Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 157(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31414 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 157(@200wpm)___ 126(@250wpm)___ 105(@300wpm)
The place was still calm, only humming low since it was early in the evening.
I spotted Hawk by the corner of the bar, arms folded, posture relaxed as he spoke with Maverick, who stood beside him, sipping from a dark tumbler. As if they felt a change in the air, their eyes were locked on me the second I stepped out.
They both clocked my expression instantly, but Hawk moved first.
“What happened?” he growled as he moved toward me.
I didn’t slow down until I was nearly toe-to-toe with them. “Some motherfucker thought it was a good idea to mess with my girl. Now I’m gonna make sure they’re breathin’ their last breath.”
Maverick raised an eyebrow. “Your girl?”
I didn’t blink. “Yeah.”
Hawk looked confused, but Maverick just smirked.
“You want to explain that?” Hawk grunted.
I gave them a quick summary of the situation. “She seems smart as hell but scared. Thought she got away clean, but some supervisor watched her when she left. On the phone and looking like she wanted her gone.”
Maverick’s eyes narrowed, his drink forgotten. “Sounds like they’re covering something. Testing? Trafficking?”
“Could be,” I growled. “I don’t know. But I’m gonna find out. And when I do—”
“You’re gonna light the place up,” Hawk finished for me, but only because of my reputation. He wouldn’t truly get my mindset until he found the one meant for him. Only a brother who’d claimed his woman could understand the stakes.
“Damn right.”
“Savage.” Maverick’s voice was sharp. “You gotta pull back on the reins, brother. We don’t charge in without a plan. We need intel. Need to know who’s involved. If there’s a trail, we follow it.”
I knew he was right, but my reaction to Tamara wasn’t about logic. It was instinct.
“You go off half-cocked, and you risk shit goin’ sideways and making her a bigger target.”
My fists ached from how tight I was clenching them, but I forced myself to breathe. He was right. That didn’t mean I had to like it.
Maverick stepped closer, his voice quieter now. “Is she what I think she is?”
There was no hesitation. “Yeah.”
Hawk blinked, staring at me as though I’d lost my mind, but I ignored him. I didn’t have the time or the desire to justify instincts I couldn’t control.
Maverick nodded once, crossing his arms over his chest. “Then we have your back. No one touches her. I’ll have Fox loop in our contacts. For now, best she stays with us. At the clubhouse. Full protection.”
I didn’t even need to think about it. “Agreed.”
Then he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Worry about your woman for now. You’ll get to burn shit down eventually.”
My jaw ticked as I turned and stormed back to the office. Tamara was still sitting in the same chair, but Lainie had taken my place in the other one. Their heads snapped up when I walked in. Tamara must’ve seen something in my face because her spine straightened.
“You’re coming with us.”
Her brows lifted, and she pursed her lips, blue eyes perplexed. “To where?”
“The compound. Our clubhouse. You’ll be safe there.”
Tamara blinked. “I…what? No. I appreciate the offer, but I can go home. I’ll avoid the clinic. I’ll be fine.”
“No, you fucking won’t,” I growled. “You said it yourself. That bitch was watching you. They probably know you suspect something. That makes you a target.”
“I still have to figure out work. If I can’t go back to the clinic, I need another job. I don’t have to worry about rent, but I can’t live off Lainie for everything else.”
I opened my mouth, ready to shut that argument down hard, but Lainie jumped in before I could.
“I think it’s a good idea,” she said quickly, reaching out to take Tamara’s hand. “I can stay with you for a few days. And it’s temporary. Until the club can figure this stuff out and make it safe for you to come home.”
I didn’t bother correcting her. It wasn’t the right moment to inform Tamara that she would never be leaving.
Tamara looked between us, clearly still uneasy. “I don’t know much about motorcycle clubs, okay? All I know is stuff I’ve seen on TV, what I’ve read in books, and the rumors that made their way around this town while I was growing up. It’s not like you shared much with me, Lainie, which I totally get. But a motorcycle club doesn’t exactly scream ‘safe haven.’”
Lainie rolled her eyes and gave her a crooked smile. “Yeah, well, the Iron Rogues aren’t like other MCs. They don’t do drugs or trafficking. You won’t find slutty club bunnies hanging around either. The old ladies would castrate the guys if they ever saw one there. Family comes first with my brother’s club. And they protect people. Especially those who can’t protect themselves.”
Tamara opened her mouth, probably to argue again, but I was out of patience.