Page 22 of Naughty Santa Daddy

One name enters my head: Wash.

Just before noon, I arrive deep in the woods at the designated location and hide my hog behind some overgrown bushes. Even in broad daylight, the shack unnerves me. We were just a couple of cocky high school kids when our lives changed that fateful day. After the gruesome murder, the blood on our hands made us brothers for life.

I stalk toward the shanty deep in the Alabama woods. Miller’s bike is nowhere in sight. Of course, I’m here first. Granny’s home is closer than the club.

Dry leaves crunch under my boots as bright sunbeams poke through the bare branches overhead.

The air is crisp, and I can smell the rain that’s on its way. Not going to lie, the setting before me is the kind in slasher movies. I didn’t like being here back when I was a teenager, and I don’t now. Getting chopped into pieces with a machete isn’t on my list of fun things to experience.

I freeze when a flock of birds breaks out of the treetops, startling me. Dialing into my surroundings, I hear the motor of a truck. I bolt behind a large oak tree to hide and hold my breath.

My heart rate kicks up a few notches, then quickly drops back to normal when I recognize Miller’s truck. Strange that he drove it instead of his hog. He puts the Ford into park and gets out. The passenger door opens next, and that’s when I notice Drake.

“Fuck, I hoped to never be back here.” Miller spits on the ground.

“Same.” I reveal myself and move toward them. “Gotta say, this place gives me the creeps.”

Miller jerks his chin at me. “Like the dead will crawl out of the ground to drag us straight to hell with them.”

“Something like that.” I cut my gaze at Drake. “Wasn’t expecting you.”

“He’s the one who found out about the rat while at county.” Miller pats Drake’s back. “He overheard inmates talking about Wash trading favors with a Mafia family.”

“Fuck, I knew he was the rat! But the Mafia?” Jesus, the two working together were nowhere on my radar.

“Let’s bring him up to speed before our guests arrive.” Miller takes out his phone and types out a message.

“What guests?” My mind races to piece together what the fuck is going on and why we are at the shack. It’s pointless. I need more information.

“The Allegrini brothers from New York. They flew out this morning to have a face-to-face with me. They will be here shortly, and then you’re going back with them.”

“Hold the fuck up! I’m on probation. I can’t leave the county, much less the state.”

“Tell him,” Miller says to Drake.

“I’ve been doing a lot of digging, and it turns out the Allegrinifamigliahas one of their own living in Alabama. A pretty little elf who works at the law office that we and a number of other not-so-clean people utilize from time to time. It wasn’t easy, but I found out her birth name is Alessandra Allegrini.”

“No wonder she seemed to know how to protect herself.”Alex. I can’t help but grin as I think about that day in the parking garage. She’d saved my ass, and I hope to get the chance to thank her properly.

“The more I dug into things after hearing Wash’s name, I discovered messages between him and Carlo Allegrini, the family’sconsigliere. He’s her goddamn uncle.” Drake pulls out his smokes and lights one.

My eyes bulge out of my skull.

“He paid Wash an obscene amount of money to take her out so his firstborn can be head of the family.” Miller takes a cancer stick from Drake and puts it between his lips. “I’m going to kill the fucker for betraying the club.”

An icy chill bolts down my spine. Miller will do it, too. Make an example of Wash in front of the entire club. Rage instantly replaces the cold in my veins. “Wash is after my elf. Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Miller blows out a long drag. “Her cousins figured out their dad’s plan and contacted me. They want to stop him by any means necessary. I figure no one better than you, given your recent encounter with her in the back of a pickup.”

“You figured right.” I don’t know what it is about this woman, but a protectiveness I’ve never felt before floods my veins. The thought of Wash and her own uncle trying to kill her makes me crazy. I will lose my mind if I don’t get her back in one piece.

Unharmed.

Alive.

Tonight.

Just then, a black SUV rolls up behind Miller’s truck.

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