Page 36 of Dagger

“I’d die if anybody hurt my boy or my girl,” she murmured. “When me and Abe took them in, they became our kids. I couldn’t love them more if I’d birthed them myself.”

“It’ll be okay,” Kennedy soothed. “I’ve got a big house in Vegas and a club there that’ll look out for Sera and Mase. Elise already said they can go to Virginia, and Hendrix is there, too. Either way, they’ll be safe.”

“Maybe we should get down to the gym and have a self-defense refresher,” Sophie suggested. “It will make us stronger mentally if we take some control of the situation. We can start tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll talk to Cash about doing more target practice, too,” Cara announced. “It’s time we all started carrying weapons. It’s not ideal with the kids around us, but isn’t it better to be prepared in case there’s a threat?”

The ladies murmured their agreement.

“It’s a date,” Sophie declared. “Tomorrow, gym, 9 A.M. We’ll train so hard the Sinners will be fools to mess with us.”

“Can the club spare the men to take us through some self-defense?” I asked. “They seem busy.”

Every eye turned to me.

“We don’t need men,” Cara informed me. “We’ve got a secret weapon.”

My eyebrows drew together. “What’s that?”

Kennedy’s eyes slid to Sophie, and she grinned. “You’ll see.”

Chapter Seven

Dagger

Throwing my pen down on my desk, my hand went to the back of my neck to rub away the aching tension.

I’d been working on costings for the last hour, but the numbers hadn’t made sense for most of that time, not because they were wrong. I just couldn’t concentrate. My mind was set on everything going on with the club, the mayor, and the Sinners. But mainly, my thoughts were filled with Elise and how she was affecting me.

It was like the floodgates had been opened, and all the pent-up emotions I’d pushed down for decades were rising up and choking me. I couldn’t believe how badly I’d fucked up and how desperately I needed another chance with the only woman I’d ever loved.

I couldn't sleep, because every time I closed my eyes, she was all I could see. Elise was a distraction, and I needed my wits about me if I was gonna outsmart Henderson and keep the club safe.

With a frustrated sigh, I leaned back in my chair, my hand still clasping my nape.

The compulsion to go to Elise was overpowering, but my fear of pushing her too far, too fast, made me keep my ass in mychair. I knew myself well enough to also know I’d pressure her, and after the shit my Duchess had been through, she needed space to heal.

I had to handle her with care and let things progress naturally. I was confident her hanging around Sophie, Belle—and even Atlas would help, along with the ol’ ladies and kids. My club was filled with good, and I knew she’d eventually revert back to the warm girl I knew still existed behind all the walls she’d built around her heart over the years.

The same walls I intended to shatter.

I’d seen flashes of my Leesy over the last week, but sadly, not many.

After everything she’d endured, her wounds couldn’t be fixed overnight, though they would be fixed someday. I’d make sure of it.

In the meantime, I had to run the club, win a war, and take down a human trafficking ring, all while keeping every man, woman, and child safe.

My elbows hit the table, and I buried my head in my hands.

Fuck, shit, fuck.

Somebody knocked loudly on my office door.

My head came up, and I called, “Come in.”

The door cracked open, and Abe’s head popped around. “You okay, Dagger?”

I dropped my hand and slumped back into my chair again. “It’s a fuckin’ shit show, brother.”

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