Page 35 of Nikolai

Unwilling, I follow Jake outside, along with my brother, leaving their women sitting in the waiting room. "I need answers." I roar, then begin to pace to keep myself from losing my mind and barging back inside.

"From what we have learned, the accident was intentional." Logan's words stop me in my tracks. "Eyewitnesses confirm the SUV that plowed into Leah's car was at a complete stop just before gunning for her. He managed to take off on foot before the cops got to the scene."

"Some sorry motherfucker purposefully tried to hurt my woman." The new information pushes me past the boiling point, and the first person that comes to mind is her father. "I want him found." I go to pull my phone from my pocket to make a call.

"Gabriel is out huntin' down the son of a bitch now," Jake says. "With any luck, he'll find him before the cops do."

I level Jake with a hard stare. "He's mine." No sooner do the words leave my mouth, Jake's phone rings, and he pulls it from the inside of his cut.

"What ya got for me, brother?" Jake speaks into the phone. His eyes remain on my face, and judging by his expression, I won't be waiting long to get my hands on the man we're after. "We'll meet you there." Jake slips his phone away, then looks between Logan and me. "Logan, go tell the others we're heading back to the clubhouse." Once Logan walks through the doors, Jake turns his attention back on me. "You claimin' her, son?"

Jake is a good man, and I have a lot of respect for him, so I don't hesitate to confirm something he already knows. "She's mine." None of this would have happened if my mother and Katya hadn't come to Polson. Words of doubt were planted in Leah's head, and now I must try to undo them. If she doesn't want to see me, I will give her the space she needs for now. "Leah needs protection. If she is unwilling to let me provide that, I will ask that you and your men do it for me. She shouldn't be alone."

"Agreed," Jake nods.

I run my palm down my face, letting out a heavy breath of frustration. "I'd prefer she stay at the clubhouse."

"Done," Jake agrees as Quinn and Sam walk out with Logan. "Prospect." Jake grabs Sam's attention. "Stay here. As soon as they discharge Leah, take her to the clubhouse. She's to remain there until further notice." Sam's eyes fall on me for a beat before nodding and walking back inside. "Alright," Jake announces. "Let's ride."

Twenty minutes later, we all arrive at the clubhouse. Instead of parking out front, then heading inside to the basement, Jake leads us to the backside of the property, a reasonable distance from the main building, to a rundown barn. There, I notice a van parked nearby. Dismounting our bikes, we go to enter the old structure. Quinn pulls open the barn doors causing the rusty metal hinges to screech. "Now, there's a sound I haven't heard in some time."

Inside we find Gabriel standing by a dark-haired man, his hands bound at his wrist by thick rope, strung up above his head, his feet barely touching the dirt floor. He's already bleeding from his busted nose. I look to Gabriel, who shrugs. "He needed a little convincing to join the party."

Walking up to our guest of honor, I bury my fist in his gut, causing him to sway. Fuck. Hitting him feels good, so I do it again. "Who are you?" my accent comes out thick.

"Man, fuck you." The man spits at my feet.

"Wrong answer." I land a few more blows, this time to his ribs until he's coughing for air. "Who do you work for?"

The asshole is still coughing, laughing maniacally. "You may as well kill me because I'm not sayin' shit."

If pain is what he is after, I'm happy to deliver. For the next thirty minutes, I beat him, only stopping after I've broken every rib in his body, and blood gurgles from his mouth. His body hangs limp, but he still breathes. I give the poor bastard one more chance, even though it will not spare him his life. "Who sent you?"

Struggling to breathe, the man forces his words out on shallow breaths. "I'm ready to die."

I look over my shoulder, where Jake and the others stand by watching. Without asking if he or his men would like to have a go at him, I pull my gun, face the motherfucker who dares to harm my woman and press the end of the barrel into his eye socket. "Then I'm your executioner."

I pull the trigger.

14

Leah

Hearing Nikola's raised voice from behind the closed curtain, causes me to jump. I recognize several other voices, two being Sam and Jake. I close my eyes, and my heart rate begins to slow. I told Emerson I didn't want to see him. She came to me moments ago, saying he insisted on coming back. I'm not sure why he's even here or why he cares.

"Hey." I open my eyes and squint to see Sam pull back the drape. He steps up beside the hospital bed I'm currently laying in.

"Where are your glasses, darlin'? Sam asks.

"They broke when the airbag hit my face."

He winches. I haven't seen my face yet, but I'm relatively sure I have some bruising from the way it feels. Luckily, that's the extent of my injuries. No broken bones. Just some scrapes and bruises from the airbag.

"Thank fuckin', God, you were wearing a seatbelt." Sam kisses the top of my head.

"Yeah, lucky me," I say with a sigh. "Pretty sure my car is not as fortunate, though."

"Who the hell cares about a car, Leah. What matters is that you're okay. You scared the shit out of everyone."

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