Irish looked at me as if I had lost my mind. “You don’t go to an after-hours clinic with your heart condition. You go to the goddamn hospital. Jesus!” She took a deep breath. “It’s fine. You’re going to be fine. Just let me go make sure I’m covered and they know what’s going on. Don’t open that door for anyone. If someone comes up to the door, lay on the horn.”

  Again, she’d already told me all this, but I nodded anyway. “Got it.”

  Irish opened the driver’s door to her cherry-red Ford Mustang and climbed out. Then pointed at me to lock the doors. I did, and she did a quick take of the parking lot before heading inside. I rested my head back on the seat and sighed loudly.

  Five weeks of living with her now, and she was still treating me like I was an invalid. Gran had never kept me home all the time. I’d had a life. One that made me feel like I was doing something. Giving back. Now, I binge-watched a lot of television shows, did yoga alone twice a day in the living room, and baked things that I had seen on the Cooking Channel.

  Other than sending sweets to the strippers at Devil’s Lair, I wasn’t doing anything for anyone. I hated feeling like I was wasting my time. Not living life. Explaining that to Irish though was pointless. She’d get all panicky and tell me how I had to recover first. I’d had pneumonia over a month ago. I was recovered.

  Lifting my head back up, I stared at the door, waiting for Irish to return. When it swung open, I was glad that she’d been so quick. However, the woman who looked like she was just wearing heels wasn’t Irish. Neither was the man who followed her out the door. He gave the girl a shove, and she stumbled. I tensed.

  Was he going to hurt her?

  They walked closer to me, and it wasn’t until he stopped at a motorcycle and turned to sit down on it—not to ride it, as he sat sideways on the seat with both his feet still on the ground—that the moonlight hit his face. I sucked in a sharp breath. I knew that face. I’d let myself imagine it and put it into my fantasies several times the past two weeks.

  He took off his leather jacket and tossed it onto the ground in front of him, then said something to the girl, and she sank down onto her knees. Oh my God. Unable to look away, I watched as she began unbuckling his jeans, and then he stood so she could pull them down until his penis came out. I covered my mouth with one hand. Even from here, it looked intimidating.

  Would that thing fit in a vagina?

  Levi grabbed the woman’s blonde hair and fisted it tightly, then shoved her face down on his erection.

  “Holy crap,” I whispered.

  The girl put her hands on his knees, but wasn’t fighting him. She was letting him jerk her head back and forth. I lifted my eyes up to his face. His neck was so thick and muscular. The look on his face was fierce. I squirmed, watching him. The man was gorgeous when he wasn’t getting a blow job. But seeing him being pleasured, he was like a god.

  His eyes snapped open, and his gaze swung in my direction, but he wasn’t looking at me. I heard my sister’s voice and knew she was at the car. I should look away or hide before he realized I’d been watching him like a creeper. His eyes locked on me then, and I couldn’t tear mine away. It was as if he had commanded me to watch him.

  I swallowed hard and felt my breathing pick up. Why was he still looking at me?

  The driver’s door opened, and that snapped me out of whatever hold this man had had on me.

  “Fucking Levi. We have perfectly good rooms he can use inside for that shit,” Irish grumbled, getting into the car.

  I studied my hands in my lap.

  “Were you watching them?” Irish asked me. Her voice sounded condemning.

  Seriously? She was a stripper. She didn’t get to judge me for watching a sexy man get oral sex.

  “It was kinda hard not to,” I replied sarcastically.

  “God, Aspen. That man is dangerous. He does not need to see you watching Cookie suck him off.”

  Cookie? She couldn’t have come up with a better stripper name than Cookie? It was as bad as Kitty. If I stripped, I would want something more exotic. Unique.

  “How do you feel?” Irish asked me, starting up the car.

  “Fine. Just like I told you at the house.”

  “You have a fever. You’re not fine.”

  This was going to set me back from getting free of her house. No volunteer work for me. No job. Just more binge-watching. At least I had my scorpion handstand perfected. Not even Irish could do that one. I could be a yoga instructor when I was finally set free. God knew I was getting enough practice.

  “Did that man come to the house a couple of weeks ago?” Kitty asked as we drove away.

  “The blow-job guy?” I asked, already knowing that was who she meant. I hadn’t told her about it because I was afraid she’d be mad I’d opened the door.

  “Yes,” she replied in a tight voice.

  Clearly, she knew I was being difficult.

  “That might have been him.”

  “Might have? As in you didn’t see his face?”

  I groaned in frustration. I was trying to tell a white lie and get away with it. Why did she need details?

  “Probably.”

  “Aspen, that is not an answer. Did that man come to the house when I was gone, and did you open the door?”

  She already knew. She just wanted me to admit it. He must have told her.

  “Yes.”

  “Did you let him in?”

  “I’m not an idiot, Irish.” But I would have if he’d asked me to because he was beautiful.

  “Never answer the door again. If I’m not there, don’t even look out the window. Go hide in your room.”

  I frowned at her. “Seriously?”

  “Yes!”

  I rolled my eyes. “He was nice. He didn’t do or say anything to scare me. He even told me not to open the door to strangers again.”

  Irish muttered a curse word.

  “What?”

  She shot me an annoyed glance. “Naive. You are so fucking naive. Just stay away from him. No matter what. Do not trust Levi Shephard or any of his friends. They are dangerous.”

  Like I was ever going to get to leave her house and run into anyone. I was stuck. I missed Gran. Sure, I hadn’t gotten to watch television at her house, but she had let me volunteer and get a job. There hadn’t been guys like Levi Shephard showing up at the door there though. I closed my eyes and wished I’d gotten to see what his face looked like when he got off.

  “Your phone is lighting up,” Irish said.

  I glanced down at it. Nope. Not answering that call. It was the third time he’d called this week. We had nothing to say to each other. Brent McCumber wasn’t mine.

  Four

  Levi

  Unfortunately, Cookie had started getting clingy, so I’d stayed away from Devil’s for a couple of weeks. However, after this week, I needed to see some tits and ass. Kye had texted that he was on his way there after work. I figured, what the hell? Cookie had to have gotten the message from my absence.

  I scanned the club as I walked in, and my eyes found Kitty talking to a member of The Risers. It was the only other MC allowed in Devil’s. The strip club was owned by The Judgment’s president, and they didn’t mix with other MCs. The Risers were an exception.

  I’d been tempted to go by Kitty’s house a few times, but I’d told her I’d leave the sister alone.

  Damn, seeing her watching Cookie take my cock had gotten in my head and fucked with me. Kitty being all protective of her was starting to piss me off. It made her off-limits, and I didn’t like things being unavailable to me. I could turn ugly when told no. If Kitty was so damn worried about Aspen, why the fuck was she messing with a damn biker? The Risers dealt low end drugs. It was one of their main sources of income. Getting in with them would only put her and Aspen in danger.

  This shit wasn’t my business. I shook it off and headed toward an empty table when the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I shifted, moving my hand over the Glock strapped to my side, and scanned the room. Something was off. I could feel the energy change as the music continued to drown out the other noise.

  I found Kye talking to one of his favorite strippers, and the moment my eyes locked on him, his head jerked up, and he looked directly at me. I watched him stiffen and then begin to move. He could feel the threat too. It was something we’d experienced too many times. We knew the signs and could feel the hostility. He slid his gun out from under his shirt. Stopping this shit before anything happened was the only way to keep it from getting out of hand.

  Damn bikers.

  As I turned back to the door I’d entered, two men stepped inside, and I recognized the tattoos on their necks. They weren’t the only ones here. More were already in place around the room. Whoever they were here for had let their guard down. They were too far from home for them to be visiting the club. This was about to become a fucking war. One we had no part in, but considering it was going to go down here, we also couldn’t ignore it.

  The first shot rang out, and screams erupted. People began running for exits, hiding under tables. Complete chaos. It hadn’t come from the gang members, but they were now armed and ready to aim. My gaze swung to one of The Risers, who held a gun, pointed at the new arrivals.

  Had The Risers gotten involved with the fucking Vagos gang?

  The Judgment members who were currently residing in Ocala with their president and the owner of Devil’s Lair, Liam Walsh, came from every corner. Guns were drawn, and the biker with Kitty, I realized, was in the center of the current problem. His cut made him a fucking target if that was who the Vagos were here for.

  While more gunshots rang out, I studied the situation, making quick mental notes of faces involved. Blaise, our boss, would want to know what went down and the details. Liam was his father-in-law. This shit was on his turf.

  “What the fucking hell?” Kye hissed when he came up beside me.

  “Not sure just yet,” I told him, then nodded toward the back office. “We need to go find Liam. Make sure he’s protected and see if he knows what the fuck is going down.”

  “It’s the fucking Vagos,” Kye said, nodding his head at the man who had just walked into the club like a damn mercenary.

  “Yeah, I noticed their tats,” I replied. “Not Liam’s fight, but it’s at his club. We can’t stay out of it.”

  His problem was our problem.

  Kye nodded in understanding, and we started making our way to the back. Shouting continued, and one of the bikers from The Risers went down. Pausing, I saw Kitty scream in horror as the guy she’d been sitting with lay on the floor beside her, bleeding out.

  “Poor Kitty.” Kye sounded truly upset for her.

  I wanted to shake her for getting mixed up with a biker. Wasn’t she supposed to be protecting Aspen? She’d been determined I wasn’t going near her. I had to fix her fuckup.

  “I need to get her out of here,” I told him, thinking about Aspen.

  I wasn’t sure how deep Kitty had gotten into this shit, but I felt my stomach knot up. Assuming Aspen still lived at Kitty’s, I was guessing she was home alone.

  Before I could decide on my next move, a bright red circle of fresh blood appeared on Kitty’s forehead, just before she dropped to the ground beside the biker.

  “OH, FUCK NO!” Kye shouted.

  I grabbed his arm, my heart slamming against my chest. Aspen wasn’t safe. Whatever the hell was going down here tonight, Kitty had been a target.

  “Go to Liam. I’ve got to get to Kitty’s house.”

  “The sister.” It wasn’t a question. Kye realized this danger might find its way to Kitty’s door.

  They’d taken Kitty out for a reason. This wasn’t a blind shooting. The Vagos had set this up. They had known who they were going to kill and why.

  Dammit, Kitty! What have you done?

  There was no time for me to get to Liam. Whatever shit Kitty had gotten into, the sister wasn’t going down too. I darted out of the club and into the parking lot. Sirens were in the distance, and I knew that was Liam’s doing. It would be under control here soon, although lives had been lost already. But no one would be watching out for Aspen.

  Running to my bike, I slipped my Glock back into its holster, threw my leg over the seat, then sped toward the duplex that Kitty lived in. Kitty had always been a bit of a wild card, but I’d never expected her to step into something like this. Fucking shame to see her die so pointlessly. I rubbed at the burn in my chest. I hated seeing a woman die. At least one who didn’t deserve it. That sweet little redhead sure as fuck didn’t.

  Cops were racing to the club, and I turned to get out of their path. The five miles to Kitty’s felt like a fucking lifetime. Although I was almost sure Aspen was still living with Kitty, if she wasn’t there, I needed to find out where she was. Her safety was in question now. Until I knew what it was that had gone down tonight, I couldn’t be sure she would be okay without protection.

  When my bike pulled into the driveway, my blood ran cold. The house was dark, but the door wasn’t fully closed. Pulling out my gun, I scanned the area, then moved to the house quietly, aware of every sound. I knew I should call in Gage or Huck for backup, but there was no time. Bile rose in my throat as the fear that I was too late clawed inside my chest. That beautiful face and sweet smile—goddamn, if anything had happened to her, I wasn’t going to handle it well.

  As I moved inside the dark house, I saw evidence of the forced entry on the doorframe, and it sent more dread pulsing through me. A motherfucker was about to die. Listening carefully for any sound, I eased through the main floor before silently making my way up the stairs. When I stopped at the first open door, my gaze swept the room. The slight movement from under the bed was given away by the moonlight coming through the window, casting a shadow.

  Relief washed over me. The only person fitting under that bed was small. Aspen had hidden. Good girl. I turned my back to the room and pulled the door closed as I surveyed the rest of the hallway and the rooms ahead of me.

  Footsteps came from the right. The intruder wasn’t trying to be quiet. He thought he was alone.

  “I know you’re here, little bitch. You can fucking hide all you want, but I’m going to fuck that pussy, and if you scream just right, I might let you live. You can be my little whore.”

  Stepping behind the closet door he’d left wide open, I watched him. Not a biker. He was one of the Vagos.

  Jesus Christ, what had Kitty done? Why did the goddamn Vagos know where she lived?

  “Come on out and spread those legs if you want to live. I’ll show you how a real man fucks hot little bitches. I bet that’s a virgin pussy.”

  His eyes swung to her bedroom door, which I had closed, and I saw the lecherous smile break out across his face. I stepped out from my hiding spot, and the gun in his hand fell to the ground as my bullet hit its mark.

  I walked over to him as his wide eyes looked at me, full of hate and hostility.

  “Sorry I’m not a hot little bitch,” I drawled, picking up his gun. Aiming my Glock at his head, I studied him a moment. “Tell me what the fuck you’re doing here.”

  “This isn’t your fight! No one crossed Garrett,” the man shouted as he held his bleeding arm.

  Garrett Hughes was the boss. I’d been working for him since he and my father had decided I was ready for this life. My face was one recognized by those in low places, like this fucking piece of scum. We’d dealt with the Vagos before.

  “You crossed me. You’re in this house. Messing with someone I don’t want touched. So, tell me what the fuck you’re doing,” I said to him, taking one more step in his direction.

  His eyes went wide. “Didn’t know you had a claim on the bitch. I was just here to collect something that stripper whore was hiding. Saw the pretty little redhead through the window before I came inside,” he stuttered as he moved slightly for the knife he had hidden in his boot.

  I shot his leg, and he screamed. My aim swung back to his head.

  “What does Kitty have hidden?” I asked him.

  He shook his head. “I can’t say.”

  His eyes shifted, and I knew he wouldn’t be alone soon. Others were coming. If it wasn’t for Aspen, I’d kill this motherfucker and then deal with the others as they arrived. But I had to get Aspen to safety. Standing here, trying to torture the answer out of him, was only putting her in danger.

  “Bye, fucker,” I said as I took the shot that would send his filthy soul straight to hell.

  Stepping over him, I opened the door, then went to the bed. Soft sobbing was muffled as I bent down.

  “Listen, sweetheart, I need you to come with me.”

  She let out another small cry. “Where is Irish—Kitty?”

  Damn. I wasn’t ready to tell her that yet.

  “We’ll talk about it, but we have to get out of here. More guys like this one are coming.”

  I didn’t want to reach under there and take her, but I would if she didn’t come on. I wasn’t going to let any of these bastards touch her. I wanted to sigh in relief as she began to scoot out from under the narrow space she’d managed to get into. Her emerald eyes stared up at me with terror swimming in them, along with the tears. My chest hurt as I thought about the pain that she would suffer soon when I had to tell her about Kitty.

  Fuck, that was gonna hurt.

  I took her hands and stood up, taking her with me. She was dressed in a pair of silky pink sleep shorts with little red hearts all over them and a matching camisole. Her feet were bare. She’d been in bed and woken up to this nightmare. There was no time to get her in something else or to put a bra on her. But fuck if I was going to let anyone else see her like this. Jerking off my leather jacket, I slipped it on her. She quietly helped me by putting her arms inside the sleeves.