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I had seen the clubhouse secured before, but never like this. Men moved quickly around the yard, checking the fence line and positioning vehicles in front of the gates. One prospect climbed onto the roof above the garage while another swept a torch across the trees beyond the compound.

Leighton parked near the entrance, and before he had switched off the engine, Mason was already out of his truck. The front door opened, and two more prospects appeared at the back. One helped Kate climb down carefully while she held Noah’s car seat. The other came toward me.

“I don’t need help,” I warned.

He stopped. “Wasn’t going to offer.”

“Liar.” His mouth twitched, but he wisely said nothing.

I slid out slowly, biting back a wince when my feet hit the ground. The movement pulled painfully across my chest, and for one embarrassing second I had to grip the door to remain upright.

Leighton noticed. His hand hovered near my elbow without touching me. That somehow annoyed me more than if he had grabbed me.

“I’m fine.”

“Never said you weren’t,” he muttered, still hovering.

Lucy came around the truck and slipped an arm around my waist before I could protest. “You can argue with everyone inside.”

Together we walked toward the clubhouse. The moment we stepped inside, conversation stopped. A handful of club girls were scattered around the bar and pool tables, dressed for a normal night at the Dead Knights. Music still played through the speakers, and someone had left half-finished drinks along the counter. For them, the night had continued as usual.

Lucy’s expression hardened. “Out.”

Riley near the bar blinked. “What?”

“You heard me.”

Riley glanced toward the prospects behind us. “We’re waiting for the brothers.”

“They’re not coming back here for you.” Lucy’s voice remained calm, but there was something in it that made every person in the room pay attention.

Riley smirked. “Reaper said we could⁠—”

“I don’t care what he said before tonight.” Lucy stepped farther into the room. “The clubhouse is locked down. Families and club only.”

Riley folded her arms. “We’re part of the club.”

“No,” Lucy said, “you’re not.”

Silence followed and the woman’s face flushed. I thought she might argue, then she looked toward the armed prospects securing the windows and apparently decided against it.

The women collected their bags and jackets, muttering quietly as they headed towards the door. Riley glanced toward me, her eyes lingering on the dried blood in my hair and the jacket wrapped around my shoulders. Whatever question she had died before reaching her mouth.

Raven, Honey, and Sasha hovered. “You ladies are welcome to stay. You are, in fact, part of the family.” Lucy smiled warmly. They had become close when Lucy first came back and worked at the new, legitimate businesses.

The door opened just long enough for the others to leave before a prospect locked it again. The bolt sliding into place sounded unnaturally loud.

Lucy crossed to the sound system and switched it off. The sudden quiet changed the entire room. Without music, laughter and the noise of the brothers, the clubhouse felt hollow. The pool tables stood empty beneath the lights. Half-full glasses remained abandoned across the bar and cigarette smoke lingered near the ceiling.

Prospects checked every entrance, curtains were pulled across the windows, the back doors were bolted. Radios crackled softly as positions were confirmed. For the first time, the clubhouse didn’t feel like a bar or a home. It felt like a bunker. The club girls sat together in a booth toward the back of the club.

Kate adjusted Noah’s seat in her arms. “I’m taking him upstairs.”

Mason had remained near the entrance, talking quietly with Leighton. He looked over immediately. “I’ll come with you.”

Kate shook her head. “You need to help them.”

His gaze dropped to Noah. For a moment, he looked torn, knowing Finn would kill him if anything happened to them.