Page 36 of Drift
“Try not to kill him unless he gives you a reason.”
My mouth twitched, a ghost of a smile. “No promises.”
Kane’s eyes flicked between the three of us—Alanna, me, and the screen—and the room went quiet again.
When Jax finally spoke, his expression was serious. “Take care of my sister, Drift.”
I didn’t look away from the laptop, but my hand brushed against Alanna’s as she stood. “Always will.”
13
DRIFT
It took longer than I would have liked to get everything together.
Kane was in his office making calls while Axle handled the untraceable truck we’d need to drive to the safehouse. Savannah and Jana were in the kitchen with Alanna, packing up food for us to take. Edge, Nitro, and I assembled a cache of weapons, explosives, and anything else I might need to protect us. The brothers moved with quiet precision, every man knowing his job without needing a word from anyone. We didn’t waste breath on orders when it came to protecting one of our own.
Once everything was ready for us to hit the road, Alanna waited near the bar while I packed. I took only the essentials. Jeans, shirts, a leather jacket, sidearm, ammo—the rest of the fire power was already in the truck—and a small black duffel that went with me whenever I was away from the compound for more than a night. I packed light because I always did. But I grabbed a few extras this time—some clothes for Alanna to wear until her things were delivered. Plus, two fresh burner phones and a spare charger.
Kane had promised to send one of the old ladies to gather some of Alanna’s things. Until then, she’d have to make do with my shit.
“She’ll have her stuff sometime tomorrow,” he’d said. “You just get her there safely.”
I didn’t bother answering him; just nodded and kept moving.
When the last of the supplies were loaded into the truck, Alanna met me at the front door where Gauge was leaning against the wall, a smirk carved into his face.
“You sure you don’t want company?” he asked.
I closed the tailgate on the truck with a solid thunk. “You offering to be a chaperone or a witness?”
He snorted. “Neither. Just saying—Kane’s sending the one guy who doesn’t talk much to keep a woman company for who the hell knows how long. Could be entertaining.”
“Won’t be,” I said flatly, slinging my duffel into the back seat of the crew cab.
Edge passed by on his way to the garage, his knife dancing between his fingers. “You say that now.”
I shot him a look. He just grinned.
“Keep your head on the swivel,” he added. “If that kid shows up, you call it in before you make him disappear.”
“Sure,” I muttered, which earned me a bark of laughter.
They knew me well enough to get what “sure” meant.
When I turned back toward the door, Alanna stood there, her shoulders straight, and her chin high. There was a defiance in her eyes that hadn’t been there last night. Fear might have brought her here, but stubbornness was keeping her steady. And truthfully, it was as sexy as fuck.
“Ready?” I asked.
She hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah.”
We didn’t talk as we walked toward the line of bikes.
Tyre climbed into the truck and pulled out, headed to the designated spot where we’d make the switch.
I climbed onto my motorcycle and waited while Alanna adjusted the borrowed helmet. Then she slid onto the seat behind me, and warmth hit like a jolt through my bloodstream. I reached back to grip her calf, pulling her leg up so it was resting in the right spot and cradling my hips between her knees. “Hold tight.”
Her hands wrapped around my waist, fingers digging into the leather of my jacket. When the engine roared to life, the low growl echoed across the lot. The vibrations ran up through the frame and into my spine, grounding me in a way nothing else could.
