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“Just once. I’m not anxious to see him again. I tagged along with Doom when he needed to go to the Kentucky chapter of The Last Riders. He needed to sign some papers for Train.”

A shiver ran down her spine when Arden started rubbing her arms as if she were cold.

“The only reason I was brave enough to come to The Last Riders’ clubhouse here was because I was concerned about Luc. If I hadn’t been with Doom, I don’t think I would have been brave enough to handle it the same way, even if I was scared for Luc.”

“They were that scary?”

“Yes.” Her hands went to the arms of the chair. “What really freaked me out later was finding out that members who belong to the Ohio chapter had to fight the ones in Kentucky to become members. I’ve seen what kind of shape the new recruits are in when they come back from Kentucky, and those are the ones who come back as members.”

“Do Doom and Wizard go to watch?”

“I think they participated a couple of times when one of the original members wasn’t available or one of the new recruits chose them.”

Natalia laid her head on the desk with a thump. “When I get out of this mess, I’m going to kill you for going to The Last Riders for help instead of coming to me.”

“I went there to ask for Wizard’s help, and unless I’m mistaken, that’s what you did this morning. Who knows? You could end up married to a Last Rider, too,” Arden joked.

Natalia stopped bumping her head to give her an evil look. “Bite your tongue.”

Pretending to lock her lips and throw away the key, Arden rose from the chair. “I’d better get back out there. I’ll try to keep the gossip to a minimum.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

When she opened the door, Natalia saw that Marco was about to knock.

“Come in, Marco.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Not at all,” Natalia assured him. “Arden and I were finished. Have a seat.”

Marco remained standing, waiting until the door closed before speaking. “I only wanted to check on you. I heard about the video.”

“I’m doing fine,” she assured him.

“If there’s anything I can do, I’m more than willing to help.”

“No need. I’m taking care of it.”

Wringing his hands, he looked as if there was something else he wanted to say. Sensing what he was about to ask, she relieved his mind.

“From what I can tell from the video online, Lucia wasn’t shown.”

Relief sprang to his face. “That’s good to know. Our families would be in an uproar if they found out she was in the club.”

She would have to ask Wizard to make sure Lucia wasn’t captured on their surveillance video doing her dance. At the thought, she felt the color leave her face as she remembered what she had been doing before Wizard had carried her to his room. The thought of any police officers seeing her dancing provocatively on a table had her insides curling with embarrassment.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Marco asked with a skeptical glance. “You look like you don’t feel well.”

“I’m sure.”

“Mama, don’t worry about Lucia and my engagement any longer. I don’t want to burden you with my problem when you have so much going on. I feel terrible that you were only at The Last Riders’ to help me …” He wrung his hands until they turned white. “If my father finds out you were there at my instigation …”

His frightened expression had her coming out from behind her desk to place an arm around his shoulders.

“You never told me to go to the club last night. I was the one who offered to watch Lucia. I won’t say anything that could direct your father’s anger toward you. Your families still haven’t found out Lucia has broken the engagement?”

“Not yet.” Marco sighed loudly. “I keep hoping she changes her mind.”