Page 14 of Cole

I stepped back from the door, not knowing what the hell to think. I looked down and realized that I was still clutching my small handbag. Somehow, I’d managed to hold onto it, despite the madness. This was crazy. How had I gotten mixed up in this?

A bang sounded from outside the room and I jumped, dropping my purse and scattering the contents across the floor. I kept one eye on the door in case it opened and groped for the contents of the bag. What had all been in here? I gripped my keys tightly, like a weapon, and then sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, waiting to see what the hell happened next. Nothing about this night was going as planned.

Thankfully, things seemed to have quieted down. It had to be over, right? Surely, it wouldn’t be so quiet if not. But if that was the case, why wasn’t anyone letting me out? My phone had no service, which wasn’t crazy considering the area just outside of town where The Clutch was. I couldn’t call anyone. I had no idea what was going on.

What if the bad guys had won? The thought suddenly occurred to me. Wait, who were the good guys in this situation?

I shot up, finding it impossible to sit still, and began to pace

four

COLE

“I don’t care where they’ve gone to ground. I want Teddy’s head on a fucking spike before the sun comes up,” I growled at Gage, who was standing at the bar surrounded by broken glass, swigging scotch straight from the bottle. I’d known it was a risk to do business with the Vultures’ biggest supplier, but had been naive enough to think they wouldn’t declare war on us for it. After all, Hutch was the one deciding to step back. Apparently, I’d been wrong.

“Fucking A, but realistically, they knew what they were starting when they came in here. Ask me, the problems with business lately all come back to them. Teddy doesn’t do shit without his father’s approval.”

“Leonard wouldn’t dare.”

“He didn’t. That’s why he had Teddy do it,” Gage retorted.

“The real question is what he was trying to achieve here. Shoot up the bar and damage our business, send a message not to work with Hutch… or actually try and kill you,” Maddox’s slow growl said what we were all thinking.

“Whichever it was, he’ll pay for it,” I muttered. “Check that everyone is ok and get cleanup organized. The cops might come by, but they don’t get inside.”

“You want us to point at the Iron Vultures for this? Wrap Teddy up in questioning for a while?”

I shook my head. “I don’t want him on the cops’ radar. Less trouble when he goes missing.”

“Got it, chief,” Gage announced and walked away, the bottle still in his hand.

Maddox was looking around with a pained expression. He hated disruptions to the calm and orderly life of running the bar and shop, that went somewhat to balancing our chaotic work life. Most of all, he didn’t like seeing people he cared about get hurt.

The next half hour passed in a blur of helping lift damaged tables and checking on the bar’s patrons.

I was heading to the kitchen to grab the first-aid kit when a loud bang from the hall caught my attention.

“Hey! Is someone going to let me out of here?” an indignant voice demanded.

Oh, right. The girl.

The one I’d dumped into that room and locked inside, just in case things went sideways and Teddy’s men somehow managed to inflict significant damage in the clubhouse. At least she’d be safe behind a locked door. Then I remembered how she’d kicked and scratched in my arms as I’d hauled her to safety, and I realized I might have underestimated how well she’d hold her own in a fight. I had a deep bite mark on my palm that told me she’d be just fine.

I went to the door, tucking the first-aid kit under my arm, and unlocked it. I’d barely taken the key out of the lock before it flew open.

She stared up at me, her eyes wide. She had a scratch on her cheek, and her red lipstick was smudged in places. Her clothes were disheveled, as was her hair. She looked, in short, fucking hot all roughed up, like she’d been up to something else entirely, locked in this little bedroom I had hidden away at the bar.

My bedroom.

“You good?” I asked her after a long moment passed where we simply stared at each other.

Her brow scrunched. “Good? You shoved me in here, during a shoot-out, and then forgot to let me out. How would I be good?”

I pushed into the room and she backed up dramatically, nearly tripping over her feet in an effort not to touch me. Interesting. It seemed like Teddy’s little visit might have cured this girl of any romantic notions she’d been holding about MC life.

“It wasn’t safe. I think the words you’re looking for are, ‘Thank you, Cole, for risking your life to make sure I was safe.’”

She scoffed. “Like you’d risk your life for me. I’m no one to you⁠—”