Page 28 of A Christmas Surprise for the Biker

The rest of the day passes in a blur of paperwork and phone calls.

Just as I'm about to call it a day, my phone buzzes with a text from Viper.

Church Now

I groan, knowing this can't be good news. “Babe,” I call out. “I've gotta head to the clubhouse.”

She appears in the doorway, Ryder asleep against her shoulder. “Is everything okay?”

I wish I could tell her yes, that everything's fine. But the truth is, I have no fucking idea. “I don't know,” I admit. “But I'll be back as soon as I can.”

She nods, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Be careful, okay?”

I cross the room in two strides, pulling her and Ryder into my arms. “Don’t gotta worry about me.”

“I’m always going to worry about you,” she whispers, tipping her face for a kiss.

Fuck, I don’t deserve her, but I’m never giving her up.

After kissing her goodbye, I ride to the clubhouse. When I pull into the lot, I notice an unusual number of bikes.

Whatever's going down, it's big.

Inside, the tension is palpable. Viper sits at the head of the table, his face a mask of barely contained fury. Around him, the rest of the brothers look equally on edge.

“What's going on?” I ask as I take my seat.

Viper's jaw clenches. “The deal with the Kings is off. For now.”

A murmur ripples through the room. “What happened?” Sparrow asks, voicing what we're all thinking.

“Feds,” Viper spits out. “They've been sniffing around the Kings' territory. It's too hot right now.”

“Fuck,” Knox mutters, slamming his fist on the table.

I lean back in my chair, both disappointed and relieved. Part of me is glad we're not getting deeper into this shit right now, especially with Turner breathing down my neck. But another part knows how much we need this deal to break free from Hector's grip.

“So what's the plan now?” I ask, looking around the table.

Viper runs a hand over his face, suddenly looking every bit his age. “We wait. See if things cool down. In the meantime, we keep our heads down, stick to our usual business.”

“And Hector?” Wrath chimes in. “What do we tell him?”

A dark look crosses Viper's face. “Nothing. As far as he's concerned, nothing's changed.”

The room falls silent as we all process this. It's a dangerous game we're playing, and we all know it.

“There's something else,” I say, breaking the silence. All eyes turn to me, but I’m focused on Dex sitting across from me with his computer at the ready. “Need you to look into my parole officer. He’s said some strange shit, and this morning he showed up out of the blue. There’s something about the guy that isn’t right.”

Dex’s brows go up. “What’s his name?”

“Turner.”

Dex nods, his fingers already flying across the keys as he starts to get into it.

Viper's eyes narrow. “The fuck?”

I nod as the anger I've been trying to hold in all day bubbles to the surface. “I'm thinking about moving. Need to get Braelynn and Ryder somewhere safer.”

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