Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
I nodded, not really wanting to answer him but knowing it was childish. “Um, yeah.”
He handed the tablet to Sting as the other man stepped into the hall with the rest of us. I was starting to get claustrophobic again.
“Let’s take this outside,” Eagle said, moving toward me. He put his arm around my shoulders and urged me down the stairs at the end of the hallway and through the clubhouse. He didn’t glance back to see if anyone followed, and he didn’t let me slow down. Minutes later we stood outside in the moonlight. Stars were bright overhead and night bugs and frogs created a soothing din. I took a deep breath. Evergreen, hay, and the faint hint of gasoline filled the air. Off in the distance, I heard the rumbling of a motorcycle before it was shut off.
“I’m sorry if we crowded you, Nyla.” Sting stepped onto the porch where Eagle had brought me. Eagle indicated I should sit on a wicker loveseat. It seemed out of place for a motorcycle club compound, but who was I to judge? When I sat, Eagle sat next to me, putting his arm over the back of the small couch behind my shoulders. A claiming gesture if ever there was on. Part of me wanted to cringe back, to keep him at a distance. The other part wanted to curl into him and let him keep me safe from anything and everything. If he would.
“I’m fine. But I really do need to go.”
“You sure?” Sting asked. “Because if Wylde has found the right Milo, if he’s found the man you’re referring to, you’re gonna need all the help you can get.”
Chapter Three
Eagle
Nyla’s face blanched which told the true story. She knew exactly how much trouble she was in, and she was terrified of this guy. Besides, Wylde was never wrong.
Iris stepped outside, bringing with her a huge plate of burgers. Winter followed her with a tray of fixings and Serelda with plates. Brick followed the women with a cooler of drinks, and everyone dug in. Nyla looked at us like we were all crazy.
“How can you sit here and eat calmly when you know who’s after me?” She sounded equal parts incensed and horrified.
“Because this is what we do.” Sting took a bite of his burger, giving her a wink. I thought it was meant to put Nyla at ease, but I wanted to point out to Sting he had his own woman to wink at. He kept it up. I might have to put out that eye. Then he’d have a reason to wink. As if I’d spoken aloud, Sting glanced at me with a raised eyebrow. Which was when I realized I was growling. The president smirked. Yeah. I was fucked.
“You absolutely stumbled onto the right group of people if you’ve got someone after you,” Winter said softly. “We’ll all defend you, but these guys take the protection of anyone in their territory seriously.” Roman, as always, was by her side and kissed her temple. She’d stopped trying to hide her scars. In fact, she wore them proudly. Her badge of courage and sign of her indomitable spirit.
“And by this Milo bringing you into our territory for any reason, he brought you to us.” Brick stood with his arms crossed over his chest looking every inch the vice president.
“That should tell you something,” Nyla insisted. “If you’ve looked him up --” she nodded to Wylde, “then you know he’s not some small-time thug. He didn’t come here without knowing exactly who was in this area and what risk they posed to him. He obviously thinks he can handle any resistance to what he throws at you.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Sting spoke quietly. “He has no idea we’re even here.”
That seemed to bring Nyla up short. Then she shook her head. “That’s not… Milo is meticulous. He always knows everything about any clubs or gangs in the area. Normally he’d make his presence known so there were no misunderstandings.”
“You seem to know a lot about him to not know his name.” Roman spoke quietly. I looked over at him sharply.
“Roman.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Well? You know it’s the truth. I feel for her. I do. I want to help her and eliminate this Milo on sheer principle, but I don’t like coincidences. She’s here. In this compound. With a local MC that Milo Hutch, one of the biggest drug kingpins in the country, supposedly knew nothing about? Yeah. Not believing that. She’s here for a reason. Whether she knows it or not.”
I glanced at Nyla, who flinched. “You’re not going to let me go. Are you?”
“All we’re doing is lookin’ into things.” Sting raised a hand to keep everyone else quiet. “I’d be negligent if I let you go before we knew what was going on. But I promise, we’re not going to hurt you. We’ll protect you from Milo or anyone else as long as you’re here in good faith. So if there’s anything you need to tell us, do it now. Anything up to this point can be forgiven, even if you came here to deceive us and do something for Milo. Now’s your one chance to come clean.”