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Rigs taps his phone against his knee in a staccato rhythm. “We take her in, it’s pretty fucking obvious there’s a reason for it. Don’t you think that’ll start a war?”
“It’s been a cold war with Terry for a good decade,” I answer. “Nothing’s gonna change. He’s one man against a fuckin’ club, Rigs.”
“He’s one man with a lot of money and influence to get people to give a shit.” He leans forward, phone slung between his hands. “We all know how it ended when Sailor thought Volkov was nothing to be concerned about.”
The room falls silent.
Nothing more needs to be said. A lot of good people lost their lives that year.
Including my father.
“People will be curious,” Tyke cedes. “But there’s no need for anyone else to go to war over it. Not unless Terry admits why Rae intimidates him, and then he’s more or less broadcastin’ his weakness to the whole state.”
“Still, the added attention could be an issue,” I say.
“You got an idea of how the fuck we protect her, protect what she knows, without anyone questioning why?”
I nod, pinching my bottom lip between my teeth. “I do, but I can’t promise you’re gonna like it.”
7
RAE
“You awake?”
“I answered the phone, didn’t I?” I don’t tell Maddie that I never went to bed.
Don’t tell her I’m seated before my front window, watching the heavily tattooed man who replaced Digger early this morning clean his fingernails with the tip of a large knife as dawn bleeds away from the horizon. There’s a comfort in knowing the club has my well-being at heart, even as they decide whether they’ll help me in the long term. Almost as much as there’s a sickening weight in my gut knowing the man with long hair is only across the road because my ex wants me dead.
At least, his father does.
What does Connor want with me? Who knows? But the options send shivers down my spine.
“That idiot been past at all?”
“Twice.”
I watched Digger push off where he’d leaned against his bike as Connor approached the first time shortly after midnight, one hand behind his back and resting on the gun I’d felt pressed between us the whole ride home. Connor’s truck idled along thestreet, not returning until a mere five minutes after Digger had ridden away.
Which means he watches from a distance. Waiting.
It’s as though he wants to keep me guessing. Wants me lulled into a false sense of security. As though he wants me to duck out, thinking I’m safe.
As though he wants to catch me.
The idea of playing chase suits him. I could imagine that cold-hearted motherfucker hunting me down, his boots pounding the pavement after me as I ran for my life. Only, unlike the erotic novels I’ve read, it wouldn’t end with him fucking me stupid in the darkness between the streetlights. It’d end with him burning his blood-soaked shirt and my frigid body ruining some dawn runner’s day.
“They’ve decided,” Mads states.
It takes me a hot second to summon the courage to ask, “What did they say?”
“You’re coming here.”
I expel a laden breath, eyes slipping shut.There’s hope, after all.“When?” I switch her to speaker, then set the phone on the end of my bed.
“Now. Pack some shit, Rae. I’ll come get you.” She whispers something to someone in the background. “We’llcome get you.”
“You and your uncle?” I start at the thrill that runs through my gut at the thought.
