Page 9 of Heron's Flame

I let him lead me away from the sand car and didn’t object when he held my hand the whole way.

Chapter 3 Heron

What the fuck was she thinking? Rebel almost got hurt.

I arrived with Crow in time to see Bella swerve the sand rail away from the sinkhole and topple over the edge of a hill. I swear my heart jumped into my throat. Crow and I ran toward the wreckage, worried they’d been injured.

When we reached the women, they were both laughing as they hung upside down inside the sand car’s cabin. The roll bars and lacing did their job. Along with the five-point harness, Bella and Rebel remained unharmed—nothing more than a bit of adrenaline and maybe a sore muscle or two.

It could have been worse.

When I pulled Rebel free and held her in my arms, I had to fight every instinct to punish her for risking her safety like that. Torn between spanking her ass and kissing her, I finally ended up reaching for her hand. She let me hold it all the way back to The Roost, but not before she made it clear that we were still two different factions in a private war.

Ugh. I scrubbed a hand down my face, distracted by my thoughts the following morning in church.

“Heron,” Crow growled as I locked eyes with my president. “Focus. Think about gettin’ your dick wet outside of church.”

Shit. It would be funny if I had a chance of getting laid.

Guffaws erupted around the table, and I sat back, crossing my arms over my chest. “Yeah, Pres, I hear you.”

“Good. Listen up. I’m planning a birthday party for Bella.”

I couldn’t help grinning at the announcement. Of all the things we could be discussing and dealing with in church as a club, this was highest on the agenda. Patching into the Devil’s Murder seemed a no-brainer after learning about Crow and thisclub’s abilities, but the brotherhood I found here made it feel like home.

“I’ve gotten her a spa day gift certificate to get her the fuck out of here so we can decorate. I’m counting on every one of you to help.”

A couple of groans followed.

“Where is Bella going for her spa day?” Yeah, I asked because I wanted to know if she was going with all the ol’ ladies. That would include Rebel, even if she wasn’t wearing a goddamn property patch, as she pointed out. If I couldn’t have her, no one else was either.

I didn’t give a shit if that sounded controlling or possessive.

“There’s a place she loves in Vegas. It’s off the strip.” Crow leaned back in his seat and ticked his chin my way. “You wanna know who’s going with Bella?”

Fuck. I wasn’t half as slick as I thought. “Yeah, I do.”

“All the ol’ ladies and Rebel. I’m payin’ for them to have a fun time, which means we’re gonna hang back and let them have it.”

“But we’re still gonna follow, right?” Raven asked, holding a baby monitor in his hand. He kept staring at the screen, watching his infant son sleeping as he took a nap. If I had to guess, I would say Bree slept in the room with him. They’d been blessed with a son a few months back.

Staring at the older man, I realized love found us at all different ages and circumstances. A bit philosophical, maybe, but it gave me hope that I could find out about my past and bloodline and find a way to get my property patch on Rebel’s back. Aside from the men in this room, I felt a connection to her, unlike anything I’d ever had.

“We might have ended the war with Undertaker and the Dirty Death MC, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any threats out there. Carrion, you got anything to say on it?”

I turned my head in time to see Carrion push off the wall. He emerged from the shadows, almost wraith-like, for a couple of heartbeats before he approached the table. Dark energy swirled around his shoulders in a thin black mass before it disappeared. Whenever I saw him, I wondered if he joined us straight from hell since I could swear I smelled burning wood.

“Nothing to worry about for Bella.” His gaze cut to mine. “But you should be there, Heron.”

I shot to my feet, immediate concern for Rebel overriding everything else. “Tell me what’s happening, Carrion.”

The corners of his mouth pulled down in a frown. “It’s not my place to reveal her secrets.”

Her? “You’re talking about Rebel.”

He didn’t deny it. “She needs your help. Not sure how soon it’ll happen.”

I wanted to ask him for more details, but he faced Crow. “I’ve got to leave.”

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