More than that, he probably figured I’d hire his guys onto my crew, same way Jude did for Dirty—and the Kings needed that legit work outside their organization.
For him, winning favor with me was win-win.
If I were anyone else, he might’ve just taken that favor by force and expected me to fall in line. But because of my relationship with Jude, he’d chosen to work me as a willing ally.
Or at least try to, before he got forceful about it.
“Well… it sounds like Sanchuk is going away,” I said carefully. “So I thank you for that. And for this.” I tucked the ring in my pocket.
“I don’t want your thanks, Sterling,” Piper said.
“What do you want?” I asked him. Because I knew he’d want something for this.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ll let you know.”
He turned to walk away. His gaze swept over the city below and he paused. “Nice view,” he said.
Then he looked up at Summer’s house. He looked at me again, and headed over to his bike.
Blazer smiled at me. He extended his hand, and I shook it.
“Be seeing you around, Ronan,” he said. Then he gave me that stone-cold serial killer look of his, while he smiled.
I watched as they got on their bikes, turned around, and ripped back down the road.
And as I stood there, listening to the roar of Harleys fading into the distance, I considered Jude’s offer. And his recommendation about Maddox or another club brother taking the role as Summer’s bodyguard.
I was pretty floored that Maddox had called Jude last night, looking out for me. He could’ve called Piper, and probably should’ve, from his club’s perspective. But he didn’t.
I definitely respected Jude’s efforts to protect the guys in the club, trying to get them legit work and a foot out of the club if they wanted it. But I was never, ever gonna be comfortable having one of the Kings on Summer’s security detail.
I decided to call Maddox, though. Because you had to give a man credit.
“Am I up shit’s creek here?” he asked me when he answered.
“Not yet,” I said. “Just don’t disappoint me.”
“You know, you did good last night,” he said.
“Then why did you all stop me?”
“Hey, no sense seeing a good man go to prison over a waste of life like that.”
“Right. So I called to say thanks for that. For looking out for me.”
“I look out for everyone on our team. That’s the job, right?”
I didn’t quite know what to say to that one. The fact was, the Kings—at least some of them—were, in a way, part of the team. I still didn’t love it.
“But hey,” Maddox said, “if you want to thank me, go right ahead.”
“Don’t make it awkward. I’ll let you know if we have work for you. Or let Jude know. That good with you?” I figured I’d maybe put him on some events, like Dirty had in the past. I could throw him a bone, for the good of the “team.”
Plus, I didn’t mind the idea of giving these guys legit work—if they’d earned it. At least it was one less biker out there causing trouble for a few hours.
Call it my civil duty.
“Yup,” he said. “Jude knows where to find me.”
“Cool. I’ve gotta run.”
I hung up and looked out over the hazy city. The mountains were all gray in the distance, their bases wrapped in wisps of cloud, the towers of downtown emerging from the fog like a cloud city.
It was a crisp, cool morning, the first of November. I could see Halloween decorations on the yards along the street. Next door, a skeleton dangled from a tree with a fake knife buried in its chest.
One of the university students who lived there was just walking to the end of her driveway to pick up a newspaper, in a bathrobe and UGGs, coffee mug in hand. She caught my eye. She looked disheveled and hungover, remnants of Halloween makeup still on her face. She gave me a little wave.
I waved back.
I watched her head back into the house.
I looked up at Summer’s house… and this deep, warm feeling stirred in my chest. I could feel my own heart beating, strong… the same way it did when I came home to her with bloody hands, and she kissed me.
She took me to her bed.
She took me into her body, and she told me she loved me.
And I wondered what I would’ve done last night, if I’d been left to do it. How far I might’ve gone.
If there was anything I wouldn’t do to protect her.
I didn’t really think there was.
I was pretty sure, if Blair Sanchuk ever got released from prison, I wouldn’t hesitate to call up Piper Grayson and ask him for one more favor.
No matter what the cost.
A little kid, maybe seven years old, rolled by on a scooter, a little pug wearing a dog sweater running after him, trailing its abandoned leash. A couple followed, the man pushing a baby stroller. He nodded at me and said, “Good morning.”
“Morning,” I said.
They strolled by, oblivious to the fact that a couple of hardcore bikers had just rolled down their street.
Yeah. It was a fucked-up world.
And it was a beautiful world, too.
I took a breath of the crisp morning air and picked up Summer’s newspaper. Then I headed back into the house and locked the door.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Summer
Seven weeks later…
Snow was falling in fat, lazy flakes, drifting down around the car as Ronan steered us into the driveway. Usually, I found snow annoying. But right now it felt like I was living in the middle of the most beautiful, sparkling snow globe.
Maybe because I was so ridiculously in love with the man seated next to me that everything felt magical.
He was driving and I wasn’t complaining, so if that didn’t say it all, I didn’t know what did.
He used the remote to open the garage door
