Page 41 of Sunshine & Ink

I put a hand on my belly, feeling the warmth of my skin under my thin top. My baby deserved a better life.

And then, just like that, I looked up andhewalked in the door.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest and my breath caught in my throat, and I was caught too, trapped like I always had been, too afraid to run.

For a moment it all came rushing back to me, that weak liquid sensation at the way Raker strode into a building, the way he was so big that he had to duck down because the ceiling was so low. The way the dark tattoos spread up and down his arms, like thick wicked words of warning.

Beware

Stay away

This man will break his promises and your heart

Then after a moment I was myself again, and the confusing mix of anger and memories passed, leaving only cold disdain, and I fought to control my breathing.

How had he found me?

For now, he couldn’t see me.I was safely hidden behind the latte machine right now. But for how long?

And how could I get out of here inconspicuously?

Raker flicked hard, assessing eyes all over the coffee shop, his stare cold and brutal.

Why was he out ofjail?I was told the sentence for illegal gun-running was 18-24 months, and it hadn’t even been 9!

God, I had desperately hoped they would have kept him away at least for 9 months.

But Raker and the Saints were powerful. If anyone could find a way to get out of a jail sentence early, it was him.

But what was he doinghere? Was he meeting someone at the coffee shop?Whowas he meeting? If I knew Raker, he’d only be analyzing how powerful or weak they were, and how he could bend them to the will of the MC Saints Club.

This was supposed to be Souls MC territory!

I glanced outside, but didn’t see any other motorcycles.

Was it possible hewasn’there for a meeting? That he came alone?

Why would he even be on this street, in Souls territory?

And then with a few curt words, he shattered all my foolish hopes that this had nothing to do with me.

“I’m looking for someone who works here,” Raker said, each word like a cold ice bath down my spine.

“Sunni Twenty-four.”

Shit

“There is no one by that name here,” Willow said flatly, her face not moving a muscle.

I breathed a quick prayer thanking the goddess for Willow’s natural distrust of MCs.

Even though they were my friends, and had done so much for me, I had never told Willow and Elise exactlywhyI had fled. I had done all I could to repay their kindness in renting me a room for barely any money at all above the shop, but I had never shared anything beyond that I had used to work as a whore for one of the motorcycle clubs.

And that was enough information for Willow to refuse to give me up.

“I have information,” Raker went on, “That she can be found here. I am here to collect her. She belongs to me.”

His body was angled partway toward mine, and I could see a sliver of Willow’s face just past the broad width of Raker’s shoulders.

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