Page 57 of Outlaws' Dirty Secret

“Tanner!” Skyhigh calls as he jumps out of the shadows. Sinner and Crank come from behind the bar.

Blackout starts to get up, instinct taking over, before he stops, looks at Willow and puts himself between her and Tanner. “Stay with us.”

She nods, watching with big eyes. I pull her close, shielding her with my body as much as possible.

Surrounded, Tanner tugs something out of his pocket and drops it on the ground as he puts on shades with his other hand. There's a soft whining noise and suddenly the whole club lights up like a fucking sun with a loud crack that has my ears ringing. Did he bring a fucking flash-bang?

I shield my eyes with my arm, but my pupils are blown. I can barely see a thing. Even sounds are dull and muffled, like I'm fucking underwater. Skyhigh swearing, Crank yelling, and the stripper screaming followed by a thunk as she falls. I wouldn't want a flash-bang in my face while wearing heels either.

“What's happening?” Willow clutches my arm tight. Her voice is both too loud and hard to make out at the same time.

“I got ya.” I pull her in with my free hand, waiting for the spots to clear from my vision and the light to dim. Fuck, right now, Tanner's probably the only one in here who can see shit, 'cause who the fuck else brings shades into a dark strip club? I expected a gun, not military shit.

Crank and Sinner growl as they push through the blinded crowd, their shadowy outlines recognizable from anywhere. Riot and Jackal are moving in the background, and from near the entrance someone shouts. A moment later, there's the roar of a motorcycle that fades quickly.

Shit.

“Fucker got away. What a waste.” Skyhigh snarls, looking pissed. Riot is on his heels.

Blackout shakes his head. “No, we got what we came for. We know Tanner is our man, but we underestimated him. Is he just that paranoid that he runs around with a fucking grenade in his pocket? Didn't see that coming.”

“Literally,” Riot says with a snort.

Willow clings to my side, her face buried in my shirt. Everyone’s safe, but she’s spooked.

“Let's go home. Willow, you okay?” Blackout turns to her.

She looks uncertain, but she nods. “Yeah, I guess so. Can we go home?”

“Yeah, let’s get the fuck outta here.”

Jackal brings her leather jacket and she slips into it, and then we’re off.

Riding home feels real unsatisfying, but we’ll find Tanner. At least Willow is safe and that’s what’s most important.

30

WILLOW

Blackout drivesme home while Skyhigh and Dragon go to report to Hellfire. It's actually pretty warm tonight, but I'm shivering like it's below freezing. When I climb off his bike, Blackout's there to wrap his arms around me.

“Are you okay?” He holds me tighter, cocooning me in his embrace and pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

I want to say yes, but now I'm not sure. I knew it was dangerous, but I wanted to be tough. To show them I could handle the danger that they live with every day. Like Paige during the drive-by, but maybe I’m not cut out for this.

What if Tanner had brought something deadlier than a flash grenade? What if guns had been drawn? I know the Sons are armed almost all the time. Heck, Blackout's pistol is digging just a little into my side right now. Is this something that I can live with? Knowing that every time they go out, they might not come back?

“I… I don't know.”

“Talk to me, Willow. Is this something we can solve with some cuffs and a blindfold?”

Despite my worries, I chuckle at that, at least for a moment. “I need a little time to think.”

“Think.” Blackout doesn’t sound happy about that. “What do you need to think about?”

“Just… everything I guess. Can you stay with me for a while?”

“Baby, until we know where Tanner is and what he’s up to, you’re going to have to ask us tonotkeep an eye on you.”

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