Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Mace raises an eyebrow. "All of us?"
I meet his eyes steady. "All the patched and prospects head to Miami by tonight. I take Tia somewhere else. Somewhere no one finds us. Not even you two."
Ghost studies me for a long beat. He doesn’t argue. Smart. Mace opens his mouth then shuts it again. He knows my tone leaves no room for questions.
"This stays between us," I warn. "The club rolls out looking like the whole operation shifts north. I handle her protection separately. No leaks. No trails."
Mace exhales through his nose. "You sure about going dark alone with her?"
"She stays with me." The words come raw and final. "No one touches her. I make damn sure of it."
They both nod. Orders start rolling out quiet and efficient. Brothers will pack light. Engines will roar toward Miami before the sun drops. I stay rooted at the console longer. I review the logs with them. Timestamps on the lost shipment. Deleted message threads pulled from phones. Every piece circles tighter around Finn and his Cartel connections. The rot inside my club runs deeper than I want to admit.
Mace pulls up another layer of feeds. "Miami confirms space. Secure wing ready for the full crew."
"Good. Lock it in. Full relocation." I straighten and roll my shoulders. The cut feels tight across my back. "I’ve got my own route for Tia."
Ghost meets my stare. Silent understanding passes between us. He knows what it means when I go this quiet.
11
Tia
I wake up slowly in a bed that feels too big and too cold. My hand reaches across the sheets searching for the solid wall of muscle that held me through the night. Nothing. Just empty space and cool fabric. My eyes snap open. The room looks the same but Kraken’s gone.
Kevin sits on the nightstand right beside the bed. His little spider plant leaves stretch toward me like a quiet hello. A smile breaks across my face before I can stop it. Kraken brought him in here for me. The big scary biker president who barks orders and carries guns actually carried my houseplant so I wouldn’t wake up alone. Or maybe Kevin sprouted legs and walked himself across the compound. The ridiculous thought makes me giggle out loud. Either way the gesture feels huge. Warmth spreads through my chest like sunshine after a storm. Fuzzy butterflies tumble around in my stomach. He thought of me. He did something small and sweet in the middle of all this darkness.
I hug my knees to my chest for a second and just smile at Kevin. "You have a soft spot for grumpy bikers too, huh buddy?"
I slide out of bed and pad into the bathroom on bare feet. My ankle feels better this morning. I splash water on my face and brush my teeth. My reflection looks rumpled and wide eyed but somehow lighter than yesterday. I pull on clean shorts and a soft tank top from my backpack. The cartoon kraken on the bag watches me with its sunglasses.
The door opens just as I finish. Kraken fills the frame. Tall and broad and radiating that alpha energy that makes my knees feel unreliable. His eyes sweep over me once.
"We’re leaving the compound," he says. His voice sounds dangerously quiet. "It’s no longer safe here."
My stomach flips. "Leaving? Right now? Where are we going?"
He steps inside and closes the door behind him. The space shrinks with him in it. "I’ll tell you along the way. We move fast."
I nod even though questions bubble up fast in my head. He doesn’t offer more and I know better than to push right now. I grab the last few things from around the room. My mismatched socks go into the bag. Kraken watches every move I make. His presence feels steady. Protective. Like no matter where we go he’ll keep the bad things away. I zip everything up and sling the bag over my shoulder. Kevin comes with me of course. I tuck him carefully into the side pocket so his leaves don’t get crushed.
"Ready," I say after a minute. My voice comes out softer than I mean it to.
He takes my backpack from me without asking. His fingers brush mine and send little sparks up my arm. We walk down the hall together. The compound feels tense and quiet. Men move with purpose loading bikes and trucks. No one stops us. Kraken leads me out to the lot where his Harley waits. Black chrome gleams under the morning sun. The engine looks like it could eat miles and spit out trouble.
He swings a leg over the seat and holds out a helmet to me. "Put this on."
I take it and slide it over my head. The fit feels snug. Safe. I climb on behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. Solid muscle meets my hands.