Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
I barely registered when Callum pulled me against his chest. My whole body had gone cold.
“I don’t understand,” I whispered against his shirt. “Why would someone do this?”
“I don’t know, baby. But I’m gonna find out.”
The conviction in his deep voice kept my tears at bay. At least for now. “Thank you.”
“Stay behind me,” he growled, releasing me only long enough to stride toward the door. His shoulders were tight, his spine was ramrod straight, and his steps were deadly quiet.
I wrapped my arms around my torso and followed, careful to stay close. The back of my throat burned as I spotted the broken pot that had once held a lavender plant from my mother’s garden.
“They didn’t go inside.” Callum scanned the entrance with laser focus. “No damage to the lock. No breach through the windows.”
I pressed my trembling fingers against my lips. “They came here to do all of this without even going inside?”
“They probably knew I upgraded the security,” he explained. “Realized the bug was found and didn’t want to risk getting caught.”
“But they still did it. Because of me.”
He turned so fast I flinched. “No, this is not on you.”
“I should’ve—”
“Absolutely not,” he cut in again, voice rising with a fury I hadn’t seen from him before. “You didn’t do a damn thing wrong. They came after you, Gemma. And they’re my fucking problem. Not yours.”
Any trace of the calm, quiet man I’d woken up beside had been stripped away. Something lethal simmered just beneath the surface, and for the first time, I wondered what he’d do to the person trying to destroy my life. If he’d kill for me.
My breath stuttered.
His eyes locked on mine. “We’ll burn this whole fucking town to the ground before we let anyone else be damaged because of this. You hear me?”
I nodded, unsure if I was more shaken by the damage or the intensity in his vow. A tiny flicker of fear curled in my belly, but it was quickly extinguished. Deep in my bones, I knew he would never hurt me or anyone who didn’t deserve it. But there was no mistaking the edge in his voice. Or the way his eyes had gone cold and flat when he looked at the damage.
All that fury was for me, making me the safest person in Old Bridge because Callum wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who tried to harm me.
I was devastated, shaken, and exhausted, but I took comfort in knowing that no matter what came next, I wouldn’t be facing it alone.
The same couldn’t be said for my clients, though. Until the guys figured out who was doing this, they could still be at risk. And they didn’t even know it.
I turned slowly, taking in the wreckage one last time before whispering, “Should we call the police?”
His jaw tightened as he looked back at me. “No cops.”
I wasn’t surprised by his answer since he’d talked me into keeping them out of everything so far. But I still had to ask after what we’d found here today. And I wasn’t as convinced now that they should still be kept out of it.
I heaved a deep sigh. “Okay.”
“Stone will handle everything,” he added, moving close again to wrap his arms around me.
“Stone?” I echoed. The name was familiar, but I’d met so many guys at the clubhouse that it was difficult to keep them all straight.
“He’s the club lawyer, so he knows how to work the system better than any of us.”
I felt a little better knowing Callum was getting their lawyer involved, just in case things somehow got even worse than they already were. Between Ellen being missing, the bug he found in my studio, and the destruction we were staring at, I didn’t even want to consider what else could go wrong.
Almost as though he could sense the direction my thoughts had taken, Callum’s arms tightened around me. “Stone is damn good at what he does. He’s gotten some of my club brothers out of even more fucked-up situations than this before. And with Ellen missing, he’ll be all in. We don’t mess around when it comes to protecting people who need it. Club or not.”
It finally clicked for me. The Iron Rogues wasn’t just a motorcycle club. They didn’t ask the cops for help because they were the help.
They handled things on their terms and in their own way. Fast and without all the red tape the police had to deal with.
I let out a shaky breath as the guilt I’d been carrying for dragging them into my mess began to loosen its hold. I hadn’t asked for this level of protection, but they hadn’t hesitated to offer it. Calling Lainie had been the best decision I could’ve made. I was lucky to have the Iron Rogues on my side.