Page 28 of Shared By Her Brother's Best Friends

“No,” I grunt.

“Mason, it’s the only in I’ve got. I think it’s up for Emma to decide,” Bess insists.

“Decide what?” Emma asks her beautiful face scrunching in puzzlement.

“Venom will only speak to me if I bring a friend to entertain Breaker, the president of the Hell Riders. Breaker’s got a rep for being a womanizing scumbag, but there’s no way I cantalk to Venom if I go in alone, I’d be stuck talking to Breaker,” Bess explains.

“And you want me to be the friend?” Emma surmises.

Bess nods, “Only if you’re comfortable with it. You won’t have to do anything with him, just keep him distracted. Smile and laugh while I talk to Venom.”

The thought of Emma having to deal with Breaker’s wandering hands and lecherous gaze makes me feel an overwhelming sense of rage.

“No. We’ll find someone else,” I insist.

Emma glares at me. “You don’t get to make that decision for me. I’ll do it,” she says determinedly, nodding her head at Bess.

“Mason’s right, Emma, it’s too risky. We won’t be able to come in to protect you,” Jax points out.

“The Hell Riders are our rivals, we’re not welcome on their turf, not without starting a war,” Ty adds.

“If they realize who you are… your connection with the Iron Serpents, well then it won’t just be Kane you have to worry about,” I explain, imploring Emma to see sense.

But she’s too stubborn, her focus is on Max alone with no regard for her safety.

“Bess, is there any other way to get to Kane, to find out if he’s behind this and how we can resolve this?” Emma asks.

“I wish there was…”

“Well, then it’s decided. We’re going. Tonight,” Emma declares, glowering at me.

“Emma…” I start but she interrupts me, holding up a hand.

“Save it, Mason. Nothing you can say will stop me. Max is my son, and you can be damn sure I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect him.”

“Emma, Breaker isn’t like us…” I warn.

“I’m a big girl, I can handle myself,” she insists. “Maybe you’re just afraid Breaker and I will hit it off,” she teases.

“Emma, this isn’t a fucking joke,” I snap.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Mace. Emma said she’ll be fine,” Bess insists. “Besides, I’ll be right there. I’ll make sure nothing happens to her.”

“I need another beer,” I grunt, abruptly getting up and stalking out of the room.

I can’t deal with this bullshit. I open the fridge and pull out a beer, slamming it shut and aggressively twisting the top off before taking a slug. In the next room, I can hear the others planning what Emma and Bess will do. They agree that Jax, Ty, and I will wait outside in case things go sideways, and the girls will wear mics for us to hear what’s going on. Bess isn’t keen on the idea, but thankfully the guys insist on the compromise. If we can’t go in, we want to at least know what’s going on. They agree that there’s no point in waiting. The girls will go to the Hell Riders’ club tonight. I hear Emma making a call, presumably to Jess, who by the sound of it confirms Max can stay the night. The final hurdle to their plan traversed.

“Come on, Emma, if we’re going to the clubhouse we need to look the part,” I hear Bess say followed by the sounds of their footsteps going upstairs.

I don’t like this plan one bit.

Throwing Emma into the lion’s den. This is exactly why getting involved with Emma was a bad idea. She’s too good for this lifestyle. Too pure. I’m supposed to be protecting her and yet at every turn I’ve done the wrong thing for her.

I stalk back into the living room, tossing the guys a beer.

Jax chuckles, “You really hate that she doesn’t listen to you, don’t you?”

“If she had any sense she would,” I grumble. “Emma has no idea what she’s getting herself into. We should call J-Bird and tell him. He’ll put a stop to this.”

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