Chapter 20
-Logan-
20 vouchers
The door to the chapel swung open, and every head turned toward me. The air smelled like stale beer and smoke. Jake sat at
the head of the table. To his left-
Talon. My old man.
He hadn’t changed. Still built like a brick shithouse, still wearing that same damn expression. Like he couldn’t decide whether to hug me or put me through a wall. His beard looked a little grayer, but his eyes – my eyes were as calculating
as ever.
I dragged out the chair across from River and dropped into it. The wood creaked under my weight.
River smirked around his cigarette. “Look who finally decided to join the party.”
I ignored him. My eyes stayed locked on my old man. “Didn’t know you were back.”
He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “Surprise.”
–
Jake cleared his throat. “We got business to discuss. But first – Logan. You wanna explain why half the club’s about to ride out on this personal vendetta of yours?”
I clenched my jaw. “It’s not personal.”
River snorted. “Bullshit. You’re about to put a bullet in some guy over a chick you’ve known for five minutes.”
The room went quiet.
Talon leaned forward. His face went dark. “That right?”
I didn’t flinch. “That’s right.”
He stared me down, then smirked. “Like father, like son.”
The hell did he mean by that?
Jake tapped the table. “Yeah, yeah. Enough. Logan, you really need half the club involved in this?”
“I’m not takin‘ half the club. Just River, Monty, Link, and Mason. But the whole club’s already involved,” I said, leaning forward. “He came at her with a gun. In public. Cops are involved now. We’re involved. This shit goes sideways, you really want that heat blowin‘ back on us?”
Jake’s eyes narrowed. “Have we ever been afraid of cops?”
“No. But I think we’re smart enough not to invite ‘em to poke around.”
Silence. Then my old man chuckled. “Boy’s got a point, Jake.”
Jake shot him a look.
Talon shrugged. “I’m saying, if some prick’s dumb enough to wave a gun around in public, he’s dumb enough to disappear.” His eyes flicked to me.
River whistled. “Damn. Family reunion’s goin‘ better than expected.”
I ignored him, keeping my focus on Jake. “So we’re good?”
Mon,
Chapter 20
༤༢,༡7། 71
-20 vouchers
Jake sighed, rubbing his face. “Fine. But you keep it clean and quiet. And if this blows back on the club, it’s on you.”
I nodded once. “Understood.”
The meeting droned on – club business, supply runs, some bullshit about territory disputes with the Diablos – but I wasn’t listening.
My fingers tapped on the table. The rhythm reminded me of Hailey’s pulse under my hand when I pinned her to the bed
earlier.
Talon’s gaze burned into the side of my face like a brand. I kept my eyes fixed on the table, tracing the grooves with my thumbnail.
If I looked at him, he’d see everything. The way my thoughts kept circling back to her…
The way she flinched when I smacked her ass and then arched into it after.
Fuck.
River kicked me hard under the table. “You alive in there, brother?”
I grunted, shoving him off. “Mind your business.”
Jake cleared his throat, shooting us both a look. “Focus. We got a shipment comin‘ in Thursday. Talon, you and Link handle the pickup.”
I tuned out again, my mind dragging me back to the gun range. The way Hailey’s hands steadied after the first shot, the way she bit her lip when she aced the bullseye.
I wanted to bite that lip.
Talon’s hand came down hard on the table. “Logan. You even listening, boy?”
I flicked my eyes up. “Yeah. Shipment. Thursday.”
Jake slammed his hand down on the table. “Logan. Yea or nay?”
Shit. What were we voting on?
“Yea,” I said automatically.
River snorted. “Shocker,”
The gavel came down. Meeting adjourned. I didn’t go anywhere.
I felt Talon’s eyes on me again. “Kid, you got somethin‘ to add?”
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “Nope.”
eyes narrowed. “Then why the hell are you still here?”
Fair point. I shoved my chair back, the legs screeching across the floor. “Later.”
River whistled as I stalked toward the door. “Tell Hailey I said hey,”
I flipped him off without turning around.
The second I made it into the hallway, I sucked in a breath, rolling my shoulders to shake off the weight of my old man’s
stare.
13:04 Mon, Dec
Chapter 20
I pulled out my phone. Two hours til showtime.
And all I could think was
–
– bananas.
20 vouchers
Fuckin‘ bananas.
Then my old man stepped up behind me. His hand clamped down on my shoulder before I could make it through the door to the bar. I glanced down at it… his scarred knuckles.
“Hold up,” he said. “Let’s have a chat.”
I shrugged him off but didn’t walk away. “Make it quick.”
His eyes scanned my face. “You really gonna storm into some civvy’s house tonight over a girl? She worth dyin‘ over?”
That hit me like a sucker punch. I clenched my jaw so hard my molars ached. “Ain’t plannin‘ on dyin‘. And she’s not just some girl.”
“Nobody ever plans on dyin‘, Logan.” He looked me up and down, shaking his head. “Christ, you’re just like your old man.”
That got my attention. “The hell’s that supposed to mean?”
He chuckled. “Didn’t I ever tell you the story of how your mom and I got together, son?”
The word ‘son‘ grated on me. Like he had the right to call me that after eight months of radio silence. “No.”
“Well it’s a pretty good story. Ask your mom, she’ll tell it to ya.” He leaned in, lowering his voice. “But are you sure you’re not just lookin‘ for a fight?”
I stepped into his space, close enough to smell the motor oil on him. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”
We stood there, locked in a stare–down that probably looked familiar to everyone still filing out of church. Same stubborn Nash genes, same temper boiling under the lid.
Finally, he exhaled through his nose and clapped me on the back. Hard enough to sting. “Alright then. Let’s meet the girl who has my boy ready to burn the world down.”
Jesus. Back in town for an hour and already grating on my nerves. I jerked my chin toward the bar. “She’s out there.”
As we walked through the door, my eyes landed on Hailey immediately. She was perched on the same stool, shoulders tense even as she laughed at something Scarlett said.
The second she saw me
–
saw us
–
her smile faltered.
Talon whistled low under his breath. “Well, hell. Now I get it.”
I didn’t ask what he meant. Didn’t wanna know.
Hailey’s blue eyes flicked between us, going wide as she took in his cut, the way he carried himself. She knew exactly who he
was.
I watched her square her shoulders, lift her chin. Watched her get ready to face another storm head–on.
And goddamn if that didn’t make my chest ache.
13:04
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
