Page 9 of The Paths We Cross
I squeal and drop the teddy bear like it burned me, backing away from it quickly.
I hear feet pounding on pavement and turn to see a Sovereign Sons member running towards me.
“Are you okay? What happened?” He asks in a rush.
He looks young, like he’s in his early twenties. He has black hair and shockingly blue eyes, and he stands tall, about a foot above me. I look at his vest and realize that he’s a prospect, nota fully-fledged member of the club, but still, I know that the Sovereign Sons are safe.
I can’t form any words, so I just point at the bear and watch as he kneels down to grab it. His eyes rake over the shirt and he curses before pulling out his phone.
“Pres, we have an incident down at Walmart,” he speaks clearly into the phone. “Yeah, I think you need to send someone. Okay, bye.” He hangs up and puts his phone back in his pocket before facing me. “Do you want to go back inside where it’s cooler until someone gets here?”
What does he mean? Why is someone coming here? He was talking to his president, does that mean that Grayson is coming here? I don’t know what Grayson is going to do about any of this. I guess I’m lost in my own thoughts, because the prospect puts his hand on my shoulder, making me jump.
“Sorry, ma’am,” he says with a wince. “My name is Levi and you’re going to be okay, but it’s really hot out here, would you like to wait inside?”
“Ma’am? What am I, fifty?” I grumble, making him laugh. “I don’t want to go back inside, but what are we waiting for? I don’t understand what anyone from your club is going to do, Levi.”
“Don’t worry about all of that,” he assures me. “We know how to handle a threat, and that’s what this is.”
“A threat?” I rasp. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“What if it’s not the first threat I’ve gotten?” I ask softly.
“What do you mean?” He asks as he steps forward. “You’ve had other threats than this one?”
“Just one,” I reply. “A note.”
“What did it say?” He asks, his face showing his concern.
“Something about me paying for his sins,” I whisper as my breathing becomes more rapid.
“Shit,” Levi mutters, swiping his hand through his hair.
“Why would someone do this? Are they going to come after my baby?”
“I don’t know,” Levi murmurs softly before he steps forward and wraps his arm around my shoulders to try to comfort me. “I need you to take big breaths, though. You’re panicking and I don’t want you to pass out. He’ll kill me if you pass out.”
I try to take a deep breath and fail. He talks me through my breathing, and it finally starts to even out. What was he even talking about when he said, “he’ll kill me if you pass out?”Who?
Before I can even ask, the rumble of motorcycles fill the air. My stomach drops for a moment, thinking it could be the Devil’s Knights, until I remember that Levi called someone to come over.
I look up and find two motorcycles entering the lot. They weave their way through the vehicles until they find us. They park their bikes and climb off, removing their helmets before they stride toward us.
My breathing picks up again when I make eye contact with Rowan, and he looks pissed.
6
ROWAN
I didn’t even hear the end of what Grayson was saying before I was running out of the clubhouse and towards my bike. I was vaguely aware of Axel following behind me, but I didn’t really care. I needed to get to her.
I knew that I should have told Grayson that someone other than a prospect needed to be on Everly’s protection deal.Not just anyone; me.
I grab my helmet and shove it on before hopping on my bike and revving the engine. My bike kicks up rocks as I fly toward the gate and luckily someone is watching, because the gate opens and I rush through it. I peel out of our lot and onto the asphalt, burning rubber as I tear off in the direction of Walmart.
The prospects were told to call Grayson directly if anything suspicious happened, but we didn’t think something would happen. At least, I hoped nothing would happen.Yet, here we are, on the first day.
