Page 34 of Grim Justice

It was his sweet, protective side Nylah loved. And Rael took his position as SAA of the club seriously, ensuring every member and their families were always safe. It was exhausting, but he seemed to handle it well. Maybe that was the crazy in him.

He had energy I could only dream about.

“Since you’re there, be useful.”

I shoved all of my shopping items into his arms.

“Trish,” he warned. “I can’t have my hands full like this.”

“Then grab a basket,” I answered sweetly.

He made a show of being put out, grabbing one of the baskets, and standing at my side.

“I just have to pick up the script, and we can leave.”

“Thank fuck.”

I had Creed’s prescription and the bags in my hand when I turned and faced the door, catching the mirror on the wall to my right, closest to the exit. Tingling broke out on the back of my neck. And that was when I saw him.

I will never forget what he looked like after our odd meeting. It wasn’t until after he left that I realized how dangerous the situation had become. Nobody at the party figured it out until it was too late.

Tilting my head to the side, I sized the guy up, wondering who he was and why he approached me without Grim. He was average as far as appearance went. He had short dark hair, a medium build, a little scruff on his face, and plain brown eyes. He wasn’t handsome, and he wasn’t ugly—someone who just blended into the crowd.

There was something odd about this guy and his demeanor. He must have been a friend of someone I didn’t know because I’d never seen him before, and we had plenty of these gatherings in recent weeks. The bikers didn’t attend before today because it was usually just the employees from the Blacktop.

“You two close?”

He didn’t answer my question, instead asking another of his own, gazing into my eyes with a twisted smile that made my gut clench in warning. His voice dropped low and held an edge I wasn’t comfortable around. I scooted over on the bench, farther away from where he was seated, and he narrowed his eyes, contemplating the movement.

“Smart. Not safe to talk to strangers, right?” There was a brief chuckle that lacked humor, and then he shrugged. “No worries, darlin’. You’re not the fish I want to catch.”

“I should find my friends.”

“Yes, you should.” He slowly stood and rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck as he ticked his head in my direction. “I’ll be seeing you around, honey.”

Feeling bold, I swallowed hard and didn’t move, standing my ground even when I fought the urge to flee. “What name should I tell Grim?”

Neither of us was a fool. This guy had a vendetta or wanted to cause trouble. Maybe he was playing his own demented game.

“Razr.”

He could have killed me. Grim only left me alone for a few minutes. Members of the Royal Bastards were present at that party. I should have been protected. I was supposed to be protected . . .but I wasn’t. Razr took advantage of a vulnerable moment. I never forgot what he looked like or the sound of his scratchy voice.

“Rael?”

“Yeah?”

“You have your gun, right?”

He stiffened beside me. “Yeah. Why?”

“Look up at the mirror.”

These pharmacy stores were all similar, with huge round mirrors in the corners that reflected whole sections of the store. A theft deterrent. They revealed sneaky hands and suspicious individuals.

Right now? The mirror revealed Grim’s greatest enemy.

“Oh, fuck.”

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