Page 4 of Lockout

“Yeah, I got that from what Smoke said. What kind of trouble?”

“You know who the Legion of Shadow is?”

I swore and scowled at her. “Why doyouknow about them?”

The LoS was dangerous. Their leader, Hangman, was dangerous. They were mixed up in all sorts of shit scum operations. The only reason we hadn’t set our sights on them, was because they had some serious backers. They were the big leagues and we didn’t have the numbers to take them down before. And we’d been too busy recently to do anything about their chapter over in Phoenix.

In fact, they were who we stole the drugs from that we used to take out the businesses that were helping to launder Fremont’s money. I hadn’t known who the drugs belonged to when we found them hidden in that shipping container in the pond. Butit hadn’t taken long for me and Rip to track that information down.

Hangman didn’t know it was us who’d taken the drugs. Though we’d kept an eye on the situation, I didn’t know what had happened with those drugs. Everything had died down on that front not long after they were confiscated by the cops. I’d had to let it go because of other threats.

“That’s who the task force I’m with is investigating.”

I swore and tipped my head back, studying the ceiling as thoughts raced through my mind. When I focused on her once more, I pinned her with my gaze. “They’re dangerous, Keely.”

“I know,” she said, voice far softer than I was used to hearing.

“Really fucking dangerous,” I explained.

“I know,” she snapped, then sighed. “Sorry. I’m a little on edge.”

As if she wasn’t always snapping at me. I liked it. She liked to push my buttons. That I didn’t enjoy as much, because I didn’t like to be pushed into doing things I didn’t want to do. I was too used to being in charge.

Which was why over the last couple of months my brothers and I ended up bleeding every time they tried to convince me to go see Keely. I’d never said anything out loud, but they all knew I wanted her. Kissing her in front of my loudmouthed twin hadn’t helped. Idaho had been more than happy to tell the rest of our MC brothers about that. And them pushing and fucking nagging me always started fights. I had my reasons for not wanting an old lady. And I didn’t need to fucking explain them to anyone.

It was early December now, and Keely’s damn temp position with the FBI was supposed to have ended months ago. But it kept getting extended. Now I knew why. Someone there had no issue putting her in danger. I’d correct that misjudgment on their part later. Right now, she was here, standing in front of me.

“Does the FBI know you’re here?” I didn’t need the fucking feds running her down. Not when she was somehow already mixed up with the LoS.

“I’m on leave,” she said with a sigh.

It was like pulling teeth. “Tell me everything, Keely,” I demanded.

She glared at me, but when she opened that sexy mouth she did as I asked. “The task force is investigating the LoS. They were supposed to put together enough to take down Hangman and the officers in each club across the country.”

I let out a low whistle. “They have a fuck ton of chapters. That’s a big op.”

“Yeah, and even worse, we were struggling to get enough evidence on them. Hangman is careful,” she explained when my eyes narrowed.

“That better be a general we,” I told her. When she winced, I knew I wasn’t going to like where this was going.

“At first, I helped with only the things I was supposed to. But they were having trouble getting close enough to LoS members. One of the task force members was recognized when he got spotted. Burned the location and he had to go into hiding to keep the LoS from coming after him, since they knew he was FBI.”

Gritting my teeth to keep quiet, I watched her as she spoke. She looked so damn tired. Defeated. Her blonde hair was loose and reflecting the light shining in from the window. I wanted to run my hands through it. Give her a scalp massage. Let her relax and melt under my hands.

Of course, there were better ways to do that, like fucking her until she screamed. I sucked in a breath, trying to control the demand that was raging inside of me. I wanted to grab her and hide her away from the world until I took out whoever was threatening her. I knew what was coming, who it was, but I let her tell me.

“The agent in charge of the team told me they needed people who weren’t as connected with law enforcement.”

If I tensed anymore my fucking muscles were going to snap. My fingers flexed into a fist as I imagined finding this team leader and snapping his neck. He deserved it for putting Keely in danger. Because I knew, before she even said the words, that he put her in close proximity to LoS members.

“He asked me to help them out with one thing.” She gave me a weak smile. “I should’ve known better, but I said yes. I started following one of the members around until we found a new place where a couple of them hung out regularly.”

“But it didn’t stop there,” I said, the words coming out as more of a growl.

She shook her head. “Of course not. I’d done such a good job,” she said, with a roll of her eyes, so I knew those were the team leader’s words. “They just needed me to keep up appearances for a little while longer. To record conversations. Then they’d be able to take them all down. But the months were passing and nothing was happening. Not with the investigation, anyway.”

“Whatwashappening?” I asked.

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