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But their expressions told me everything I needed to know. “Nothing yet,” Compass admitted, his frustration palpable. “Fade and I were going to touch base with some contacts yesterday, but we’ve been a little busy.”
I nodded grimly. “Well, get unbusy and find the scumbag. If we know for sure that Faye left on her own, then there isn’t anything else we can do for her.”
“She was dealing with shit after finding out Anthony was the one responsible for the gym explosion. Maybe she just needed some time away to clear her head,” Dice suggested optimistically.
“The least we can do is take care of Anthony, so we don’t have to worry about him going after her again if she did take off on her own,” I affirmed, my resolve hardening.
Compass and Fade nodded in agreement, their determination matching my own. “You got it, Bossman,” Fade assured me.
Shifting gears, Smoke brought up the pressing issue of the garage. “What about the garage? We’re losing money each day; we’re not pushing cars out.”
“I gotta get a call in to the insurance, and then we’ll move forward with the rebuild,” I replied, mentally calculating our next steps. “Until then, just keep your pockets tight, fellas. I’m hoping we’ll only be down a couple of months, but it’s really going to be up to the insurance.”
Thankful for the foresight of insuring the clubhouse and garage, I silently cursed the setbacks that had brought us to this point.
Stretch then raised the topic of Dove’s missing father, prompting Throttle to respond. “Nothing, and we haven’t seen anything about him on the news, so Dove is hopeful his plan of just lying low is working.”
“Have her get in touch with him in a couple of days,” I instructed Throttle. “We are going to need to talk to him again to see what info he can give us on Boone and Gibbs.”
Throttle nodded in acknowledgment. “You got it.”
As the weight of our conversation settled over us, I sighed heavily. “I think that’s it then.”
With all the talk going on, a small beacon of normalcy emerged as Sloane announced the arrival of snacks.
“We’ve got snacks!” she called out, drawing our attention away from the burdens of our reality, if only for a moment.
The atmosphere in the clubhouse shifted as the girls approached, bearing trays laden with snacks fit for a king’s feast. Crackers, cheese, and a generous assortment of sliced meats adorned the platters, enticing us like starving wolves. Without hesitation, my brothers and I descended upon the food, our hunger momentarily overpowering the weight of our troubles.
I managed to snag a plate and fill it with some of the savory offerings, mindful of Poppy’s preferences. With the plate in hand, I made my way down the hallway to her room, a space that technically belonged to both of us.
But the sight that met my eyes was not what I anticipated. Instead of the sound of water cascading against the tiles, the room was filled with silence, broken only by the soft rhythm of Poppy’s breathing. She lay sprawled across the bed, fully dressed, her form illuminated by the soft glow filtering through the window.
Approaching her bedside, I set the plate of food down on the dresser, my gaze lingering on her peaceful form. Despite the bruises marring her delicate features, there was a serene beauty to her slumber. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, a stark contrast to the tumultuous world outside these walls.
In that moment, as I stood by her side, a sense of calm washed over me. The worries and burdens of the club, the dangers lurking in the shadows, seemed to fade into the background. For a brief moment, all that mattered was the woman lying before me, her vulnerability a stark reminder of the fragility of life.
Poppy had endured hardships that would have broken lesser souls, yet here she lay, a testament to her resilience. Despite the darkness that had threatened to consume her, she had emerged stronger, her spirit unbroken.
And as I watched over her sleeping form, a vow formed in my heart. I would not be the next person to let her down. I would be the one to protect her, to shield her from the storms that raged outside these walls. Whatever dangers lurked in the shadows, I would face them head-on, for her sake.
In that moment, as the world outside faded away, I knew that I would do whatever it took to keep her safe. For Poppy was not just another woman caught in the crossfire of our world; she was the light that guided me through the darkness, the anchor that kept me grounded in a sea of chaos.
And as I stood by her side, watching over her slumber, I made a silent promise to myself. No matter what the future held, I would be there for her, every step of the way. For in her, I had found something worth fighting for, something worth protecting with every fiber of my being.
Poppy
The darkness enveloped me as I stirred from sleep, the unfamiliar surroundings momentarily disorienting. Panic gripped me for a fleeting moment before the realization dawned upon me—I was in Yarder’s room at the clubhouse.
A low, rumbling snore echoed from the nearby couch, drawing my attention. Quietly, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to where Yarder lay, his form illuminated by the dim light filtering through the window. Asleep, he seemed almost vulnerable, the blanket draped haphazardly over his half-clad form.
Shirtless, only in black sweatpants, Yarder appeared far less intimidating in slumber. In this moment, he seemed almost approachable, a stark contrast to the rough and tumble exterior he presented to the world. And yet, despite his gruff exterior, Yarder had taken it upon himself to become my personal savior.
I had always dreamed of a hero, someone who would swoop in during my darkest moments and whisk me away to safety. But life had taught me early on that such fantasies were nothing more than childish illusions. Until Yarder entered my life.
He owed me nothing, and yet he had taken it upon himself to protect me, to shield me from the dangers that lurked in the shadows. And what had I done in return? Gotten myself tangled up with dangerous men, unwittingly leading them straight to the doorstep of the man who had become my unlikely guardian.
Real smooth, Poppy, I chided myself inwardly, a pang of guilt gnawing at my conscience.
