Nodding, I gather my keys and purse, inhale a deep breath and follow behind him. Every step that I take closer to the car, then each mile we drive closer to the clubhouse, my breath becomes shorter and my body feels heavier.
I am filled with dread.
Complete and total dread.
Pulling up to the clubhouse, I want to turn around and race out of here. I don’t know why I’m feeling this way, but I can’t shake it and it’s getting worse with each passing minute.
“Tay,” Daniel calls out. Turning to him, my lips part, but nothing comes out. “Baby, you can’t be this way. You gotta be okay with this. I’m going to be home in a few days, then you’ll see.”
I nod, accepting his kiss, then watch as he makes his way toward a truck. He tosses his bag in, then jumps up inside. I stand there, watching the truck pull away. I can’t look away as he lifts his hand and gives me a wave.
I’m unable to look away, not until the truck is completely out of sight. Only then do I look next to me to see Pinkie standing there.
“You okay, want a drink?”
Shaking my head, I look to her and try to muster up a smile. “I didn’t think I would be worried.”
Her lips twitch into a smile. “I get that, you’ve been attached at the hip for a while. Come on inside, the girls keep some sparkling waters in the back, I’ll grab you one.”
Following her inside, I climb up to a barstool and plop down, wondering what I’m going to do other than worry for the next week. When Pinkie hands me a bottle of sparkling water, I can’t help but really take in the clubhouse.
There are several nameless girls walking around in barely-there clothing, and a couple of men as well, who are seemingly just sitting around.
I wonder if I would have become one of them had Daniel not taken a liking to me, then I wonder if it would really be all that bad. It doesn’t seem like any of them are hurt or unhappy.
Looking down at the inside of my wrist, I smile at the W that is burned into my skin, his brand for his road name Worm. I didn’t think that I would ever want to be owned, but then again, am I really? I don’t feel like I am, I don’t feel like the used object that I did with Edward, in fact, I haven’t thought about him in the past month, not once.
“You got a good one,” Pinkie whispers.
Reaching out, I wrap my hand around the bottle and bring it up to my lips. Once I’ve taken a sip, I tilt my head to the side.
“I have?” I ask.
She grins. “You have. He’s completely devoted and he cares about you.”
“Okay,” I whisper, unsure of why she’s saying this to me.
“Which means he’ll be safe and he’ll be home in a few days.”
Without another word, she pushes off of the bar and walks away to do her duties. I don’t tell her why I’m so worried, I didn’t tell Daniel either. I haven’t told anyone, because I’m not one hundred percent sure yet.
I just suspect.
I’m afraid to admit it, afraid to even think about it, at least not until I don’t have a choice.
WORM
We’re almost to New York when I get the call.
War.
Wolfe is sitting beside me, driving for this first trip. Later, different members will take these trips, but today the road captain is in charge. Dragon’s voice growls on the other end of the line, and I just have to wonder when enough is enough with him.
How long is he going to drag his feet? It needs to get done.
They’ve skated long enough without retribution. I put the phone on speaker so that Wolfe can hear everything too.
“It’s time,” he shouts. “How long until you’re able to get to NorCal?”
I shift my gaze to Wolfe, then shake my head once. “Brother, we just left a few days ago. We’ll be in the city tonight, but we still have to unload and head home.”
Wolfe grunts, shaking his head. “What’s changed?” he asks loud enough so that Dragon can hear him.
“Jaguar. His situation and Hawk’s patience.”
“Yeah?” I snort. “They runnin’ thin?”
“Fuck thin,” Wolfe barks. “They are gone.”
“Exactly,” Dragon murmurs. “Now that we’ve had enough time to gather intel, the video footage, the surrounding area, plus now that Worm was able to track down all of the families, the time is now.”
I close my eyes with a heavy sigh, wondering why the time can’t be when we fucking return? These bastards can’t wait a goddamn minute, they’re always hot to jump on whatever it is, instead of waiting and all going in together.
“What do you want from us?” I ask.
“Protection for our families. They’re going to be on lockdown. You come straight home. We should be rolling out about the time you’re rolling back in, as long as you hurry.”
“We will,” Wolfe answers.
His gaze flicks to me and I know he is going to want to take a turn driving back home, so that it’s a nonstop trip and I’m good with that. Taylee was already on edge with this trip, and now a lockdown? She’s going to flip her shit.
“Can’t believe you branded the girl,” Wolfe announces after I end the call with Dragon.
“Why’s that?”
He snorts, shaking his head. “I got my own ten-ton barrel of trouble, not many men would take on a woman with that much baggage. Takes a strong as fuck man. Proud of you, brother.”
“Not hard when you love her.”
There’s a moment of silence before he clears his throat. “No, it’s really not. Let’s get this shit dropped off and home to our women so that we
