Moroad. Fuck.
Of all the clubs for her to be mixed up in, she picked one full of felons who'd rather use her, then kill her.
She took Exit 303, getting off at Killingsworth. A few more blocks and she'd be turning on the street to go home. He wanted her close enough to the clubhouse before he approached her.
The less struggle, the better, because he couldn't trust himself not to lose his head around her.
At a stoplight, he quickly pulled over and texted Elling. He wanted two men at the gate when he arrived. Whatever happened when he confronted her, he'd need to act fast to keep any trouble away from Slag.
The light changed, and he waited for his opportunity to pass the car in front of him and get behind Dinah. If she noticed him, he'd take care of the problem now. He was close enough; a quick call and he'd have the whole fucking club at his side.
But, if having him behind her vehicle after she'd gone to meet a Moroad member scared her, she wasn't showing any sign of trying to outrun him. In fact, she slowed when she turned down the street to go to her rental house.
His chest tightened in anger, and he parked his motorcycle, blocking her Jeep in the driveway, and reached her door before she could open it.
He motioned for her to roll the window down. She frowned and followed his directions. Her gaze more concerned than upset.
"Is my brake light out again?" She reached for the handle. "Is that why you were following me?"
He wouldn't fall for her bullshit. Tapping her door, he said, "Backup and pull inside the gate and I'll fix it for you at the clubhouse."
"It's okay. I'm not planning on going—"
"Dinah, pull the Jeep into the alley." He kept his hands on the door, not letting her get out. "Back around my Harley and I'll follow you."
"Brage, I don't think—"
He straightened and pointed. "Roar wants to talk with you, too."
She slumped against the seat. "Why didn't you say that first?"
He stepped out of her way. To argue with him after seeing a member of Moroad, of hugging a Moroad, frustrated him. For her to agree to go to the clubhouse once Roar's name was mentioned further angered him.
Going to his motorcycle, he hardened himself for what was to come. He'd put many men through Slag interrogations. He had ways of making men talk. As long as he'd been V.P., they'd never had to use those tactics with a woman.
The thought of putting her through the questioning left a bitter acid taste in his mouth.
Elling opened the gate. Dinah pulled her Jeep into the alley. He followed, motioning Elling to close the exits. Isolating the problem was easier than he'd hoped, within the confines of Slag, Moroad couldn't touch them, or her.
Roar stepped out of the clubhouse followed by Glenn, Aron, Rune. The seriousness of the situation etched on each man's face. He parked his motorcycle, knowing Dinah wasn't running anywhere with the gates closed and the Slag members in attendance.
Using his hand, he brushed the road dust out of his beard and walked toward Dinah's Jeep. She had exited the vehicle by the time he reached the fender.
"The guy at the lube and oil place told me I had a short in the brake light before I moved here." Her mouth moved as she chewed on a piece of gum. "Every time I checked though, it was working."
He wasn't here to talk about her light—which worked fine.
Pressing his hand against her lower back, he guided her toward the clubhouse. "You can go in the clubhouse."
"But Roar wants to—"
"Now isn't the time to argue with me." He stepped through the open door.
The silence from the members should've warned her about the seriousness of her being brought indoors. His muscles tensed and he made it all the way to the stairs without her questioning him.
She turned and opened her mouth. He ground his teeth together and gave her a look not to say a word. The more she talked, the worse it would be for her. She'd have every man around after her.
Slag protected their own. Betrayal was a severe crime. Dinah not only put the club in danger but every member. The men, the women, the children.
At the top of the stairs, he opened the first door on the left in the large U-shaped second story of the clubhouse. He kept his hand on her, pressuring her to walk forward.
Once he had her safely inside his room, he said, "You need to stay in here until I come back."
"What?" She stepped forward. "Why?"
He blocked the door. Knowing himself well enough to know that he couldn't deal with her at the moment. He battled between knowing he'd been inside Dinah and knowing what he witnessed at the boardwalk. For the first time as a Slag member, he was torn in two different directions.
"I want to go home. If Roar needs me, have him call. He has my number. If you want to work on my Jeep, fine. I'll pick it up later." She frowned, and her mouth stopped moving as if she swallowed her gum. "What's going on? Why do you look like you're upset with me?"
His throat spasmed. He'd wanted her loyal to him, and she was anything but.
"I can't deal with you right now." He stepped back, shut the door, and held it closed.
On the other side of the door, Dinah tried to turn the handle. His fingers tightened around the knob, keeping her inside. He closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, sensing the panic in her attempt to leave the room.
"Brage," yelled Dinah. "Let me out. This isn't funny."
He swallowed and braced his free hand on the doorframe. A flashback of her eyes tormented him. Put any man in front of him who'd
