Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
He runs his hand over my forehead, swiping some hair away. “So do you, Violet.”
I go quiet, and my world spins.
What if... what if it wasn’t Demon.
What if it was Jeremy?
I bite my bottom lip, staring at my feet. “What if it wasn’t Demon?”
Chief looks confused. “Ain’t nobody else it could be.”
“That’s not true,” I whisper, and then look up to meet his eyes. “It could be Lillian’s brother, Jeremy. He, ah, is back in town and has threatened me.”
Chief’s eyes widen and his nostrils flare. “What the fuck? What do you mean he threatened you?”
I tell him everything, about how Jeremy wants to put me away for manslaughter and how Travis is helping me with a good lawyer.
He glares at Travis. “You fuckin’ knew?”
Travis crosses his arms. “Yeah, I did, and I fuckin’ made sure she stayed safe.”
“What about her fuckin’ mother? She ain’t safe, is she?”
“Enough,” I snap, glaring at Chief. “What happened to Mom was not his fault and you will not blame it on him. It’s just as likely it is linked to the club and then it’s on you. So quit it.”
His jaw loosens a bit. “Sorry, baby. You’re right, it ain’t on any of us. We gotta figure out who did this. Until then, we need protection on all of you.”
Before I can protest, Chief’s phone buzzes. He steps away, voice low: “Brother, we’ve got a problem.”
I need space.
I slip outside into the night, cold air biting through my jeans. I sit on the curb, knees pulled to my chest, praying she survives her surgery. I finally understand why she ran all those years ago—she was paying a price for crimes she never committed. This biker world is a brutal place where fear is the only currency. It makes so much more sense now.
About an hour later, Travis finds me and kneels beside me. His gentle voice breaks my spiraling thoughts. “Doctor just came out. She’s out of surgery. She is doing well. You can go see her.”
I leap to my feet and race back inside, raw fear propelling me down the halls. I burst into the room the nurse leads me to. Chief stands at her bedside, his hand curled firmly around hers. My mother’s face is pale, eyes fluttering open and focusing on me. She’s drowsy and has tubes everywhere, but I know the moment she recognizes me because her expression changes.
I rush over, reaching down gently and curling my arms around her. “I’m so sorry, Momma.”
“It’s all right, baby,” she whispers hoarsely. “I’m all right.”
“I should’ve been here—”
“You couldn’t have stopped it.”
Chief steps forward. “It’s a problem. We need to find who is doing this and sort it out. Until then, you’re not safe, especially if you’re injured. When you get out of hospital, you’re going to your mom’s. I’ll have a man go with you, for security.”
Her eyelids drift closed, but she nods once, too weak to argue.
He cups her cheek with rough, gentle hands. “I’m sorry, angel.”
Angel.
I’ve never heard him call her that, but something in her eyes changes when he does. She opens them and looks at him with an expression I’ve never seen from her. It’s full of love and longing and a desperate heartbreak I can’t even begin to understand.
“Caden, promise me one thing. Don’t let anyone hurt our baby. Put your differences aside. Keep her safe.”
His voice is low, his vow hushed. “I swear it.”
TWO LONG WEEKS SLIP by.
In that time, my mother’s been whisked off to Grandma’s for her safety. Chief’s footing the bills for round-the-clock care while she heals. He carries guilt, though I can’t blame him. His world of roaring bikes and late-night deals dragged her into a darkness she never deserved. Sweet, innocent, beautiful—she was collateral in his chaos, and it nearly broke her.
We found out it wasn’t Jeremy. It was Demon.
Jeremy, on the other hand, has continued with his desperate revenge and is still trying to press charges against me. Travis’ lawyer is working her butt off to get it thrown out, and I can only pray it works because I can’t deal with another thing right now. Everywhere I go, I’m trailed by burly shadows. Dad and Travis won’t let me out of sight, convinced Demon will set his sights on me next. I ache for normalcy, to shake this fear so we can all breathe again. But the biker life is no gentle breeze; it’s a storm that never quite passes.
“There’s my gorgeous girl.”
Travis’ voice slides through the steam as I soak in the bathtub at his place. I wiggle my toes at him, watching the muscles in his forearms flex as he drops his shirt on the floor.
“Hey, handsome.”
He arches an eyebrow. “Handsome? You wound me.”
I grin, splashing water toward him. “Sorry. Hey there, hot stuff.”
He laughs and slides in behind me. His hard chest presses into my back, and I sigh, melting against him.