Page 10 of Hatter

“From whom, exactly?” Mock questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Her ex,” I answered, my mind racing as I thought of ways to keep her safe from harm. “And whoever else wants to hurt her.”

“Damn it, Hatter,” Rabbit muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Why do you always have to be the hero?”

“Because someone has to,” I shot back, glaring at him. “And right now, she needs us.”

“Fine,” he grumbled. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Watch the perimeter, double-check security, and make sure no one gets near her without our say-so,” I ordered, my voice firm. “We’ll take turns keeping watch too. Can’t risk any surprises.”

“Got it.” Mock nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. “You can count on us, brother.”

“Thanks,” I murmured. Even if I didn’t know for certain if anyone here had betrayed our club, these men had been at my back for a lot of years. I’d felt nothing but gratitude for them. They were family. They might be rough around the edges, but they had hearts of gold -- something Jo would soon learn. Despite the doubts starting to creep in from this latest fiasco, I had to believe these were good men.

With a final look at Jo, I turned to face my brothers. “Let’s get to work.”

For one, I’d need to figure out where she was staying. The only rooms with beds were all taken. Something told me she wouldn’t like sharing with any of us.

“What’s first?” Tweedle asked.

“She needs a place to stay. A room of her own.”

He snorted. “She isn’t just going to stay in yours? You seem attached.”

“I want her to be comfortable. Any way we can get a bed set up tonight?” I asked.

Rabbit raised a hand. “I’ve been storing odds and ends in the shed out back. Think there’s a bed frame and mattress in there. Nothing fancy.”

“Get it and find some clean bedding for her. That will do for now, unless there’s anything else out there she can use in her room.” I pointed to Rabbit. “I’m trusting you with this job, and it’s important, so don’t go fucking it up.”

“What about me?” Absolem asked.

“Get me everything you can on Edward Lewis. I know we already have some intel, but we need more, and we need it five minutes ago.”

He nodded. “Done.”

The brothers scattered, each focused on the task at hand. The clubhouse buzzed with activity, the normally laid-back atmosphere replaced by one of urgency.

I returned to Jo’s side, settling on the couch next to her. Her eyes fluttered open, and I wondered if she’d been awake for everything I’d said.

“They’re going to get you set up,” I reassured her, trying to keep my voice steady. There was hope in her eyes -- a glimmer that hadn’t been there before.

“Thank you,” she whispered, giving me a small smile.

I gave her hand a light squeeze and swallowed hard, not sure what to say. This girl -- this broken, beautiful creature -- had turned my world upside down. And I hadn’t even known her for an hour. What the hell was going to happen to me after she’d been here for a while? My brothers were going to give me shit, but I wasn’t sure I cared right now.

As I looked around at the guys hustling and bustling around, I couldn’t help but feel a strange contrast between our rugged existence and her fragile appearance.

Seeing the familiar sights, smells, and sounds through her eyes made me realize just how different our worlds were. But perhaps that’s what we needed -- someone to shake things up a bit. Even if Eddie had been abusive, she’d probably lived someplace luxurious. I wasn’t sure what she’d think of our clubhouse, or the meager things we could offer her.

“Is everything okay?” Her soft voice broke through my thoughts causing me to look at her again.

“Yeah,” I replied, giving her a small reassuring nod. “Just thinking.”

Turning toward me, she seemed to search my face for something before letting out a sigh of relief. “You’re going to keep me safe?”

“I promise,” I assured her without hesitation.

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