Page 18 of Azrael

I nodded.“Yes.We start tomorrow.Havoc and I will check out your mother’s house, see if there’s anything the police missed.Another brother is going to make some calls, see if there’s any information law enforcement isn’t sharing.”

Zara’s eyes widened slightly.“You have contacts in the police?”

“We have contacts everywhere,” I said simply.“That’s how the club operates.We maintain relationships with people who can provide information when needed.”

She nodded slowly, taking a sip of her soda.“Thank you.I didn’t know if… I wasn’t sure they’d agree to help.”

“The Devil’s Boneyard has a code,” I told her.“Protecting women and children is part of that code.Your mother’s work -- helping women escape bad situations -- aligns with what we do, just in a different way.”

Relief flooded her face, and for a moment I thought she might cry.Instead, she took a deep breath and composed herself.

“So what happens now?Do I go back to your place?”she asked.

This was the moment.The conversation I’d been dreading since Charming laid out the club’s position.I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the table, trying to find the right words.

“There’s something we need to discuss first,” I said carefully.“About you staying here at the compound.”

She tilted her head slightly.“Is that a problem?”

“The club has rules,” I began.“Strict ones, about who can stay here and under what circumstances.”

Zara’s brow furrowed.“I don’t understand.”

I took a breath.“Women who stay at the compound need to belong to the club in some way.Either they… entertain the club members, or they belong to just one of us.”

“Belong?”Her voice had gone quiet, and I could see her processing what I was saying.“You mean like… property?”

“That’s how the outside world would see it,” I acknowledged.“In reality, it’s more complicated.A woman who belongs to a member is under his protection.She wears his patch, follows certain rules, and in return, she gets the security of the entire club standing behind her.Think of it like a marriage but without the legal crap.”

Zara was silent for a long moment, her fingers tapping against her soda can.“And if I don’t agree to… belong to someone?”

“Then you can’t stay at the compound,” I said simply.“I’d help you find somewhere safe to stay while we look for your mother, but it wouldn’t be here.”

She looked around the room, taking in the club members scattered throughout, the women by their sides.Across the room, I spotted Janessa with Irish.Looked like she was giving him hell in hushed tones, probably because of the club girl eyeing him like a steak.

“These women,” she said quietly.“They’ve agreed to this?To being someone’s property?”

“The one in the property cut has.The others are free game for anyone,” I corrected.“Many of them came from bad situations -- abusive relationships, dangerous family dynamics.The club offers them safety, stability.In return, they accept certain roles and rules.”

Zara’s gaze found mine again.“And who would I belong to?Just… anyone who wants me?”

I shook my head firmly.“No.That’s not how it works.You’d have a choice in who claims you, if anyone.No woman is forced into a relationship she doesn’t want.”

“But I’d have to choose someone, or leave.”

“Yes.”

She fell silent again, her gaze dropping to the table.I could see her weighing her options, thinking through the implications of what I was telling her.Part of me wanted to make it easier for her -- to tell her she didn’t have to decide right away, that we could figure something out.But that would be a lie, and I’d promised myself I wouldn’t lie to her.

“What about you?”she asked suddenly, her eyes lifting to meet mine.

The question caught me off guard.“What about me?”

“Could I…” She hesitated, a slight flush coloring her cheeks.“Could I be yours?Would you claim me?”

Something tightened in my chest at her words.It had been a long time since anyone had asked to be mine -- a long time since I’d considered allowing it.When I’d lost the only woman I’d cared about, aside from my mother, I’d sworn to never let anyone that close again.

But Zara was already in danger.Already connected to me through her search for help.And if I was honest with myself, there was something about her that pulled at me -- a strength beneath her vulnerability that I found myself drawn to.

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