Page 33 of Wolf's Whisper

Tank taps the steering wheel, breaking the moment. “I hate to be the bad guy here, but we need to get a move on before traffic turns into a nightmare,” he says in his usual gruff-but-friendly tone.

Chloe suspiciously narrows her eyes at me but finally relents with a small nod. “Okay. But you have to beep your horn when you catch up so I know you’re there.”

“Deal,” I say, grinning. “One honk for Chloe. Got it.”

With the kids finally settled and Janelle giving me one last lingering look before turning forward, I close the door and step back. Tank gives me a mock salute before rolling up the window and pulling away from the curb. Tank and I can hear Abel and Dillon arguing faintly through the glass as the SUV disappears down the street.

I stand there for a moment, hands on my hips, watching them go. The ache in my chest flares up again, but this time it’s mixed with something else—a strange kind of hope I haven’t felt in a long time.

“Those kids are something else especially Chloe,” I mutter to myself with a shake of my head before heading toward my bike parked by the curb. My Harley gleams under the sunlight like an old friend waiting patiently for me.

As I swing my leg over the seat, the leather warm from the sun. The familiar weight of the handlebars in my hands grounds me, but my mind is still stuck on those big doe eyes and Janelle’s soft smile. I start the engine, the low rumble vibrating through me like a second heartbeat.

“All right, girl,” I say to the bike, giving the handlebars a small pat, “let’s catch up to our new favorite chaos brigade.”

The engine purrs in agreement as I pull out onto the road, following the path the SUV took. The wind whips through my hair, and for a moment, it’s just me, the open road, and the steady rhythm of my Harley beneath me. But then—because lifelikes to keep things interesting—I spot something in my rearview mirror that makes my stomach knot.

A black sedan. Tinted windows. Keeping a little too close for comfort.

My grip tightens on the handlebars as I glance back again. Could be nothing—a coincidence. Or it could be something else entirely. Something worse.

I pick up speed slightly, testing whether the car will follow suit. Sure enough, it does. My chest tightens as old instincts kick in. I reach up to tap my helmet’s Bluetooth communicator and call Tank.

“Yo,” his voice crackles through the line, casual and oblivious.

“We’ve got a shadow,” I say, keeping my tone calm but firm. “Black sedan. Tinted windows. Been tailing me since we left. You see anything like it near you?”

There’s a pause as Tank processes what I just said. “Hang tight, Wolf. Lemme check the mirrors.” A beat later, his voice returns, sharper now. “Yeah, I see it. About two cars back from us.”

“Great,” I mutter, glancing at the SUV in the distance ahead of me. My heart rate picks up, but I force myself to stay steady. “What’s the play here? Kids are with you—can’t risk anything stupid.”

Tank chuckles darkly, his usual bravado slipping into his words. “Don’t worry about my end. Just make sure you don’t end up on tonight’s news as ‘local badass biker causes highway chaos.’”

“Not planning on it,” I shoot back, though my fingers itch to twist the throttle and lose the sedan in a cloud of dust. Not an option with the kids so close. “Stay on them but don’t engage. I’ll try to lead them off.”

Tank grunts his agreement. “You sure about that? Janelle’s not gonna be thrilled if you go all lone wolf on this.”

I glance at the SUV again, now a few more car lengths ahead. Janelle doesn’t need this. Not today. Not with everything she’s already dealing with. “I’ll be fine,” I say firmly, though my stomach twists at the thought of her worrying. “Just keep them safe.”

“Copy that,” Tank says, his voice laced with reluctant trust.

I disconnect the call and let out a slow breath, my mind racing through possibilities. Whoever’s in that sedan clearly isn’t here for a friendly chat. Could it be Janelle’s ex? His goons? Or someone from one of my less-than-sunny escapades? The list of people who might want to tail me isn’t exactly short, and none of them scream “birthday party guest.”

“All right, Wolf,” I mutter under my breath. “Time to play this cool.”

I ease off the throttle just enough to let the sedan think I’m none the wiser. Maybe I can use that to my advantage if they think they're being clever. My eyes dart to a side street up ahead—a quiet-looking residential road with just enough twists and turns to make things interesting.

I glance ahead at the SUV. Janelle’s soft smile flashes in my mind again, and for a moment, I wish I could tell her everything. Then I shake that thought away. No time for wishful thinking when shady sedans are involved.

The side street comes up fast, and without signaling, I veer sharply onto it. My tires screech slightly against the pavement as I lean into the turn, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline surge through my veins. The sedan hesitates for a split second but then follows, its tires squealing to keep up. Gotcha.

The street is quieter than I hoped—no cars parked along the curb, no pedestrians to act as witnesses. Just me, my bike, and whoever’s stupid enough to think they can tail me without consequences. I glance at my mirrors again. The sedan’s still there, its dark windows like soulless eyes staring back at me.

“All right, buddy,” I mutter under my breath, “let’s see how good you are.”

I push the throttle, the Harley roaring in response as I speed down the narrow street. My eyes dart around, scanning for anything—a sharp turn, an alleyway, a convenient dumpster—that could give me the upper hand. The sedan keeps pace, but it’s clear they’re struggling to handle the tight corners as gracefully as my bike can.

It was then I see another black sedan break off and head toward where Tank was heading. “Fuck there was two of them, and this guy is a fucking diversion.”

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