Page 35 of Peaks and Promises

“We’ll tackle that later.”

“If it was just Buzz and Hammer, I’d assume they’d be gone by then. They never stick around long. Axel…is another story.”

“This doesn’t smell like a quick in and out. They’re not here to remind you they can still find you. They’re here for Nate.”

A sick feeling spread through me. “I know. If I thought I could get rid of Axel by letting him take Nate out to lunch, I might try to talk Nate into it. As long as I could stand outside and wait for him. But I know how these guys operate.”

“Asshole won’t stop at lunch. If you let him anywhere with your son, you might not see him again.”

Worry washed over me, and I pressed my hand to my forehead. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Reese shifted closer, and his hand twitched—almost like he was going to reach out and give me a reassuring caress. But he didn’t.

“First thing, we’ll get over to your place so you can pack some of your things. I want you to stay here until this is over.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but he interrupted before I could get a word out.

“Don’t tell me I don’t have to do that,” he said. “I know I don’t. But I’m going to.”

“But sleeping on the couch…” Trailing off, I gestured toward the living room.

He raised his eyebrows. “I’ve slept in much worse places than my own couch. It’s fine.”

“Okay, we’ll stay here. But then what? Just wait until Axel gives up and leaves? What if he doesn’t?”

“I’m going to make a call. I have friends who can help us out. But this is tricky. We need to get rid of them without bringing down the wrath of the entire club.”

“How?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m hoping that call will provide some insight.”

It would have been comforting to hear that Reese already had a plan, but more than that, I appreciated his honesty. He wasn’t bullshitting me to make himself look good. This was a tough situation, and we both knew it.

The bedroom door opened, and Nate came shuffling down the hall, rubbing his eyes.

“You’re up early,” I said. “I thought you might sleep in a little.”

He shrugged and wandered over to the couch.

“Morning, chief,” Reese said.

Something about Reese’s greeting perked Nate up. He gave him a sleepy smile. “Morning.”

“We’re going to have to hit up the grocery store, too,” Reese said. “I’m not used to having company.”

“Don’t worry. I’m an expert cupboard scrounger. Mind if I take a look?”

He stepped aside. “Be my guest.”

His kitchen wasn’t as empty as he’d implied. I’d dealt with worse. I put together breakfast for the three of us—sliced cheddar, some cubed ham, and cottage cheese—and afterward, we piled into his SUV to run our errands.

My stomach tingled with nervousness when the garage door lifted. I knew Axel wasn’t out front waiting for us. But I still half expected to hear the roar of bike engines and find ourselves surrounded by Axel and his club brothers.

Nothing happened when Reese backed out, and we didn’t see any sign of them on the way to my apartment complex.

Reese checked carefully before parking. No bikes. It was early. If I had to guess, they were still asleep at some cheap motel.

We went upstairs and Reese kept watch while Nate and I packed our bags. I didn’t know how long we’d be away, so I did my best. Before we left, I made sure Nate had actually packed necessities—especially clean socks and underwear—and not just toys. To his credit, he did a good job. His duffel bag was stuffed with clothes, and he’d even remembered his toothbrush.