Page 23 of Whiskey

“I meant it when I said this wasn’t your fault,” he growled, brushing a lock of hair from my forehead. “I could’ve prevented this if I’d paid the asshole off or put him in the ground for being a possible threat to Corinne. So if you’re gonna blame someone, then you need to hold me accountable.”

“You couldn’t possibly have known anything would happen to her,” I disagreed, shaking my head.

“And neither could you,” he pointed out.

“I suppose you’re right,” I grumbled. Some of my crushing guilt eased, but I knew it wouldn’t disappear completely until we got Corinne back.

“You bet your sweet ass I am.” He gave me a quick kiss. “It’s not the right time, but when all this is over, you’re gonna wear my vest and my ring. And you’ll have my last name before our next baby is born.”

I hated that it had taken something as drastic as Corinne being kidnapped for us to finally give voice to our feelings for each other. But I loved knowing that Zane wanted the same future with me that I was dreaming about with him. “I want all of that.”

He brushed his lips against mine again. “Just got word your property patch was ready this morning. I shoulda had it before now, but I was focused on getting my girls settled into our new house. And with Sheila and Tank out of town, she didn’t get to it until a couple of days ago. Already got your ring, though. It’s waiting for me to slide it on your finger when we get home—you, me, and Corinne.”

I looked forward to seeing what he’d picked out for me, but not until our girl was safe. “Thank goodness she likes to sleep in the car so much. Maybe she won’t wake up before you get her back.”

“Have faith in the Iron Rogues, baby. My club brothers will move heaven and earth to help me find Corinne, so it’s not gonna be long at all,” he assured me, placing his palm against my lower back. “C’mon, I need to get you to the clubhouse so you’ll be safe when I get word on where our baby girl is.”

He guided me toward the SUV, but I shook my head. Lifting my hands, I showed him how shaky they were. “I don’t think I can drive. I’m too upset.”

“Don’t worry.” He rounded the vehicle and opened the passenger door. “I’m gonna be the one behind the wheel.”

“What about your bike?” I asked as he helped me into the vehicle.

“A prospect is driving Viper over. He’ll ride it back to the compound for me.”

His answer surprised me because I’d been with Zane long enough to know that nobody rode his bike except for him. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and I appreciated that he was making an exception to his rule for me. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you and Corinne, baby,” he murmured as he buckled my seat belt before closing the door and rounding the front of the vehicle.

As soon as he was inside, he pulled away from the curb and headed straight for the Iron Rogues compound. They had extra men at the gate, and I took comfort from seeing their familiar faces.

Wrecker waved us through before making sure the gate closed behind the SUV. A crowd awaited us at the clubhouse, several old ladies making a beeline for my door after Zane parked. They ushered me into the building while the men talked. I turned down Dahlia’s offer for something to drink or eat and sat on the couch with my knees drawn against my chest.

Zane came to check on me a few minutes later. “You doin’ okay, baby?”

“Not really,” I whispered, shaking my head. “But don’t worry about me. I don’t want to distract you from what’s important. Focus on getting Corinne back. I’ll be fine.”

“We’ll make sure she’s good,” Molly promised him as she and Dahlia sat on either side of me, taking my hands in theirs.

Zane gave me a quick kiss, and then I watched him stalk away, praying that they’d find our baby girl before anything bad could happen to her.

13

WHISKEY

“He pulled into a shit motel a few miles up the road from where Jake lost him,” Deviant told me, pointing at his computer screen. It was frozen on a shot of Kenny in the parking lot, holding Corinne’s baby carrier.

Rage like I’d never known blew through me, and I spun around, putting my fist through the nearest wall. “Fuck!” I bellowed.

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, taking a deep breath, but only managing to calm down a mere fraction. When I reopened my eyes, I looked to my prez for permission.

Fox nodded. “Nobody fucks with the family of an Iron Rogue.”

I nodded my thanks, then muttered, “Let’s roll,” before stomping out of Deviant’s office at the clubhouse. Ellery was still sitting on the couch with Mav’s and Fox’s old ladies, so I hurried over and bent down to take her face between my hands.

“Got a lead, baby. Me and the boys are gonna go check it out. Don’t know how long I’ll be, so I need you to stay here, where I know you’re safe.”

Ellery’s hazel eyes filled with tears, and her lip trembled, but she nodded.

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