Page 28 of Bound in the Dark

Don’t try to cage a wild wolf unless you're hoping to have your throat ripped out.

Highdive tried to focus on getting ready to ride. The plan had been finalized and briefed, so there wasn't much for him to do except keep people focused. Taking possession of the truck full of body armor and weapons from Minetti’s men at the edge of their territory should be quick and easy. They had done similar runs hundreds of times but the stakes had never been this high.

Three weapons would be used to secure the loyalty of their newer allies as well as expand the Dark Sons arsenal. If Petrov attacked them directly every weapon and ally might be needed. Tomasso Minetti was going to be at the pickup point personally to share intel he hadn't wanted to disclose while others were around.

It was crucial that nothing go wrong. He had hand chosen the fifteen Brothers for the ride to ensure success. They were a mix of officers and the most skilled fighters among them. Nothing short of a full-out assault could bring them down.

Having Diana here changed his focus making him doubt pulling all these people from the clubhouse. Were the compound defense strategies that had been in place for years sufficient? The men staying here were all good but the best shooters wouldn't be here. Should he have reworked the plan to compensate for that?

Highdive looked across the room. Hawk was calmly talking and joking with Dragon and Hannibal. How did that man never let the stress he was under show? To look at him you would never guess that he had just met the fully grown daughter he hadn't even known he had.

If he could function after getting that dropped on his lap, so could Highdive.

Hell, claiming an Old Lady and then fucking that up was barely even in the same league of stress. He needed to get his head on straight. Focus on what was needed in the moment. Later he could force his frustrating woman to say more than single word answers.

Grinder walked into the room from the kitchen and gave him a smirk. "Hey, Brother. Glad to see you're in one piece."

What the hell was his Brother talking about? Sharp chuckled from across the room and Highdive groaned.

Grinder gave him a fake concerned look. "I hope your lady respects your safe words. Remember, we're here for you if you ever need protection from her."

Highdive was going to beat the shit out of his friend if he kept this up. He'd known he was going to catch hell for the scene his Brothers had burst into earlier but had held out a little hope that they would forget it. Shaking his head he flipped off both of his chuckling Brothers.

"What the fuck are you guys talking about?" Hawk's deep voice cut through their laughter.

Grinder grinned. "We were coming down the hall earlier and heard what sounded like one hell of a fight. Shit crashing. Sounds of pain coming from Highdive’s office. We thought the assassin had turned on him."

"That assassin is my Old Lady," Highdive growled.

Sharp chuckled and took up the story. "We burst through the door and before we can even figure out what's going on she's pointing a gun at us. Apparently we were interrupting their private time."

"She pointed a gun at you?" Hawk's tone was serious, but the side of his mouth ticked up in a small smile.

"Yeah," Grinder said. "First, she threatened to shoot us if we didn't leave and then to shoot Highdive if he stopped fucking her."

Hawk shook his head, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Sounds a lot like her sister. That whole family is crazy."

Highdive didn't want to talk about Diana. Especially since she was giving him the cold shoulder. So he tried to change the subject.

"How did your time with Nadya go?"

"She's apparently known all about me for years. It's hard not to be pissed at Alena but I don't have all the facts yet. For her to drop this on me in the middle of a goddamn war…" Hawk shook his head. "She has a lot to answer for."

Highdive could only imagine the stress his President was under. Protecting the Club. Wanting to kill the man who tried to kill him. Needing to protect his wife and child. Wanting to get to know his daughter.

With only half those problems Highdive felt the pressure frying his nerves. Was Hawk really taking this so well or was it a mask? He looked over at Diana and she gave him a cold stare.

"Trouble in paradise already?" Grinder asked.

"We're fine."

Hawk chuckled. "Took less ice than is in that glare to sink the Titanic, Brother. If you think that's good. You are so fucked."

Highdive took a deep breath. "She needs some time to get used to the way that we do things around here. I'm not even sure what she is mad about, but at least she seems to be listening and is willing to follow directions."

Hawk shook his head. "Yup, you're fucked. And not in the fun way. Your woman knows more about the dark side of life than most of our Brothers. Trying to treat her like the other women is going to blow up in your face."

"Oh, so you want me to invite her to Church? Find her a bike to ride out with us?" Highdive knew his tone was borderline disrespectful but he didn't like the implication that he should be putting Diana on the front line. Just the idea of purposefully putting her in danger turned his stomach.

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