Page 62 of The Keeper

Ethan had killed my father.

“All this time?” she asked, running her knuckles over her sternum. “But why didn’t you come to me—why didn’t you tell me?”

His head jerked back, and he let out a rough bark of laughter. “Because of this, Nik,” he said, tugging at his kutte. “That fucker damn near killed you. The last thing you needed was another biker showing up to remind you.”

Mom’s eyes widened, a mix of shock and something like frustration flashing across her face. Ethan stood rigidly as if bracing himself for her reaction.

I cleared my throat. “The men who robbed the bakery mentioned Silent Phoenix. Said they wanted to send a message.”

He ran his knuckles over his beard, eyes narrowed on my bruised face. “Doesn’t make a goddamned bit of sense. It’s an unspoken rule that family members are off-limits. Can’t see how anyone could have made a connection between us. I’ve been careful to keep my distance.”

“The message wasn’t for you,” I said quietly, picking at my broken thumbnail. “They called me Ghost’s Ol’ Lady. He’s with the Lubbock chapter?—”

Ethan chuckled again. “I know who Dane is, sweetheart. His old man, Wolverine, founded Silent Phoenix.”

I had a baby with him and didn’t know that. The realization of how little I actually knew about the man I was living with left me feeling off balance.

“Still doesn’t make sense, though,” he muttered. “What does he say? Any guesses as to who’s behind it?”

I grimaced. “I haven’t, uh, haven’t told him yet.”

His eyebrows shot up, and he let out a low whistle. “You waiting until he sees it on the morning news, or what?”

“You can’t blame her for being reluctant to talk to him, Ethan. This isn’t her world?—”

“Not yours either, is it, Nik?” he snapped, his eyes flashing with hurt. “Now you know why I’ve stayed away.”

My mother pushed her chair back and stood, her eyes never leaving Ethan’s face. She walked toward him like she was in a trance, and for a moment, I wondered if she might slap him. Instead, she tucked herself against his chest with a choked sob, her small frame fitting perfectly in his arms.

Ethan stroked her hair, murmuring something too low for me to hear. There was clearly a long history between them, one that ran deeper than old classmates.

After a moment, he gently pulled back, his hands resting on my mother’s shoulders as he addressed me. “I’ll reach out to Bear, the mother chapter’s Pres, but Ghost needs to know someone’s targeting his family.”

I nodded, suddenly exhausted. The adrenaline that had been keeping me going was fading fast, leaving me hollow and drained.

As we headed out into the backyard toward my house, I heard Ethan mutter to my mother, “That boy’s gonna go scorched earth when he finds out, especially since they used his name to get to her.”

An icy chill traveled down my spine. I’d seen glimpses of Dane’s darker side, but I had a feeling I was about to witness it in full force.

Scorched earth.

What exactly did that mean when it came to the world of outlaw bikers? I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

The morning sun cast long shadows across the dewy grass, and a cool breeze raised goosebumps on my arms. Or maybe that was just the dread coursing through my veins.

Because if Dane’s lifestyle had the potential to put us in danger, then I needed to be ready to take Avery and run.

No matter how much it hurt.

TWENTY

GHOST

Ivy & Piper’s Guide to Life Rule Number Two:

Trust your gut. That bitch knows what’s up.

The morning sun filtered through the open blinds, illuminating the mountain of clean laundry piled high on Piper’s bed. Avery emerged from the closet with a scarf draped over her head like a wedding veil and one of Piper’s sky-high heels on her foot.

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