Page 69 of Break Out

Grabbing the cart, I halted her progress. “They found us already. We need to be where I can protect you.”

She twisted her body so she could put a hand on her hip. “And we can do that at my place. However they found us, they probably already know where I live.”

The mom with her two kids pushed past us and I waited until she was out of earshot. “My bike stands out, Simone.”

She nodded. “Right, and seeing as it’s parked outside my apartment, that means the die is cast. Let’s have these mofos arrested or take them out ourselves.”

I shook my head. “This is real life, Jade, not some episode of a biker show.”

She straightened. “Believe me, I know that. But I told you I fight back when someone fucks with my family.”

A warm sensation gathered in my chest. “I’m not your family.”

Her brows arched. “You’re my baby-daddy, so think again, tough guy.”

She motored the cart out of the aisle and moved toward the check-out. I couldn’t remember the last time a woman was so stubborn. For some bizarre reason, I enjoyed the fuck out of that about her.

I stopped the cart. “Will you humor me and go to the clubhouse tonight?”

She grinned. “Sure, if it’s the Riot clubhouse. First, we need to pay for the food.”

“We need to ditch the cart and go, Simone.”

“Why? So they can follow us and we’ll have bare cupboards. You could call Warden or Jackhammer to help you out.”

That was the next thing I was going to do… maybe an MC princess wasn’t the right choice for me.

At my lengthy silence, she aimed a shy smile at me. “Oh, did I take the wind out of your sails with that one. Sorry. I’ve spent most of my life watching Dad call in brothers for support or handle ‘situations’ that I wasn’t supposed to know about.”

I dug a credit card out of my wallet. “Go pay for the damn food.”

In the parking lot, I wished the sun had already set. Instead, there was more than enough light for bystanders to see Scar and Pump standing at Simone’s SUV along with a third man. He had his back to us and no club colors stitched on his cut.

“You know this new guy?” I asked.

“Shit, that’s Rafferty,” Simone hissed.

“He got a thing for you?”

She laughed. “Not a chance. He’d tell you otherwise, but he’s got a thing for Alexandra.”

“Then, why’s he following you?”

“If I had to guess because he thinks it’ll make him look good to my Dad and the other brothers. They haven’t approved him to be a prospect yet.”

I wondered why they’d keep him from prospecting, but kept focused on the situation at her vehicle. “How would he know to follow you? Did you realize he was following us?”

“No to your last question, and I have no idea how he’d know to tail us. Maybe he thought I’d lead him to Alexandra.”

“Not likely. How about you hang back at the doors?”

She pointed a sly smile my way. “Not likely, tough guy.”

I sighed. “Keep your damn gun in your purse, then.”

She faced forward. “I make no promises.”

“Jade,” I said in a warning tone as we came within earshot of the men.

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