“You’re not the reason any of us might get hurt. Your father, brothers, and Stripe are the reason. You’re just an innocent bystander in all the shitty things they do. We’d still be right where we are fightin’ for our town and our territory, even if we never met.”
She leans into my palm and shuts her eyes, and for one brief, shining moment everything is right in the world.
Then the horn at the front gate goes off, in three long blasts. My hand drops and I tell Nora, “That’s the signal for trouble at the front gate. Go to the other old ladies, keep your head down, and do what they say to stay safe until I come back.”
Without waiting for a reply, I race out the front door. Brothers pour into the front parking lot. By the guard shack, Merc is down on one knee over a prone body. My stomach drops until I see him struggle to sit up. At least he’s alive. When he looks up at us, I see that it’s Garret, the prospect who was assigned to walk the exterior perimeter tonight. His lip is split, his nose is bloody, and one eye’s swollen shut. He’s also cradling his arm against his ribs. Someone worked him over pretty bad.
“They caught him outside the wall on his loop,” Merc says, feeling along the kid’s arm for breaks. “This was pinned to his shirt.”
I take it. Jasper and Rock walk up and the brothers go quiet while I unfold it. The message is written in block letters with a fat marker, and it doesn’t waste a single word. I read it out loud, “Send the girl out or we’re coming in to get her.”
Chapter 12
Nora
The club is going into defense mode. They call it lockdown. I grew up watching my father’s club do it. All the old ladies and club girls are prepping the safe room in the basement.
The Sons are currently keeping two hostages locked in their jail in the basement. We have to pass them to get to the safe room. One is the possible cartel guy Jinx talked about and the other is Rash, one of my father’s men. He’s middle aged and has been staring at me since I turned twelve. I notice him watching me out the little ten-inch window in the heavy metal door. He doesn’t talk to me. In fact, I’ve never heard him talk. I do my best to ignore him when I pass with a case of bottled water.
Silver whispers as we store the supplies we’re carrying in the safe room, “They tripled the number of guards at the gates and there are at least two dozen club brothers patrolling the perimeter.”
“I hope it’s enough,” I whisper back. Neither of us want the guys in lock up to hear.
Her voice sounds more confident. “They also have two snipers on the roof, as well as lookouts on all four corners of the building, searching the sky for drones. The brothers ain’t gonna let nobody sneak up on us today.”
“Yeah, but the message said they were coming for me.”
Silver grabs my arm and pulls me down. “This safe room is surrounded by five feet of concrete and a steel door that came off a freakin’ bank vault. If you end up here, ain’t nobody can get to you, girl. Calm down and let the brothers do what they do best.”
I nod, swallowing thickly. “You’re right. They know what they’re doing.”
***
Jinx doesn’t stop moving all day. He rolls from one task to another, giving orders, like a proper club officer and leading by example. He seems to be everywhere at once, the chapel, the front gate, Striker’s office and his head bent low with Jasper talking over security no doubt. He passes me occasionally and touches my shoulder or gives me a quick kiss on the forehead. His support means everything to me right now.
Tessa finds me in the early afternoon. Thankfully, we’re not in the safe room yet, but it’s ready in case the Hyenas get into the compound. “You doing okay, Nora? You look like you could use someone to talk to who’s been through this before.”
My eyes fly open in surprise. “You came from a club that wanted you back?”
“The man who hired me as a surrogate paid the Hyenas to take me back.”
I thought Jasper was the father of her son. She must have seen my confusion because she adds, “There was a mix up at the clinic, Jasper is my son’s father, though it’s a long story, and one probably best left for another day. Enough to say that The Sons won’t take any shit from The Hyenas.”
“I’m really sorry that happened to you. I spent my life wishing that I’d been born into a normal family, you know?”
“I do. The thing is, normal is overrated.”
I let out a laugh before I think. “I guess you’re right. It’s not club life that I hate. It’s the abuse, coercive control, and constant grifting that bothers me. My father’s club is dangerous.”
“They were dangerous, even before your father became their club president,” she states knowingly.
I gesture towards the front gates. “How scared should I be right now? Can they break through the gates?”
She thinks about it for a minute before answering. “Last time they attacked our compound, two brothers ended up in the hospital and one Hyena ended up dead. But back then we didn’t have you on our side. Jasper told me you were generous with intel on the Hyenas. I’m sure that’s going to make a difference.”
She pats me on the shoulder and says, “Hang tough, Nora. Don’t let the Hyenas get inside your head.”
When she walks away, my hand drifts down to my stomach. This baby growing inside me must be protected. That means that no matter what, I can’t go back to my father. I don’t want the life the Hyenas have to offer for me or my child.
