Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
King considered that for a moment before nodding again. “Good. That buys us time.”
Blaze shifted, his arms still crossed and eyes thoughtful. “But time for what? What's the next move?”
That question was still digging at me—the uneasy feeling in my gut refusing to ease. “There's something else that’s bothering me.”
King raised a brow, waiting for me to elaborate.
“Linden found the discrepancy,” I explained, running a hand roughly through my hair. “But do they really believe she only told me? That I'm the sole person she confided in? Who else do they think knows about this? Because if they're willing to sabotage me and go after Linden, what's their endgame?”
King's eyes narrowed, instantly tracking my line of thought. “You think they might try to clean up anyone else she's talked to.”
I nodded. “Or at least anyone they suspect she talked to. Now that they're fairly certain she's here, they might not care if we're collateral damage. Aegis isn't playing small. They're testing remote overrides on military aircraft. They killed Carson, and who knows how many other pilots. It’s a billion-dollar cover-up. Why stop at one loose end?”
Blaze's jaw tightened. “They won't. They'll target anyone who might know about the cover-up or compromise their agenda. Probably have a contingency for it already.”
“Exactly.” I met King's stare head-on. “They're going to escalate. Whatever they do next will be bigger, messier. If they can't take Linden quietly, they'll do it loudly. They might even come at the club itself—make it look like a feud or a hit that doesn't trace back to them.”
King stood. He was already two steps ahead, his mind processing everything I'd laid out. His eyes met mine, the intensity in them making it clear he was ready for whatever war they brought to our door.
“We're already preparing for that. They won't catch us flat-footed. Echo’s got eyes all over on Aegis. Wizard and Rebel are hunting every digital footprint and surveillance angle they can access. Blaze and Kevlar will be ready for physical security and response if shit hits. Cruze has already acquired its internal, undigitized records, and Linden and Fallon are combing through them for additional information. Ace is still digging deeper into their money trails to see if there's anything else there to give us leverage.” King ran his fingers through his hair. “I have some other ideas, and I’ll get brothers on those as well. We’ll put these motherfuckers in the ground soon enough.”
Blaze nodded, already focused on the steps he needed to take. “They won't get close to Linden again. Or the club.”
“No, they fucking won't,” I growled.
Being blind to their plans was driving me fucking insane. We couldn't fully prep against an attack we knew nothing about.
But as I turned to leave the office, my mind was already racing toward Linden. She was waiting for me—safe for now—but vulnerable in ways that left me fucking terrified. Aegis Aerospace Systems had shown how far they’d go to bury this secret. They'd killed to protect their agenda before. They’d tried to take her already, and she’d been smart enough to call me. But now that they knew where she was, they'd escalate.
The threat wasn't just to Linden anymore.
But it sure as hell started with her.
16
TOMCAT
Iwas barely holding on to the ragged edges of my control. After everything we'd learned about Aegis and the darkness they'd hidden beneath their polished, professional exterior, my skin was crawling with the desperate need to see Linden. Touch her. And reassure myself that she was safe, secure, and mine. I couldn't shake the image of her hurt or in danger, and it had wound me tighter than a spring.
I stalked through the clubhouse toward the kitchen, my pulse hammering and every muscle in my body locked tight. My mind was filled with vivid thoughts of Linden beneath me, her body pliant and trembling as I claimed her again and again. She was an addiction that had gotten under my skin quicker than I thought possible.
After pushing through the door, my eyes immediately locked on her. She stood at the kitchen counter with Stella, carefully spreading icing over a pan of cinnamon rolls. Her honey-brown hair was loose, curling softly over her shoulders, and she laughed softly at something Stella had said. The sound was sweet, cutting straight through the tension that had knotted itself painfully in my chest.
But it wasn't enough. I needed more. To hold her, to lose myself in the warmth of her body until the dark thoughts finally faded.
Without a word, I strode across the kitchen. Stella glanced up, her eyes widening slightly as she read the intensity in my face. But Linden didn’t notice me until my hands were already reaching for her. She gasped as I scooped her effortlessly into my arms, lifting her from the floor without a second thought.