An officer came into the small room. “We got a call that a vehicle was stolen.” He glanced between the receptionist and me.

  I clambered to my feet, leaping to his side. “My car was parked just outside my room when I checked in this afternoon and now it is missing.”

  “All right, ma’am. I’m going to need to get some information from you so we can start our investigation.”

  Chapter 5

  Trent

  Fuck.

  As I was riding to the bar, I saw Crowley’s cop car with its lights on in the parking lot of the motel—shit had hit the fan faster than I was expecting it to. Reluctantly, I pulled in behind his car and made my way into the office. He was taking Sloan’s statement, and she was crying, terror blanketing her entire body. My heart sank.

  “His name is Ray…”

  I coughed a little, interrupting her. “Crowley, I can explain.”

  “Lawrence, what are you doing here?” Officer Crowley’s eyes narrowed as I searched for words.

  Slap.

  “What do you know?” Sloan screamed as her fingers left red marks on the side of my face.

  Rubbing my cheek, I let out a sigh. “I have the car up at our shop.”

  Crowley shook his head at me. “Damn it all the hell, Tre. You nearly gave this woman a fucking heart attack. Why in God’s name did you take her car?”

  Thank my fucking lucky stars Pete Crowley was the responding officer. If it had been anyone else, I would have been in handcuffs already. “It needs a paint job. I was going to surprise her. Trying to be a nice guy for once.”

  Sloan looked like I had just killed a kitten in front of her. “You fucking piece of shit! I told you I didn’t want your help.”

  “Is that true?” Crowley asked me.

  I nodded.

  “Do you want to press charges for the stolen vehicle?” Crowley was asking Sloan, but she was glaring at me.

  “Take me to get my car right the fuck now.” She was an inch away from me. Her hair was still wet from the last time she washed it, and the smell of the motel’s strawberry shampoo permeated the air.

  Officer Crowley handed his business card to Sloan. “If you need anything else, ma’am, don’t hesitate to call. Trent, from now on, don’t take someone’s vehicle without permission. Next time I’ll be carting you away in the back of a wagon.”

  “I understand, sir.”

  I shook his hand and then led Sloan over to my bike. I got on and held my second helmet out for her to take. She stood with her arms crossed, glaring at me.

  “It’s not going to bite you.” I tried to play off how fucking nervous I was around this chick. I knew I’d really pissed her off and I felt terrible about it, but at the end of the day, it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

  “I’m not getting on the back of your bike,” she flatly stated. Her arms were crossed over her chest with her feet planted firmly.

  “Listen, sweetheart, if you want to get your car that bad, you’re going to have to get on the back of this steel horse.” I had to rapid-fire the statement or it was never going to be said.

  Putting one hand on my shoulder, she narrowed her eyes at me. “I swear to God, if you try anything, I will have your balls in a damn vice before you can say motorcycle.”

  I smirked at her. “Just get on and put a little bit of trust in someone else for once.”

  For the couple of minutes it took to ride to the shop, Sloan had a death grip around my waist. Taking off my helmet, I looked over my shoulder at her. “Was that your first time on the back of a bike?”

  She bit her lip and nodded. It was the first time I saw her guard even remotely down. Her brokenness shot through my heart, each shard of her crashing into me. I wanted to pick up every piece and glue them back together. I knew someone had done a number on her, and I was determined to make him pay for what he had done.

  Ozzy lumbered his burly ass out of the first bay. “Tre!” he hollered over with a wave before I even had my kickstand out.

  “What’s up, brother?” I asked while helping Sloan off the bike.

  “I was able to get the white Camry fixed up without having to paint it. Mineral spirits did the trick.” He was one of the best damn bodywork masters I had ever seen.

  “Ozzy, you’re a lifesaver. Thanks man.” I patted him on the shoulder before turning to Sloan. “I’ll walk you over to your car. It should be ready to go.

  “If there isn’t anything else you need, I’m going to call it quits for the night.” Ozzy rubbed his face as a yawn took over.

  “Naw, man. Go on home. Nice work today.” I waved goodbye to the old man.

  “Thank you.” Sloan smiled sweetly at Ozzy before following after me. “And I owe you a thank you as well.” She shoved my arm as she trotted at my side.

  I dug my hands deep in my pockets as I slowly turned to her. “I should be apologizing to you.”

  She grabbed my forearm, stopping me dead in my tracks. It was the first time I got to look into her dark brown eyes, and they were stunning. They weren’t just brown; they also had flecks of amber and crimson with a dark black ring around them. I was mesmerized.

  “I’m not used to strangers being so nice to me. I don’t know who the fuck y’all are, but I am grateful I stumbled into this town.” She wiped a few tears from her cheeks.

  Well, that is a change in character.

  “Sweetheart, who tainted you so badly that you lost all trust in humanity?”

  She diverted her gaze. “Some douchebag that doesn’t deserve the breath it takes to talk about him.”

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Whoever it is you’re running from, we’ll protect you if you want.”

  “You don’t even know me.” She sniffled.

  “Yeah, I know.” I put my hand on her cheek, wiping away another lone tear. “But I would like to change that soon, if you’d let me.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, bouncing her knee as she glared at me. “Why?”

  “Because I see something in you. It’s in me too. You don’t feel like you should be alive, but here you are.”

  Her eyes got wide. “How’d you know that?” she whispered.

  “How about you just give me a week?” I was flying by the seat of my pants, hoping she wouldn’t think I was creepy as fuck for trying to convince to her to stay.

  “I don’t think I should stay in once place that long right now.” The terror in her eyes broke my heart.

  “I can keep you safe.” I grabbed her, pulling her tiny body into mine. We were standing in the back of the garage, completely alone. It was after hours and Red was the only one left because he was fucking living there.

  “The cops can’t even keep me safe.” Her breath was hot on my chest.

  I tightened my grip on her. “Trust me, we’re better than any police you’ve ever met.”

  “Why are you doing this? Why do you want to help me so badly?” She pulled away to look up at me.

  “Because I was given a second chance at life years ago, and maybe protecting you is the reason why that happened. I haven’t found a better one yet.”

  Chapter 6

  Sloan

  I felt crazy for even considering Trent’s offer. The idea of being protected and not constantly having to look over my shoulder just seemed too good to be true. I craved being able to rest, to stop running. Maybe this was my chance.

  “One week?” I clarified, standing locked in the strong arms of a complete stranger.

  He kissed the top of my head. “And then you can decide if you want to stick around here or continue the life of a nomad.”

  “I’ll need a job. I don’t have enough money to pay for a motel for a week without one.”

  Trent started to walk me to my car again. “Let me make a few calls and I’ll get you set up with something. Go back to the motel, relax a bit, and I’ll be by in about an hour to pick you up.”

  “Pick me up? Why?” I cocked my head to the side to give him a sideways glare.

  He opened the door for me. “You’re going to question everything I do and say, aren’t you?”

  I slid into my seat. “Yes, but I’ll see you soon. I’ll let you not answer this one time, but don’t get used to it.”

  Once I was back at the motel, I felt like a complete idiot. There was no way on God’s green earth someone would be as nice to me as Trent and the rest of his club were being without ulterior motives. I was putting blind trust in someone for the first time in my entire life. I felt utterly naïve.

  I tried to calm myself down by doing my hair and makeup. Keeping my hands busy and giving myself something else to focus on was helping a little, but my mind was still a jumbled mess.

  I damn near jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock at the door. “Coming,” I yelled, trotting over with my mascara brush still in my hand.

  Trent was holding a bottle of whiskey and a white bag of what smelled like greasy, delectable food.

  “May I come in?” he asked as I stood there, just staring at him like a fool.

  I moved to the side. “S-sure.”

  He sat in one of the small chairs at the table in the corner. “I wasn’t sure if you had really eaten, so I asked Raine what you ordered this morning and had Collin remake it for you, but we can go get something else if you’d like. I just didn’t want to come empty-handed, and I didn’t know how you felt about being around me. So, I can leave if you want, or I can stay. I planned on picking you up and taking you out for dinner. But, I didn’t know where you would want to go and this is such a small town.”

  He was nervously rambling on and on. It was one of the cutest things in the world.

  “A burger with a fried egg sounds amazing right now.” I grabbed the plastic cups that were sitting by the bathroom sink. “So does whiskey.” I grinned as I took the seat across from him.

  I was in red meat heaven, eating like a pig—elbows on the table, ketchup everywhere, grease dripping down my arms and chin. I really was a sucker for a good burger, and that one might have been one of the best of my life. It might not have been the tastiest, but I could actually sit and enjoy it. I couldn’t believe how much Ray had affected the simplest things in my life. Something so small as enjoying a meal had been stolen from me—until that moment.

  There was something so calming about Trent—his voice, his demeanor, his resolve to defend me. I knew his words were empty promises, but I could feel his passion with every syllable he spoke.

  I popped the last bite into my mouth. “That was amazing.” I leaned back in my chair, wiping my hands and face.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” His smile was captivating. He had the brightest, whitest teeth I had ever seen. His lips were full, and his eyes creased at the corners as his cheeks perked up. Fuck—his eyes. They were perfect. Angels were probably jealous of their beauty. They were shattered glass of every shade of sky blue.

  “So, tell me something about yourself. I want to get to know my knight in shining armor.” I poured us each a little more whiskey.

  He shrugged. “Ha! More like tinfoil. There really isn’t much to tell.”

  Lies. Fucking load of bullshit. “Oh, come on. Something—anything.”

  “I was a Marine before I became an outlaw. I did two tours in Iraq.”

  It was not what I’d been thinking he would say. “Do you miss being in the military?”

  His shoulders slouched while he played with the cup in his hand. “Sometimes, but I love being an outlaw more than a Marine. This club saved my life.”

  “Right now, I feel the same way.” I snickered a little, trying to keep the conversation a little lighter.

  “Who are you running from exactly?” He put his hand on my forearm, drawing circles with his thumb.

  “My ex is a really mean guy. He’s been following me around the country ever since I broke things off with him.” The words came out of my mouth but I didn’t feel like I had said them.

  “He will not be able to get to you here, I can promise you that.” Trent’s jaw got rigid after he spoke.

  “I don’t know how he keeps finding me. I’ve changed phones constantly, never used the same name twice, only pay with cash now.” It was the first time I had opened up about Ray to anyone other than the cops.

  Trent cocked his head to the side. “Your car,” he muttered.

  I shook my head. “I checked it for bugs and didn’t find anything.”

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  “I don’t know…maybe? I want to, if that means anything.” It was the most honest answer I could give him. I needed someone I could trust, and he was the first person that seemed like a viable option.

  “I have someone you need to meet. Let me call her.” Trent shoved up from the table. He started to pace as he dialed the number and put the phone to his ear.

  “Crickett, hey it’s Tre. Yeah, I’m going to bring her by the house now, I just wanted to make sure you were home. All right. See you in a few minutes.”

  He shoved his phone back into his pocket.

  “I have a plan.” He grabbed my hand, moving to lead me out of the room.

  I reached for my bag, but he stopped me. “What?”

  “Don’t bring anything with you. I’m going to have Collin come get your car in the morning and I’ll have my guys check it. I don’t want you staying here tonight. You’re going to stay with a friend of mine.”

  I pulled my arm away from him. “I don’t like being told what to do.”

  “I frankly do not give a fuck right now. You could be in danger and I am not going to let you sit in this damn room like a lamb just waiting to be slaughtered.”

  I couldn’t argue with his logic. If I was going to trust him and give him a week, I needed to jump in with both feet. “All right, I’ll trust you for now. Against my better judgement. But, I reserve the right to revoke it at any point.”

  “That’s good enough for me.”

  We rode up into the mountains on his motorcycle then pulled down a long gravel driveway. An older woman was sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair, smoking a cigarette.

  “This is Crickett’s home. Her son is an Unacceptable, and he lives here too. She’s kind of like our queen’s mother.”

  The reference seemed odd to me, but nothing about this situation was normal. Instead of overthinking it like I wanted to, I just went with the flow.

  Trent grabbed my hand as we started to make our way up the front steps.

  “Crickett, this is the woman I was telling you about.”

  She immediately pulled me into a hug. “Sweetheart, you look so shaken.”

  “Can we talk inside?” Trent motioned for the door and we both followed him in.

  We all took seats around the kitchen table, where he handed us each a beer.

  “All right, so what is actually going on here?” Her kind eyes searched mine as she waited for my response, but Trent spoke up first.

  “Sloan, it’s all right to tell her. You can trust her more than you can even trust me. She came here to escape a dangerous life when she wasn’t much younger than you are.”

  I cleared my throat and dove into the CliffsNotes version of what Ray did. When I was finished, Crickett put her hand on mine.

  “Trent, good call bringing her here.” She shot him a kind smile before turning to me. “You can stay in Raine’s old room for the time being. I’ll get you a burner cell, and I want you to change out your SIM card once a week. Never keep a number longer than that. You can borrow Abel’s old truck until we figure out what we’re going to do with your car, and you can help Red at the garage with the paperwork and scheduling. That will keep you around us so we can make sure this fucktard doesn’t find you again.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” My head hung. It was all happening so fast.

  Trent shifted a little to look directly at me. “You don’t have to say anything. Just let us help and protect you.”

  Crickett got up from the table. “Well kids, I’m opening the bar in the morning, so I’ll fill Ryder and Holt in on everything then. Trent, will you show Sloan to the room?”

  He got up and hugged Crickett. “Thanks for all of this.”

  She patted his shoulder. “That’s what family does, son. See you tomorrow.”

  Chapter 7

  Trent

  Sloan sat at the table, frozen. Her eyes were locked in a dead stare, her fingers were gripping the arms of her chair, her face was blank. I knew this was all pretty overwhelming, but if Crickett and I could do it, she could too.

  I put my hand on hers, making her eyes snap to mine. “Sorry,” she muttered, “I just can’t wrap my head around this. It’s all happening so fast.”

  “We can’t drag our feet when it comes to your safety.” I knelt down in front of her, so we could look directly at one another. “I will be here every step of the way. I can at least promise you that small shred of comfort.”

  Her hand landed on my cheek. “How am I ever going to thank you for this?”

  “You honestly don’t have to thank me, sweetheart.” I held out my hand for her. “Come on, love. You need to get some rest.” I could tell from the bags under her eyes that she hadn’t had a restful night’s sleep in far too long.

  She took my hand and I led her up to where she would be staying. We both sat on the bed, and I pulled her into my arms.

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” she sheepishly questioned.

  “Because sometimes we need rescuing even if we don’t know it. I’ll let you get some rest.” I started to pull away from her, but she stopped me.

  “Thank you again.” She kissed my lips, a fleeting touch. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her back with all the passion I longed to give to her, but I pulled away.

  “Not like this,” I started.

  Her brow creased. “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t want you to do anything you might regret tomorrow. If we’re ever going to do anything like this”—I motioned between the two of us—“I want it to be because you really want to be close to me.”