Page 52 of April 5

"I'll be going places you're not allowed to go." He put his arm around her and made her stay beside him. "It'll be faster if I go alone."

"What happens if you find him?" She lifted her feet, trying to stand, and he stopped her.

"Then, it's best if you're not there." He pushed her legs back down, forcing her to stay on the pier and listen. "Dio's riding with me. Give me two days. If I'm not back by then, I promise Dio will have news of what's keeping me. Regardless, you'll find out about your dad."

Her chest squeezed, compressing her lungs. She stared at the water. If she wasn't there when Jagger found her dad, who would stop him from going too far in his punishment?

Regardless of what Jagger believed, she hoped her dad would listen to her. If it came down to choosing having her in his life or her walking away with Jagger, she believed her dad would choose her—that alone would protect Jagger.

"Will you call me every few hours when you're gone?" She leaned her head on him. "Please."

He kissed her temple. "As long as you stay in the clubhouse."

"You won't know where I am because you'll be gone."

"I'll know."

It was only two days. She could stay inside and wait if that meant he returned with her dad, and both of them were safe.

"I was reminded of something today." He stroked her back.

"Hm."

He picked up her leg, bringing her foot onto his lap. "I remembered the day I got a call that you'd walked into Pete's Tattoo and wanted some ink. Pete knew better than to touch you."

"I was sixteen."

"A hellion." He chuckled. "I rode over, hellbent on spanking your ass, because you knew Mama Sue would raise hell if you came home all tatted up."

"She was old-school and believed tattoos were what set apart ol' ladies from biker bitches. That's why I wanted to do the bottom of my big toe. I figured she'd never see it." Her stomach warmed. "I talked you into letting me do it, though."

He slipped off her shoe and turned her foot.

She looked at the odd-shaped tattoo. "Pete sucked at tattoos. It doesn't even look like a heart."

"No. Pete's one of the best." He caressed the bottom of her toe with the pad of his thumb. "It's not a heart."

"Yes, it is."

He locked his gaze on her. "It's a scale off my dragon."

"Wha...?" She grabbed her foot and looked at the deformed heart.

Jagger pulled up the front of his shirt to where his dragon tattoo was inked on his chest, over his heart. She studied his chest, his shoulder. Most Havlin members had the solid black-inked dragon tattoo in some shape or form, but Jagger's dragon was more complex with scales.

"Look closely," he said. "Over the dragon's chest."

Her gaze zeroed in. She leaned closer, not believing what she was seeing. Not once in the past had the tattoo caught her attention. Only when Jagger pointed it out could she see a heart-shaped scale over the dragon's chest.

He pulled his shirt down and grabbed her foot again. "I claimed you long ago, Kat. You were only sixteen, and I knew you were my ol' lady. I didn't know how I'd make it possible because of your dad, and even if life got fucked up along the way and I never was able to have you, you were part of my heart. Nobody else gets that. Only you. You got the Havlin dragon scale, and I..." He patted his chest. "Got your heart."

She put her foot down and threw herself at him. For once, she was at a loss for words.

Chapter Twenty Four

HATCHET WALKED OUT of the meeting room. Jagger lifted his chin. He was ready to get the search done and return to Seaglass Cove.

"You're early." Hatchet shook Jagger's hand. "How were the roads?"

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