Page 26 of Big Timber

I have a text from Axel telling me to call him ASAP. Looking up at Declan, he nods, indicating that I should go ahead.

“What is it?” I ask when Axel picks up my call. Internally, I’m praying that something happened to my tattoo parlor and not my woman.

“You need to stay calm,” he says, and I switch it over to speakerphone—having a feeling that it’s better for my brothers to hear what’s happening rather than needing to repeat it afterward.

“Talia?”

My vision starts to get hazy as I imagine the worst. There’s no way Axel would be so dramatic over a building.

“There was an explosion. I have Brick reaching out to her dad and will head to the hospital until you can get down here.” His voice is clipped and hard to hear over the sound of my blood rushing through my body. I can’t remember it ever being that loud before.

“She’s supposed to be at work,” I mumble, initially thinking her house exploded.

“She was. Her engine was called to an active scene. The warehouse exploded after the firefighters entered the building.”

“On my way,” I say before hanging up.

“What do you need from us?” a tall slim man with light brown hair and eyes asks as he steps up from behind Declan.

“Mind watching our backs for a few days?” Declan asks in reply, and to a man, each of the Northern Grizzlies—men I’ve never met before sounding out their agreement.

The man wearing the cut that reads President under his name meets my eyes and lifts his chin in a sort of greeting.

“You gotta be Big Timber. Vector told me about you,” he says and I remember that none of us had time to have our names added to our new cuts. As much as I want to be moving right now, I’m glad for the distraction because I feel strangely rooted in place. “I think most everyone else has met, but starting from behind you, there’s Shade, then Russian, Chains, Connal, and Wrench.”

“Gunner sitting this one out?” Diesel asks them as Declan signals me to the side.

“Yeah, family stuff,” the one I think is called Chains answers.

“Go take a piss,” he quietly says, catching my arm as I turn to head outside. “There are a few hours ahead of us, plus I’ll need to fill the tank at some point. Talia’s strong, she’ll be alright. You need to keep your mind clear—”

I turn on him, widening my shoulders as rage fills me. The last thing I need or want is a fucking babysitter right now. Wolfman turns to block us from the others’ view, reminding me not to lose my shit in front of outsiders.

Heavily exhaling, I turn without a word to go in search of the bathroom. The motherfucker wasn’t wrong I just didn’t want to hear it.

About to rejoin my brothers, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and pause to look myself in the eyes. It’s been a while since I’ve bothered, and I wonder when the lines at the corner of my eyes and mouth appeared.They don’t seem to bother Talia, I think, smiling as I picture her straddling me the other night; placing light kisses on my face as we talked.

For the first time, it occurs to me that I don’t even know how old Talia is—let alone her birthday. For the past month I’ve been committed to my gut instinct on her, trusting that all the little things would work themselves out.

Now, I pray that we’ll have time to learn all the details that we haven’t gotten to yet.

Hearing some bikes start up, I realize I’ve lingered too long and hurry to get on the road.

Talia

Tonight everyone inside the engine is oddly quiet as we race to a reported warehouse fire, undoubtedly because the sight and smell of the last one we were called to is still too fresh.

Last time, the dark plume of smoke rising from the burning tires at the Royal Bastards’ clubhouse darkened a light blue sky. This time, the sun has almost set, and the fire lights the darkness, guiding us to our destination without the need of the GPS.

“I fucking hate these old warehouses,” Greyson bitches from the seat to my right and a sudden fear hidden deep inside of me unfurls.

“Shut it,” Rosenfelt grumbles. “That’s bad luck.”

While I agree with both of them, I roll my eyes and chuckle along with the rest of the guys. Rosenfelt has a list a mile long of things that are bad luck.

Play it by the book, I think. Repeating the words I’ve heard my dad say my entire life.

Taking a deep breath, I concentrate on the basic lessons we were taught at the academy. Reciting them in my mind like others say a prayer.

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