Page 38 of Bear (Rebel Saints MC 6)

Silence on the other end then, “Ok, and who are you?”

I stilled for a long moment. That was the question wasn’t it. Who am I to Delphia? “I’m the one who is going to make sure this man who robbed her, won’t be coming near her again.”

Again, silence then, “I get it. Tell her I will fill in for her.”

“Thank you.” I swiped her phone closed then looked up at her.

Her mouth had popped open.

I chuckled and tipped it closed with my finger.

“Y-you just…” she stumbled over her words.

I nodded. “Yes, I did. You were wrong when you said I could not be your bodyguard 24/7. I am going to be just that.”

Her eyes were round in her face.

“So when does Angie’s article come out?” I asked to get past any argument she might come back at me with.

“In a couple of days. She’s working on it, or whatever.” Delphia’s cute lips were moving in slow motion as if she was on autopilot. “I don’t want anything to eat. I can’t,” she proclaimed strongly.

“You gotta eat. Don’t let Rocky win. Can you believe in me again? I won’t let you down. If a retired guy from the army can’t protect you, who can?” Attempting to win her over was like pulling teeth. The glaze had hardened over her eyes and I figured she might be too far gone to get back with words. I would have to show her with actions that I had her back.

It was two days out from my army boys riding through, and vital decisions about Delphia’s protection had been made. I wanted to pick Angie’s brain to see where she was at with the article. Delphia was understandably vague and leaving blank holes in what I wanted to know.

Delphia was here at Wheelz with me, but she was upstairs talking to Mia.

Maybe outta sight but not out of mind, for me.

Angie rolled into Wheelz with her golden curls bouncing and a determined look on her stoic face.

I felt a sense of ease that she was writing the article because I knew she was going to protect Delphia with it. “Hey, Angie.” I rolled a hand over my dark crop, sighing as I stood in the doorway with a coffee ready for her. It was right after ten, and I figured the offering would be welcome.

“Thanks. That bad?”

“Yep. I think it is.” If the dryness in my tone was any indication, she should know.

“I gotta get this article right. It’s everything. This reminds me of the article I wrote that almost got me killed in Pakistan, but I got it through and it hit the mark. Rocky’s outta here. Thank god for Mia. It’s going to be stockpiled with the rest of the fucking mess Rocky created. We have him on the ropes.”

“Do we? He’s pretty bold for a man on the ropes.” I doubted he was sane enough to be worried.

“Even better. He’s beyond the realm of cocky. That’s how we finish him. When this article comes out, he’s going to either come full throttle at Delphia and try to get to her, which is where you step in, or he’s going to go into deeper hiding. My money is on his ruthlessness. It’s going to draw him out, and he’s going to take a run at Delphia. That’s when we are going to throw the hand of the law on him.”

Angie’s unshakeable belief shifted some, but not all, of my doubts. Together, we could defeat Rocky and the Road Warriors. Maybe. “I hear you, but remember, we have the Rebel Saints. Rocky has the Road Warriors. He has the ability to unleash power from his end too. We don’t mix with the cartel, but the Road Warriors do.”

Angie clicked her boots and teeth together as she cast a challenging look over the top of her coffee. “Why are you shaky all of a sudden? You have a military background. You’re built for war. Why the doubt?”

“I wasn’t there, Angie. I missed it. I made a promise and failed.”

“You didn’t fail. She didn’t tell you. There’s a difference. You fall off the horse—what’s that sayin’? You get right back on. Something like that. Anyway, Rocky is a murderer, straight up, and we can’t let him terrorize anymore people. You can back down if you want to, but I’m running at him. If Delphia wants to set up protective custody, it’s an option.”

“Protective custody?” I scoffed at her. “I am the protective custody. I was supposed to be the one taking care of her. That’s my job. I got the army boys coming through for the reunion, so I gotta figure this shit out and quick.”

“Army boys, eh? I like that. Any good-looking standouts in the pack? I could use a tune up.” Angie licked her lips.

I scoffed, thinking her and Key might be a good match. You never knew what was going to fly out of Angie’s mouth. “You can find out for yourself when they get here in a couple of days. I think off the top of one of them that might be, but I wouldn’t if I were you…”

Angie’s eyes grew wide at the challenge. “Tell me more. Why not?”

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