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"All right," Jake's voice booms. "Let's get down to business." At his order, the room falls silent once more. "Any leads on our unwelcome guest who is now becoming compost as we speak?"
"Nothing," Reid reports. "The only evidence we obtained was camera footage of their getaway vehicle runnin' a red light on the night of the robbery at the bakery, which you're aware of."
"None of our street informants noticed any unfamiliar people in town recently," Austin adds.
Jake blows out a breath. "I don't like not knowing who those fuckers belonged to."
"Maybe they were lying about a club. Fear can make a man say anything." Quinn drums his fingers against the table.
Logan strokes his beard. "No. They never broke. Like it or not, the bastards are loyal to someone. We can chalk up not wearin' colors to hiding their connection to a club. No matter how cowardly we think it is, it's a strategic move that keeps criminal activities from being traced back to others."
"Agree." Jake nods. "And the fucker who got away no doubt headed back to where he came from, leaving us looking behind our backs, waiting for shit to hit the fan. And, for once in our lives, we have no goddamn idea which direction we should focus on." His brows draw together, making the crease between his eyes more prominent. Prez releases a frustrated breath. "We keep doing what we do. Keep our eyes and ears open. We have extra cameras placed in every nook and cranny we can think of, and the townspeople are also talkin' and more vigilant about outsiders."
Around the table, heads nod.
"Now, let's talk about our other piece of business. This young woman we have in our clubhouse who says she is Blake's sister." Jake swivels in his chair to face me. "I take it you believe her?"
I shrug. "I have no reason not to. My father wasn't faithful. Him knockin' another woman up wouldn't be a shocker."
"I didn't like how she reacted to my presence. The fact that she's conditioned to speak only if spoken to around club members means she's very familiar with the lifestyle. She's young, can't be no more than sixteen, which means she ran off."
"And someone will come looking for her." Tension builds at the base of my skull. I may have gained a sister, but she carries with her things better left in the past. "What if—"
Jake quickly interrupts. "Then we will deal with it. Together. As a club. As your family." He leans forward on his chair. "You got me?"
"I got you." I maintain eye contact with him.
"Good." He jerks his chin. "Go get your sister. We need to have a chat."
I knew this part was coming. I stand then walk out of the room. No one is in the common area, but I hear chattering from the kitchen, so I head in that direction. There, I find all the women and my sister gathered around the table.
"Hey, Blake," Grace greets with a warm smile, and I acknowledge her with a nod.
My eyes fall on my sister. "Bellamy."
She puts her cup on the table. "Yeah?"
"Prez needs to talk with you," I say, and her face falls. "You're not in any trouble, kiddo."
Bella places her hand on Bellamy's forearm. "You've got nothing to be afraid of, sweetie. Jake is a kind man. All of them are good men."
Bellamy pushes up from the table and walks over. Before leaving the kitchen, I seek out Ember, making eye contact. Her smile calms the chaos inside my head. Too soon, I pull my attention from her beautiful face, shift my focus to my sister, and escort her to Church.
I pause outside the door. "You aware of what's about to happen?"
"Yes."
"We need a few answers, kiddo. Just be honest. Nothing you say goes beyond those four walls unless you want it to, all right?"
Bellamy takes a cleansing breath, preparing herself to face my brothers. "Okay."
I open the door and guide her inside. She scans the room, glancing at each set of eyes staring back at her. I pull my chair out for her to sit, then stand behind her, putting my hand on her shoulder for support.
Jake's eyes soften. "How you doin' sweetheart?"
"I'm okay."
"Good. I'm not going to drag this out. What do you say we start with the basics?" Jake asks, and Bellamy nods. "What's your full name and age?" Jake eases back in his seat.
