Page 25 of Thor

I felt her nod against my back, but she didn't speak. I wondered if she was regretting calling me, regretting her connection to the club. It was too late for regrets now. The Serpents had marked her. And I wasn't about to let them take her.

King'sTavernhummedwithafternoon quiet when we entered through the back door—the lull before the evening rush when only the dedicated drinkers nursed their beers at the scarred wooden bar. Duke sat in his usual corner booth, papers spread before him, head bent in conversation with Tyson. Both men looked up sharply at our entrance, conversation dying mid-sentence. Duke's eyes narrowed, taking in Mandy's disheveled appearance and my hand at the small of her back. He didn't need to ask if something was wrong. The answer was written all over us.

"Back office," Duke said, gathering his papers with efficient movements. He nodded to Crusher, who'd followed us in. "Watch the door. No interruptions."

I guided Mandy through the tavern, feeling the curious glances from the few patrons. She walked with her head high despite her fear, spine straight, chin up—the professional mask she wore like armor sliding back into place with each step. Her hair had come loose from its usual neat arrangement, copper strands falling around her face in wind-tangled waves.

The back office was Duke's domain—spartan but comfortable, with heavy wooden furniture and security monitors showing feeds from around the tavern and parking lot. Duke closed the door behind us, his movements controlled and deliberate. Tyson leaned against the wall, arms crossed, expression revealing nothing but his eyes missing nothing.

"What happened?" Duke asked, gesturing for Mandy to take one of the chairs positioned before his desk.

She perched on the edge, hands clasped tightly in her lap. I remained standing, too wired to sit, adrenaline still humming through my system.

"Show him," I said to Mandy, nodding toward her bag.

She withdrew the manila envelope, handing it to Duke with hands that trembled slightly before she quickly tucked them back into her lap. Duke emptied the contents onto his desk, spreading the photos methodically, examining each one before picking up the wooden snake.

"This is Venom's signature," Duke confirmed, turning the carving over in his hands. He placed it on the desk with controlled precision, his movements belying the anger I knew was building beneath his calm exterior. "He's targeting our financial operations by threatening our accountant."

Mandy shuddered visibly. "Why me? I'm just organizing your legitimate businesses."

Duke exchanged a look with me, a silent conversation passing between us. How much to tell her? How deep did she need to be?

"Because you're making us stronger legally," Duke finally said. "That threatens them."

"Venom's been trying to expand his operations into Ironridge for years," Tyson added, his voice calm and measured as always. "Our legitimate businesses make that harder. You've helped us create a paper trail that's bulletproof, connections in the business community that give us standing."

"The better we look on paper," Duke continued, "the harder it is for them to move against us without drawing attention from authorities. You're a threat to them precisely because you're helping us play by the rules."

Mandy's brow furrowed. "But I don't know anything about your . . . other operations. I only handle the clean money."

"Doesn't matter," I cut in, pacing the length of the office. "Venom sees you as our asset. That makes you his target."

"The last photo is what concerns me most," Duke said, tapping the image of Mandy asleep in her bed. "This level of surveillance indicates they've been watching you for weeks, planning carefully."

I stopped pacing, decision already made. "She needs protection. 24/7."

Duke nodded slowly. "Agreed. Safe house?"

I shook my head. "My cabin. Remote, secure, already set up with defensive measures."

I didn't mention that it also had spare rooms, including one I'd never shown to anyone. A room I'd built with vague, half-formed thoughts of a future I rarely let myself imagine. I didn't need to say it; something in Duke's eyes told me he understood more than I wanted him to.

Duke studied me for a long moment, something knowing in his gaze. We'd been brothers in all but blood since we were teenagers. He could read me better than anyone, could see the protective anger radiating off me in waves.

"I trust your judgment," he said finally. "The cabin's location is known only to a few of us. That's an advantage."

"I can't just disappear," Mandy protested, her professional composure cracking. "I have a job, clients who depend on me. My sister's treatments—"

"All will be taken care of," Duke assured her, his voice gentler than most club members ever heard it. "Tyson can coordinate with your firm, explain that you're working on a special project requiring temporary relocation."

Tyson nodded. "We have contacts at Prestige. They'll cooperate if we explain there's a security concern."

"And Amy's treatments?" Mandy pressed, concern for her sister overriding her own fear.

"I'll personally escort her," Tyson said. "We'll increase security at the hospital during her appointments."

"How long?" Mandy asked, looking from Duke to me, her green eyes wide with a mixture of fear and determination.

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