Page 36 of May 11

"You're stuck with me." Dio slipped his hands in his front pockets and grinned. "Go ahead and pull out when you're ready. I'll follow you."

She stood at the side of the van and watched Dio walk to his motorcycle. What was it with Havlin members? Were they all stubborn and overprotective?

He had to have heard that she'd be fine staying in the van. Dio chose to ignore her.

Chapter Fourteen

WIRE RODE THE NATURAL curves of the road as he raced home. His heart pounded in his chest, matching the engine's rhythm beneath him. He skidded into the driveway, gravel flying, and immediately found the familiar sight of Cora's Sprinter van parked in its usual spot.

He barely had time to kill the engine before getting off the bike, stumbling in haste. "Cora!" he called out, his voice hoarse with fear and relief.

She slid the side door open. He reached her in three strides.

"Wire?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice. "What's wrong?"

He couldn't answer, couldn't find the words to explain the terror clinging to him. Instead, he reached out, his hands shaking as he touched her face and arms to reassure himself that she was real and okay.

The bloody scene he and Bane rode into earlier permanently stuck in his head. He hadn't known the dead woman in the grassy area of the dune. In truth, she was probably an unknown woman brought over by Los Li to give Havlin a message. But at that moment, he'd seen Cora.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," she said, her voice soft. "I'm okay. I was only sleeping while I waited for you to come home. See?"

She held up her hands, showing him that she was unharmed. He nodded, swallowing hard. Flashbacks of all the other times he'd dealt with dead people bogged him down. He couldn't think straight.

"I... I needed to make sure you're safe," he said, his voice barely a whisper.

They moved into the house. He'd already showered at the clubhouse after Maverick came and relieved him of the body. But he couldn't settle.

The note pinned to the woman's shirt directly threatened Cora. They never used her name but let them know they had eyes on the lady who lived in the van and worked at the coffee shop. They warned that she would be next if Havlin refused to step back and let Los Li bring the Fentanyl to the area.

"You need to relax. You're scaring me. Do you want a beer?" Cora kicked off her shoes and kissed him. "I'm going to make us some dinner. Do you like pasta with alfredo sauce with hamburger?"

He nodded, not hungry.

Cora moved about the kitchen as if she had designed the room herself. A cold can ended up in his hand. He leaned against the island, drawn to the familiar routine of watching her make dinner. The simple act of boiling water and frying ground hamburger pulled him away from the edge of panic.

Wire found his gaze constantly drifting back to Cora as they sat down to eat. He watched her as she ate, as she laughed at something she'd said.

The words slipped out before he could stop them. "I wouldn't know what to do if something happened to you."

Cora paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. "What could happen, Wire?"

He looked at her, his fear reflected in her eyes. But he couldn't answer her or voice the dangers that lurked in his mind. So, he shook his head, reaching across the table to take her hand.

Cora's eyes filled with curiosity and concern as she looked at Wire. "What happened while you were riding with the club?"

Her question echoed in the quiet room. Wire's jaw hardened. It was impossible to hide the fear of what he'd gone through.

"Cora," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "You can't go out alone anymore. Not to work, not to my house. If I'm not with you, I'll assign a Havlin member to be with you."

Cora's hand stilled, her fork dropping onto her plate with a clatter. "You're worried because the man who shot Rush...he's after me, isn't he?"

"Maybe. We don't know yet." He could no longer hide the danger from her. She needed to stay aware that people were willing to hurt her.

"Maybe I should leave." Cora looked at Wire, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "If I'm the cause of the danger around Havlin and making you worry, then I'll go."

Wire shook his head, his gaze never leaving hers. He knew what the right thing was to do. But he couldn't send her away.

"I don't want you to go, Cora," he said, his voice firm. "I can protect you if you listen to me."

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