Page 21 of The Oath We Take

I reach for my purse to pull the gun I always carry out of it, but the original speaker deliberately reveals his weapon in a chest holster.

“Wouldn’t do that if I was you,” he says, and I stop.

Whatever fleeting, tiny sprig of hope I had that this was a social call disappears in a heartbeat.

“You need to get the fuck out of here,” Rocco says to them, but it’s a weak threat. I place my hand on his shoulder and squeeze it gently, hoping he understands that he needs to calm down a touch. I appreciate his defense of me, but not if it leads to both of us being shot.

I try to think through what my dad would tell me to do. I can run up the stairs, but I might get shot. I can scream…still could get shot. But whatever this is, I don’t want Rocco to get hurt because of me.

“I’m Ember Deeks. What do you want?”

The driver smirks, his eyes grazing my body in a way that repulses. “It’s more what you need.”

“Protection,” the first man says.

Rocco looks over his shoulder at me. He shakes his head ever so slightly. A silent warning to not say any more.

I heed his warning and shift a little farther behind him, trying to discretely shift the strap of my purse so the bag slides in front of me. If I could just get to my weapon, this would feel like a more even fight.

“Protection for what?” Rocco asks.

“For us to ensure nothing happens to the bar or any of its employees,” the driver says.

My eyes narrow. “You have no idea who you are messing with.”

“I know everything about you.” The man runs his hand over his bald head. “And your daddy isn’t going to be able to fix this for you. Nor is he going to be able to save this town.” He pulls the gun from his holster. “Or we could just end this, if you prefer.”

I can always agree, for now. All that matters is getting out of this situation unscathed. “What terms are you proposing?”

“A venue like Whiskey Fever could easily pay us ten thousand dollars a month,” the driver says.

The ten thousand, I can manage if that’s what it takes to get rid of them safely. I have that in the company bank account. It’s a price I’m willing to pay to save my life.

Once.

But that’s my limit. If they come back a second time, I’ll be more prepared.

“That’s extortion,” Rocco says.

The bald man grins. “We call it ‘business.’”

Rocco steps forward. “You can’t just?—”

The fist comes so fast, I’m unsure which of the two men threw the punch until I see the bald man nursing his knuckles.

“Rocco,” I gasp, dropping to the floor. “I’ll pay. Just leave us alone.”

Rocco’s lip is busted, blood dripping down his chin. But the look of fury in his eyes has me pressing on his shoulders to hold him down.

“Thought you might see what a good business deal it is for you,” the driver says.

“How do I pay?” I ask.

“Don’t do it,” Rocco pleads. “I’ve seen situations like this before with my father’s real estate business. Once you’re in, you can’t get out.”

I lean closer to his ear. “You have no idea who my family is.” I hadn’t told him my father is president of the Iron Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Men either want to be with me because of him…or don’t want anything to do with me because of him. There never seems to be a middle ground.

But now, for Rocco’s sake when he is seemingly defending me, it’s important he knows I have more capable backup if I end up out of my depth.

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