Page 45 of Serpentine

Brax is eyeing her as she pulls something up on her screen and shows it to her friend.

His hand grabs mine, and then he’s dragging me through the carnival toward the bike.

“Hey! Brax, slow down!” I snap when he tugs me through crowds of people.

“Hurry the fuck up!” he croons, and I know something’s set him off because he’d never speak to me in such a manner if not.

We’re on the bike before he tells me, “You were in the news story she showed her friend. Someone reported you missing, Bambi. Now you’re on all social media and news outlets.”

“Oh no,” I say. It’s all I can say.

I don’t want to go back, but I don’t want them in even more trouble.

“Put your helmet on,” Brax grinds out as he brings the bike to life and heads home.

After the third curving turn on the winding roads, I realize things are about to get a little sticky.

FIFTEEN

AELLA

When we pull into the clubhouse, bikes and cars are everywhere—music blasts from the clubhouse, where the five bays are open. Bikers are spread across the property, some leaning against motorcycles with women between their thighs, some playing pool, and some just talking. All of them have beers in their hands, though. One of the Cobras I haven’t met yet is tending the bar on the back wall. To outsiders, it looks like a full-on club. The night is lit by strands of lights strung from the roof of the clubhouse to the surrounding trees, and there’s a bonfire off to the left where a few members sit around it in lounge chairs.

“Braxton!” one man calls from near the fire. “Come have a beer with us!”

Brax ignores him, helping me off the now-parked bike. I hand him the helmet and take a moment to look him over. He’s reeling from what had just happened at the carnival. I take his hand to bring him back to me, but he shucks away from my touch, instead wrapping his hand around my wrist and dragging me into the clubhouse.

Miles is sitting in a corner on an L-shaped leather couch. Girls are perched all around, trying to get his attention, but his eyes meet mine, and his goofy smirk is instant.

“Aella! Finally, the party has arrived!” he shouts, standing and nearly falling over.

Kylo puts his pool cue down and rolls his eyes. “Didn’t I tell your drunk ass to stay put?”

I grin.

Braxton’s grip on my wrist grows tighter. I look toward him, and his eyes frantically overtake the growing crowd. Even now, more bikers are arriving. As the crowd grew, he seemed to get more irritated at the carnival. He’d already been on edge when he saw my face on that girl’s screen.

“Hey, go on to your room. I’ll deal with this,” I tell him, tugging my hand from his grip.

Finally, his eyes find mine, something warm and fleeting crossing them. “You sure you can handle them? You’re as safe as ever with the quiver surrounding you…” he trails off.

“Quiver?” I ask, lifting a brow as I rub my wrist absently.

Miles has taken to singing in front of us, swaying on the couch to a tune that differs from the one blaring through the speakers. I can tell the music is another layer of what’s overwhelming Braxton.

“A group of cobras is called a quiver,” he tells me, his features getting more rigid as the room gets louder as a group of men walk in and greet one another over the music.

I nod. “I’ll be fine, and I’ll get Miles to bed. Maybe you can see what you can find on the news about me? Maybe even social media?” Giving him a task should help him not to spiral while I’m ensuring Miles doesn’t drink himself into oblivion.

Though, seeing him like this is the slightest bit endearing.

Brax steps into my body, looming over me. My breathing hitches as his hand skims up my spine. “You know where to find me if you need me.”

“Do you want me to come to the room tonight, or will you be…” I try to recall the term he’d used.

“Dug in?” He shakes his head. “I don’t think I’ll ever be too dug in to see you, Aella.”

His words do something to me. My chest fills with something foreign to me. I don’t have time to dwell on it because Miles tries to stand again and nearly knocks a girl passing by over.

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