Page 98 of Break Out

I wasn’t that close to the room, so I shuffled my feet and called out, “Steel?”

“In here,” he called.

I padded that way and leaned against the doorway. “Hey, Raff. How’s it goin’?”

Seemed I wasn’t the only one who could pick up on tone. “It’s goin’ great, Simone. Something bothering you?”

“No.”

Steel’s eyes caught mine. “You overhear some things?”

“Hard not to in this house. The floor plan is rather open.”

His jaw shifted and he rubbed his cheek. “I’m letting that slide, but you’ve noticed how much I like privacy. Don’t get in a habit of doing that.”

I wanted to ask ‘or what,’ but he had a point. Keeping his business private mattered, and I needed to respect that.

Rafferty asked, “Why do you live in the middle of nowhere?”

Steel chuckled. “Not the middle of nowhere, but this type of set-up provides extra security. Nobody comes here by mistake. Not even UPS.”

Rafferty nodded. “That’s smart.”

A gleam hit Steel’s eyes. “You gotta be smart to lead an entire MC.”

“Yeah. Are you hitting the clubhouse tonight?” Rafferty asked.

Steel shrugged. “Not sure yet, but you feel free. Should be a bonfire tonight – you’ll get the full Devil Lancer hang-around experience before you decide to prospect.”

Rafferty’s eyes cut to me and back to Steel. “Back in the day, my family had an issue with your Jacksonville brothers.”

Steel dipped his chin. “That chapter was shut down for three years because of that.”

“Are all of those members gone? Or did some transfer to other cities?”

“What are you asking?”

“Prospects have to eat shit. I want to know if I’ll be eating shit from an asshole who fucked with my cousin who was seventeen at the time.”

Steel’s sharp gaze on Rafferty made me uncomfortable, but Raff withstood it. “You got a grudge?”

Rafferty scoffed. “Wouldn’t you? But yeah, that’s the issue. Those assholes will assume I have one and that I’m joining in order to carry out a vendetta or some shit.”

Steel crossed his arms on his chest. “They find out you’re related to the Riot, they’ll assume that anyway.” His eyes slid to me for a beat. “The way you two are together, it’s gonna come out.”

“Doesn’t that put him in danger?” I asked instinctively. I knew Rafferty could handle himself, but I still felt protective.

They spoke simultaneously.

Rafferty said, “Don’t worry about me.”

Steel said, “Sure, but he withstands it, he’ll prove himself in a way few other brothers have.”

I nodded.

Rafferty shook his head at me. “You didn’t ask if it puts you in danger.”

I grinned. “Don’t worry about me.”

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