Page 57 of Heron's Flame

“No. It’s with my change of clothes.”

Paul nodded. “Good. Move. I want to get on the road.”

I didn’t dare fight him or disagree, heading toward the cashier in the front of the store. I didn’t say a word as he told us to have a good night, wondering if he was clueless or if Paul had bought his silence.

It didn’t matter. Either way, I needed to focus on staying safe and trying not to anger Paul. He wouldn’t hesitate to punish me the first chance he got, and if I wanted to survive this, I had to keep my wits.

Paul was intelligent while also being one of the most brutal people I had ever met. He used his large size to his advantage and intimidated people. The sick bastard got off on it. I wasn’t surprised to learn he ruled over other men. Paul was the type of personality who never worked under a boss without issues. He liked to be the one in charge.

And now he had men without limits who thrived on the same brutality and followed his commands.

If I didn’t find a way to escape him soon, I’d never see Heron again.

Chapter 18 Heron

What the fuck was taking so long?

I finished changing clothes over ten minutes ago, and now I paced outside the women’s restroom, eyeing the door as I waited for Rebel to come out. My girl could be prissy, and I loved that she fussed with her clothes, hair, and makeup when we went out, but she didn’t need it. I thought she was just as beautiful in one of my old shirts, with no makeup and hair thrown into a bun.

When she exited, I caught the silly grin on her face. So fucking cute. I fucking loved this woman more than I ever could have thought possible. At one point in my life, I thought I’d always be alone. In those dark days, feeling loss, rage, and confusion after my father’s death, I didn’t have anything worth fighting for.

Until the night I dreamed about Rebel. Everything changed. I woke up with my cock throbbing, my heart beating fast, and a vision of a blonde, curvy bombshell I knew would enter my life in the near future. She helped drag me out of the pit I had sunk into before we ever met.

Her smile could light up the darkest night and shine into the deepest hole. Rebel healed my heart; because of her, I could allow my heart the freedom to love again.

The conversation with Carrion surfaced, and I didn’t want to think about my woman in danger. It suddenly seemed stupid to linger in this store without anyone at The Roost knowing where we went. I needed to text Hawk and Talon.

Rebel asked for makeup remover wipes since she got mascara in her eyes from the rain, and I dutifully set off to find it. When I asked her if she needed to do this before we went home, I remembered what Carrion said about her making achoice and allowing her to do it. She made a choice right there, insisting her eyes would bother her all night without removing her makeup.

It couldn’t be now that he spoke about. We got stuck in the rain. That’s all.

Brushing it off, I stalked down the aisle, searching all the shelves. How the fuck do women choose from so much variety? Every item had ten fucking brands. It took me fucking forever to locate what she described. Flustered, I finally paid for the shit and brought the bag to her.

A smirk twitched her lips. “Thanks, Babe.”

I waved her on. “I’m right here. Not going anywhere.”

“Okay.” She swished her ass as she returned to the bathroom, and I paced, growing increasingly agitated the longer she spent inside. I sent a few texts to Hawk and Talon before pocketing my phone inside my cut.

My instincts were screaming at me to grab her and run to my bike, rushing home to The Roost, where the club could help protect her. My spine tingled, and I paused, scanning the store. Something felt off.

I walked a few steps and heard a noise behind me. As I spun around, I found two Grave Robbers MC members.

Fuck! Hammerhead and his club found us.

I reached for my gun, but I wasn’t fast enough. They distracted me so the real threat could attack me from behind. I saw Hammerhead’s reflection in the corner mirror that hung high up in the store as a theft deterrent. He raised a baseball bat and swung.

“Lights out, motherfucker.”

I slumped to my knees, terrified for my woman. After knowing what hell this asshole put her through, rage ignited in my body. But there was nothing I could do. My ears rang as myhead throbbed. I fell to the floor as my eyes fluttered and closed. Ironically, I faced the bathroom doors.

Please don’t hurt her,I begged as everything went dark. No thoughts. No movement. Just a restless, dark dream where I lost the woman I loved, and she screamed for me, reaching out into the void where I couldn’t be found.

Rebel!

“WAKE UP, HERON! FUCK!”

Someone slapped my cheeks as I groaned, slowly opening my eyes to find Hawk on his knees in front of me.

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