Page 2 of Fear

Before we could sit back down, Dash’s phone buzzed on the table. He frowned, picking it up and stepping away from the table. A few moments later, he turned back, his face tight with something that looked an awful lot like concern.

"King, we got a problem."

King’s gaze sharpened. "What kind of problem?"

Dash locked eyes with him, gripping the phone like it might shatter. "Alaska just called. She’s got an old friend who needs help. Real bad."

King took the phone, listening as Alaska filled him in. I could see the change in his expression, the calculation in his eyes.

"Who is she running from?" Fang asked, his tone dark.

Dash’s jaw tightened. "Shadow Riders MC. Their VP, Grant, is after her."

King frowned. "You know this woman, Dash? Why’s Grant so determined to get to her?"

Dash exhaled sharply. "Her name’s Sofia. She witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to. Grant killed her sister over a debt, and now he wants to make sure she doesn’t talk."

A low growl rumbled in my chest. I fucking hated men who mistreated women. Every brother in this club would lay down their life for their ol’ ladies, their Blossoms, the women under our protection. That was the difference between us and the men like Grant. To him, women were disposable. To us, they were everything. And no one laid a fucking hand on them and lived to talk about it.

I didn’t know Sofia yet, but she was about to become one of ours. And that meant one thing. Grant had just signed his own death sentence.

King straightened and rapped his knuckles against the table. "We’re calling church. Now. I want every patched member in the chapel in five."

The room filled fast, brothers taking their usual seats, the air thick with anticipation. King looked around, his gaze hard. "We’ve got trouble coming our way. Shadow Riders MC. Their VP, Grant wants Alaska’s friend, Sofia dead."

Fang spoke first. "Bringing her here means we paint a target on our backs. You ready for that?"

"We protect our own," Hunter cut in. "And if she’s running from them, she’s one of ours now."

King nodded. "That’s the way I see it. But we need to be smart. If they come looking, we need to be ready and attack first. No hesitation."

Hawk leaned forward, his voice steady. "We all saw what happened to Sam. I won’t let that happen again. No woman gets left to fend for herself while we sit here debating."

King’s gaze sharpened. "Agreed. Dash, you take two men and go and get her. Bring her back safe."

Dash nodded. "On it."

Goliath clenched his fists. This wasn’t just another rescue. This was war. I felt the first stirrings of something dark and possessive curl in my gut. Another club trying to push into our world? A woman running from a man who thought he owned her. She was in danger; I would make fucking sure she was safe, no fucker should be able to hurt a woman and get away with it. I was going to make whoever the fuck was after her regret ever breathing.

***

When the meeting ended, some of the brothers took off, while others sat at the bar, downing drinks and trading words. Fang and I made our way to the woods surrounding the club, keeping our steps light as we scanned the darkened treeline.

"Defenses got to be tighter," Fang muttered. "If Shadow Riders make a move, it won’t be through the front gate. They’ll come through here."

I nodded. "We can set more motion detectors over here,” I raise my hand towards the trees around us, “cameras too if needed.”

“Prospects will do two-hour rotations, always armed. We see anyone unfamiliar; we shoot first," Fang states.

Grunting in agreement. "You trust all the prospects to handle themselves?"

"Not yet. But they’ll learn fast, or they won’t be here long." Ahead, we see a figure move along the perimeter. It was one of the newer prospects, a wiry kid named Trey. He stopped when he saw us. "Evening, brothers."

I stepped forward. "Eyes peeled, Trey. If you see anything, you come straight to me or Fang. No second-guessing."

Trey nodded. "Understood."

Fang and I exchanged a look—we understand each other without having to utter any words. We have been fighting to defend our club, our brothers for many moons. The kid is young, desperate to impress the club, but that is a risk as he might get himself killed by being overzealous.

---