Page 74 of Claimed By the Biker Brothers

“I’m not going to sleep on that either. Calvin is one more rejection away from flipping out and doing worse than Marlo ever would,” Jagger says. “We can’t rely on him to keep Robyn away from the mess.”

“What do you suggest then?” I ask, nowhere near equipped with the patience and clarity for such a conversation while the adrenaline is still raging through me.

“Fucking hell, I don’t know.”

“Then we stick to our guns in the meantime,” Knox replies. “We keep Robyn and Kyra close. Tell the sheriff about Easton, Humboldt Park too. He and his deputies will double their patrols. They’ll go heavy on policing if they have to just enough to keep the Hughes gang busy while we figure out their game.”

I shake my head slowly. “Those were Colombian drug lords. You fellas realize that, right?”

Knox exhales sharply. “I don’t even want to go there.”

“We kind of have to. It all depends on how Marlo’s going to play it with the cartel. Either they think she’s weak and they come into Redwood, guns blazing, to settle the score, or they’ll expect her to settle the score for them. Marlo’s a control freak. I doubt she’d want the cartel sending more people up here to handle something she should be able to handle on her own. It’s the Hughes’ pride at stake.”

“It might also be her undoing,” Knox says. “We poked the hornet’s nest, that much is clear.”

“Which means there will be consequences. Where those said consequences land is entirely up to us and how we play out what’s left of our hand.”

“Ah, dammit,” Jagger groans, lifting his jacket. There’s blood seeping through his grey shirt. Carefully, I reach over and glance underneath. “One of the bullets must’ve grazed me.”

“Definitely a graze,” I say. “We’ll patch you up at the clubhouse.”

“Let’s roll,” Knox replies.

“Robyn will have questions,” Jagger says.

“We’ll answer them,” I shoot back. “Now get on your bike and let’s roll before you leave your DNA all over this gas station.”

I see the tension between Jagger and Knox as they exchange glances. As much as I hate to admit it, they’re both right.

Jagger is right to worry about how this will affect Robyn. Knox is right to keep his head on the level and focus on the solution rather than the problem. What the fuck do I do then? Wonder how much better this would’ve been if we hadn’t brought Robyn into the fold? No. I have zero regrets. She’d be on her own, vulnerable. And Kyra’s a child, an innocent soul.

No, they’re better off with us watching over them.

23

Robyn

It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon, or so I’d hoped.

With Kyra hanging out downstairs under Ellie’s watchful eye, I would’ve welcomed an hour or so in front of the TV, just me and a double deluxe burger with extra-cheesy fries on the side. Yet here I am, sitting in the living room, first-aid kit on the coffee table beside me, stitching up Jagger’s flesh wound.

“Remember how many times you had to do this when you were riding with us?” Knox asks with a chuckle as he sits in the armchair next to me. Diesel stares out the window, quiet and deep in thought.

“Stitches? Yeah, mostly on myself or Calvin,” I grumble. “We were young and stupid and reckless… This, right here?” I pause and point at Jagger’s side, my attention briefly distracted by the ropes of muscle stretching across his core, “this is worse.”

“I’m counting three stitches,” Jagger replies, glancing down.

I have a hard time focusing with his bare chest displayed before me, especially under these strenuous circumstances, so I tug at the medical string before I loop and tie it up. He hisses from the pain, so I spray more anesthetic over the area.

“Shut up,” I grumble. “You were beyond reckless. Damn near got yourselves killed… and for what?”

“I’m starting to regret telling you,” Jagger says, giving me an apologetic look.

“You don’t really mean it. You’ve always been the straight shooter, the truth teller, at least where I’m concerned,” I say. “It’s what has made this relationship work between us until now. Please, keep telling me everything,” I add, looking at him, then at Knox and Diesel. “Don’t ever leave me out.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Diesel mutters.

“I don’t enjoy adding more fuel to the fire here,” Jagger says, “but we fear retaliation from Marlo or the Colombians her boys were dealing with.”

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