enough that her pulse started behaving irrationally.
"Hulk—"
"We will find him,” he promised. He spoke with the voice of a man who rarely doubted himself. God. The man believed it,entirely, without hesitation or fear. It was as though protecting her was simply a fact and not just a possibility. The dangerous thing was how much she wanted to trust him and how much she already did.
Before she could say anything else, her phone rang and every muscle in her body locked. The sound seemed deafening as she slowly reached into her pocket. Her hands shook when she saw that it was an unknown number. She stared at it as the ringing continued. Leah couldn't answer it because she couldn't breathe or even think. She simply stared at the screen, and then the call ended. Relief hit briefly before a text message arrived seconds later. The notification sound echoed through the room, and her blood turned to ice. Everyone was watching her now, and the entire room felt frozen as Leah opened the message. The moment she saw the words, her stomach dropped, and her vision blurred as a terrified sound escaped her throat. Immediately, Hulk was beside her. His large hand closed gently around the phone, and his eyes scanned the screen. Then something terrifying settled across his face—pure rage. It was the kind that frightened monsters.
"What?" Gorgon asked.
Hulk looked up, and his voice was dangerously quiet. "It says—a" He paused. "'You should've stayed hidden, sweetheart.'" Leah couldn't breathe because she knew that phrase. Derek had used it before, years ago, right before she'd run. Right before she disappeared and became Leah Sinclair.
The tears burning behind her eyes weren't from weakness—they were from realization. After five years of hiding, Derek Beaumont had finally found her, and judging by that message, he wasn't planning to let her go again.
Property of Hulk Universal Link-> https://books2read.com/u/mewrWE
What’s coming next from K.L. Ramsey? You won’t want to miss Book 1 of the Agents of STARR series. Caging Lark is coming in July 2026!
