Page 50 of Seven

He wasn’t talking about calling the police.

He was talking about handling them in a way that didn’t leave room for second chances. It was a revelation that sent a chill down my spine.

I knew the minute I saw him standing on my front step that Holt wasn’t the same boy I’d once known and loved. He was rougher, harder, but hearing him talk like this came as a complete shock.

And yet, beneath the shock, there was something else.

A small, dark part of me that wasn’t horrified.

Instead, it was relief that I felt. Holt wasn’t going to let these men or anyone else hurt me or Ford. He was going to do whatever it took to stop them, and deep down, I knew that was exactly what we needed.

I didn’t want them to know that I’d been eavesdropping, so I eased back down the hall and quietly opened one of the bedroom doors. I immediately slammed it shut and walked with a harder step, making sure they heard me coming.

As soon as I walked in, Goose tapped Skid on the arm and said, “We best be going.”

“Yeah, I’m right behind you.”

They started for the door, and before they walked out, Holt called out to them, “Take her car. Have Memphis check it out for any tracking devices.”

“You got it.”

“I’ll be over in half an hour. Maybe less.”

“Take your time,” Goose answered. “We got you covered.”

With that, they climbed into my car and disappeared down the drive. Holt waited until he was sure they were gone before turning to me and asking, “You guys settled in?”

“We’re getting there.”

“Good. Can I get you anything?”

“Ford could use a drink and maybe something to eat.” I stepped further into the kitchen. “Do you have any crackers or chips?”

“Chips for breakfast?”

I shrugged. “I’m picking my battles today.”

“Understood.” He motioned his hand towards the pantry and said, “Help yourself.”

That’s when I noticed his knuckles. They were bruised and scratched. They hadn’t been like that when I came to talk to him the night before. I was tempted to ask him what happened, but I thought better of it. The last thing I wanted to do was overstep, especially when he and his brothers were doing so much to help us.

I opened the door and quickly grabbed a pack of peanut butter crackers. By the time I turned back around, Holt had a bottle of juice from the fridge and was holding it out for me. “Perfect. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

I lingered for a moment, trying my best to gather the courage to ask the question I so desperately wanted to ask. Sensing something was up, Holt gave me one of his looks. “Something on your mind?”

“I’ve got so many things going through my head, I don’t even know which way is up anymore.”

“I understand that all too well, but we’ll get through it. We just need to figure out who these guys are and what they want.”

“And you think your brothers can really find them ‘cause I can always call Detective Joyner and…”

“The cops had their chance to find these guys and failed. Now, it’s our turn.”

“I’ve never heard of a biker club that fights bad guys.”

“We fight ‘em, but don’t get it twisted. We’re not the good guys.”

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