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Her anger came bubbling out. She wasn't even mad at him. Or maybe she was.

Despite Jagger telling her not to involve herself in his problems, she would find her dad and have him straighten everything out. For fuck's sake, they were two grown men who belonged to the same damn club.

She reached the top of the dune and fell to her knees, unable to walk any more. Her calf muscles ached from walking in the dry sand, and her heart raced. On the verge of passing out, she had no energy to cry. Her temper got the best of her.

A couple of minutes later, Jagger plopped beside her, pulled her onto his lap, and held her.

She was tired of talking. Tired of arguing. Tired of worrying about losing him.

"I wish I could talk to Mama Sue." She swallowed hard. "She was the only one who believed in us."

Jagger's mom understood how much she loved him. Looking back, Mama Sue had warned her about him, putting the club before her. It was something his father had done, too. Mama Sue told her she would need to be strong. Stronger than she ever thought she could be.

What was it with Corbin men?

She had no idea how long they sat in the sand. The sun had broken through the clouds and warmed them enough that they sought shade and moved away from the dune. They rode back to the clubhouse together.

While Jagger took care of business with his men, she went to the bedroom to shower. In the privacy of the room, she checked her phone. There was no message from her dad.

She pulled up his contact and hit connect. The call went to voicemail.

"You need to call me." She disconnected.

She couldn't stand back and not do anything.

Chapter Seventeen

BANE AND DIO WALKED into the clubhouse from the parts shop. Jagger motioned them over to the bar. The clubhouse was quiet on a Wednesday afternoon.

"What's up?" Dio jumped up on the counter and sat. "Rush told us we're off the schedule for the rest of the week."

Bane widened his stance and crossed his arms. "Moroad Motorcycle Club is delivering the package next week."

"This has nothing to do with our contract with Moroad." Jagger leaned against the counter. "I need you both to find Ruger."

"I wouldn't think you were in a big rush to have him return," said Bane.

"Katrina's been trying to contact him for the last ten days. Hatchet claims he hasn't shown up at the mother chapter." He rubbed his whiskered jaw. "As much as I'd like to prolong his return, Katrina needs her dad."

He wouldn't get into Katrina's personal life with his MC brothers. Hell, she wasn't even discussing her worry about her dad with him. But he was aware she kept trying to contact him by phone. His absence had begun to interrupt her sleep. She was having nightmares and talking in her sleep.

"I'll ask around." Bane pulled out his phone. "Do you know where he usually hangs out?"

He shook his head. Since Ruger's release, he'd become a loner.

"Katrina mentioned he was riding out the day we left Beaverton. He arrived in Seaglass Cove before us, so whatever business he's tending to, he's close." He took a cigarette from his pack and put it unlit in his mouth. "I've put Brett and Cord in the shop."

Dio hopped down and slapped Bane on the chest. "Let's hit the road, brother."

The two of them left. Jagger headed toward the hallway when Katrina rounded the corner and peered around for him. Her gaze locked on him, and she relaxed. Stress was getting to her.

She approached him wearing a pair of cutoffs that were unsnapped under her belly button. Her diamond piercing twinkled in the low light of the clubhouse. He gazed at her breasts, spilling out of her bikini top.

He'd seen her many times, parading around in the same outfit. This time, he wanted to enjoy watching and touching her.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm not in the mood to swim or hang out with my aunt. I don't know why you're insisting it'll be good for me to go to the pool with her."

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