Page 34 of Ginger

"Detroit," came the gruff reply.

KiKi visibly relaxed, opening the door to reveal the massive man I'd seen briefly around the clubhouse. He filled the doorframe, his tattooed arms crossed over his chest.

"Everything okay?” KiKi asked.

Detroit nodded, his eyes flicking briefly to me. "Vegas sent me to keep watch. I'll be right outside."

"Thanks," KiKi said, and he stepped back, pulling the door closed.

She turned to me with a small smile. "See? Protection detail already."

I touched the hardening mask on my face, feeling oddly vulnerable despite the layer of green goop. "I'm not used to people caring what happens to me."

"Well, get used to it," KiKi said, flopping back onto the sofa. "Because these men don't do anything halfway. When they decide to protect someone, they go all in."

I picked at a loose thread on my jeans. "But why? Why would they risk everything for me? They barely know me."

KiKi studied me for a moment. "You really don't see it, do you?" When I just stared at her blankly, she shook her head. "Honey, I've been here for years, and I've never seen Bronx or Reno look at anyone the way they look at you. Not even close."

"But we just met. It doesn't make sense."

"Love rarely does," she said with a shrug. "And before you argue that it's not love—maybe it isn't, not yet. But it's something powerful enough that they'd burn the world down for you."

The weight of her words settled over me. I'd never had anyone willing to fight for me before. The idea that I did now—that I had not just one person but several—was almost too much to comprehend.

"I'm scared," I admitted quietly.

"Good," KiKi said, surprising me. "Fear keeps you sharp. Just don't let it make decisions for you."

We fell into silence as the face masks dried. KiKi flipped through a magazine while I stared out the window, watching shadows grow longer as the afternoon waned. My mind raced with possibilities, each worse than the last. What if Rayburn came with more men? What if someone got hurt? What if, what if, what if...

After we washed off the masks and KiKi insisted I eat some ice cream, she put on some mindless reality show that I couldn't focus on. Every sound made me jump—a door closing downstairs, voices in the hallway, motorcycles in the distance.

"They're back," KiKi said suddenly, muting the TV. Sure enough, I could hear footsteps coming down the hall, followed by a knock on the door. KiKi moved to answer it, revealing Reno standing in the doorway. His eyes immediately found mine, and the intensity in them made my breath catch.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice gentle despite the tension in his shoulders. "Can you come downstairs?"

I nodded, rising to my feet.

KiKi squeezed my arm as I passed her. "You've got this."

Reno took my hand as we walked down the hallway, his warm fingers interlacing with mine. The simple gesture steadied me, anchoring me to the present when my mind wanted to spiral into panic.

"How bad is it?" I asked, my voice small.

"We have a plan," he replied, which wasn't really an answer. The muscle in his jaw twitched—a tell I was beginning to recognize as suppressed anger. "Vegas and the others are waiting."

I tried to read his expression as we descended the stairs, but his face had taken on that hard, impenetrable quality I'd seen before. It was his biker face—emotionless, dangerous, ready for anything.

The main room had been cleared of everyone except the core members. I spotted Vegas at the head of the long table, with Bronx pacing near the window. Several other men I recognized from around the clubhouse were there too: Miami, Chicago, Denver, and a couple others. Detroit came down the stairs behind us, joining the group.

Bronx's head snapped up when we entered, his eyes instantly finding mine. He crossed the room in three long strides and pulled me against him, pressing a hard kiss to my forehead.

"You okay, little girl?" he murmured against my skin.

I nodded, though it was a lie. I wasn't sure I remembered what "okay" felt like anymore.

Vegas cleared his throat. "Sit down, Ginger."

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