Page 25 of Claimed By The Club
She’s still sprawled across me, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my chest, when I finally find my voice. “That was?—”
“Stupid,” she finishes, but there’s a smirk in her voice.
I huff a laugh, dragging a hand down my face. “Yeah.”
And yet, as her lips brush my shoulder, as my pulse slows to something resembling steady, I can’t bring myself to regret a damn thing.
Eventually, she pushes up on one elbow, hair tumbled across her face. “This can’t keep happening in random corners,” she says softly, a faint note of laughter in her tone. “Someone’s bound to catch us.”
I brush a stray lock from her forehead. “Yeah.” I hesitate, uncertain how to navigate this new territory. “We’ll figure out a better approach.”
She nods, looking torn between excitement and worry. “I do want this—us—but you’re the leader of Renegade Cross. People will talk.”
My mouth sets in a firm line. “Let them talk, eventually. For now, secrecy might keep things less complicated.” A pang of guilt flickers, but I swallow it. “When the time’s right, we’ll address it.”
She accepts the compromise, pressing a lingering kiss to my jaw before rising to straighten her clothes. I do the same, adjusting my shirt and collecting fallen papers. We exchange one more heated look, a silent acknowledgment that we can’t seem to resist each other.
I’m about to speak when footsteps pound on the outside door, followed by a muffled voice calling my name. We both freeze, tension returning in a snap. I glance at Sierra, placing a finger to my lips. She nods, smoothing her hair quickly.
Exhaling, I open the office door a crack. Kevin “Knox” Maddox stands there, holding a phone with an urgent expression. “Frost, we got a situation,” he says, voice low. “Some local passerby claims they spotted men wearing Iron Reapers patches at the gas station outside town. Could be nothing, but it’s too close for comfort.”
My stomach lurches. The Reapers prowling around is the last thing we need. I step into the hall, swiftly shutting the office door behind me. “Alright,” I tell Knox, slipping into leader mode. “Alert Ghost. Get Viper to rally a few men. We’ll do a ride past that station. Keep it low-key, see what’s going on.”
Knox nods and rushes off, already tapping his phone. I allow myself one quick glance back at the closed door where Sierra remains hidden. A fresh surge of protective anger flares in my chest. If the Reapers are sniffing around again, it means everything’s escalating sooner than I hoped.
I steel myself, heading down the corridor. There’s no time to indulge in the afterglow of stolen intimacy. My priorities snap into place: defend the club, shield Sierra, handle this potential threat. This is the life I chose, the responsibility I carry every day.
But one thing is different now. As I step outside and bark orders at a couple of prospects, I realize I’m no longer just protecting the club. I’m protecting her, too, and that changes the stakes. Our secrecy might keep us under the radar, but it also means I can’t fully declare my intentions, not yet. All I know is that I can’t let any harm come her way.
Swinging onto my bike, I rev the engine and signal for the others to follow. Dust kicks up as we roll out, a roar of steel anddetermination echoing across the desert. My mind whirls with possibilities: a scouting mission from the Reapers, or a direct confrontation. I can’t be sure which.
Still, one thought cuts through the noise. When this is done, I’m going to find Sierra, and we’ll figure out our next steps—together. Because no matter how complicated this gets, I’m not walking away from whatever we’ve started.
I twist the throttle, the wind tearing at my clothes as we race toward the highway. Tension thrums in my chest, fueled by the knowledge that everything is shifting again. We might be on the brink of another battle. The only certainty I have is the memory of Sierra’s touch and the fire that’s ignited between us. It’s a blaze I can’t seem to extinguish, and maybe I don’t want to.
For now, though, I focus on the road ahead, leading my men into the unknown. The sun beats down, the horizon swelters, and the desert stands silent witness to the choices we make.
9
SIERRA
Ipark my SUV in a cramped slot behind Dolly’s convenience store, shutting off the engine with a shaky exhale. It’s midday, and the desert heat settles over everything like a heavy blanket. I shouldn’t even be out here alone, not with the Iron Reapers prowling around again. But I can’t hide behind locked doors forever, and we’re low on supplies for the safe house. Besides, I’m on a tight deadline to finalize promotions for our next event at Bluelight, and Dolly’s place carries some random items I need.
Tugging on the door handle, I step into the blinding sun. The asphalt sizzles under my flats, sending waves of heat against my ankles. I glance around, scanning for any unfamiliar vehicles or suspicious onlookers. The small parking lot appears empty except for a battered truck near the service alley. My heart pounds anyway, reminding me of the risk I’m taking.
I hurry toward the store’s entrance, wishing I’d called Viper for backup. He’s always eager to be by my side, half-joking that I need a personal bodyguard. But after everything that happened with Frost, I feel weird leaning too hard on the other guys. I already crossed lines I never expected to cross, tangling my fatewith Renegade Cross MC. My feelings for Frost are complicated enough. Deep in my chest, though, there’s also a pull toward Ghost and Viper. It’s confusing, as if my rational brain took a back seat to a swirl of emotions I can’t fully control.
Shaking off the thought, I walk inside. Dolly’s store is a small, cramped affair, lined with dusty shelves loaded with canned goods, cheap souvenirs, and random essentials. An old ceiling fan spins overhead, rattling in uneven circles. The place is deserted except for Dolly herself, perched behind a counter with a half-finished crossword puzzle.
She lifts her gaze. “Afternoon, honey.” Her tone carries a note of warmth, though her eyes dart to the glass door behind me as if checking for threats.
“Hey, Dolly.” I grab a small basket near the entrance. “Just picking up a few supplies.”
She inclines her head in a brief nod. “Be quick. Word is the Iron Reapers are in town again.”
My spine stiffens. “I heard. Hoping to avoid them.”
She purses her lips sympathetically. “Stay safe. You know how to reach Frost or Viper if something happens.”
