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“Seems so. The ranch hands were likely staking out the clinic, hoping we’d show up.”
“But they didn’t attack once you showed up?”
“There were patrol cars across the street. Once they cleared out, the attack began.”
“And who the fuck is driving you?”
I glance at Goose and sigh. She smirks at my frustration since she’s gotten the same grumpy responses from her brother.
“One of the local bikers. Austen and her friend are with us. I feel like I’ve already explained this twice now.”
“Well, excuse the fuck out of me,” he texts back. “I was under the impression you two were planning to go in quiet.”
“We did. But the assholes were already here. It’s not like we know how many there are or what they look like.”
Ruin goes quiet for a few minutes, allowing me a chance to admire Austen at my side. She’s still wrapped up in a blanket. Her hair has gone from sopping to merely damp. She’s so sexy wet.
At a light, Austen’s gaze flashes to my face. A tiny smile warms her expression. Even after her clinic was torched, she still looks at me like I’m a prize.
Of course, Austen understands how if those guys attacked Coco and her before we showed, things would have turned out very differently. Her mom never would have had a chance to call in favors.
I glance outside as we sit at the light. We’ve been driving for a while. Traffic barely moved as everyone comes home from work and others head out for the night.
It’s gotten better since we traveled past the center of town. Banta City’s bright lights and skyscrapers fall back as we reach more residential areas.
Austen lives in the swankiest part of town. Her mom’s estate includes a metal fence and other security features. I don’t know if Suzanne Knutsen employs a security team. If not, she can certainly afford to hire one.
All that money is enough to keep Austen safe. Maybe that’s the real reason I’m on edge. Not Ruin’s pissed-off texts or the bikers escorting us. I’m mostly worried I won’t be able to convince Austen to return to McMurdo Valley with me.
Logically, she might be safer here. Whatever caused a rift with Urick still seems raw. Why should she leave her home and face a man who hurt her?
If she won’t go, will I stay in this place? Yes, I probably will. I need to know Austen better. She feels like a prize I’ve gone too long without claiming.
I suspect she views me in the same way. We have a connection. Maybe we’re too different to work. People don’t click for a lot of reasons, but I need to try.
Coco has been abnormally quiet in the back seat. She kept talking and talking after the bikers showed up. Once the cats were taken away by a biker they called “Pork Chop,” she silenced her tongue. She’s been as quiet as Austen.
I wonder if she’s worried about what happens next. I don’t think she’s a rich chick like Austen. Is she worried about losing her job? Or does Austen have the means to find another place and reopen quickly?
The Backcountry Kings idle on their rides as we sit at another light. We picked up a few new ones when we reached downtown. There are more sitting with us at the light than exist in the Steel Berserkers. McMurdo Valley isn’t a big town. We never needed a large club, and our core group has been friends since we were kids.
Despite some tension back at the clinic, I don’t think these bikers give a shit about Goose and me. We aren’t a threat. This display is all about pleasing Suzanne Knutsen.
I can’t imagine how the rich ballbuster will view me romancing her daughter. That’s another problem waiting for me once we leave this holding pattern we’ve been in since traffic sucked up the last hour.
Thinking back to the Backcountry Kings’ president and VP, I noticed how Noble did all the talking. I don’t think I heard Zoot speak once.
Smirking, I recall all the times when Armor would stand behind Ruin as our president made speeches. As soon as Ruin shut up, Armor took over. The men share a natural rapport after thirty years of friendship.
My pang of homesickness surprises me. I’ve traveled before. I’m known to get restless and flee McMurdo Valley. Yet, after six hours in Banta City, I’m already desperate to go home.
I probably just miss knowing how things work. When someone attacks the club there, I’m sure how to handle myself. Our allies are clear. But here in Banta City, I don’t know where the real power lies.
“Thank God,” Coco mutters as we reach the Knutsen estate’s front gates.
Soon, we roll up to a mansion tucked away past a long line of trees. Parked in the circular driveway, the SUV shuts off. The motorcycles continue to idle around us. A group of people standing on the porch rushes forward.
Austen is quickly ushered out of the SUV and inside the house. I’m surprised by how quicky she disappears from my sight. Coco shuffles behind the flurry of activity.
