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Michael starts going through his phone, brows furrowed as his eyes dart across the screen. “I can think of a couple of people who might be able to point me in the right direction at least,” he says. “I’ll shoot them an email and see where it leads.” He pauses to look at me. “I’ll keep you posted. Tell me about that shady prospect you kicked out. Who is he?”
“You don’t need to worry about him.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t give me that, Drake. It’s my daughter we’re talking about. My only daughter. I’m not gonna sit idly by, but I’m not gonna jeopardize my business and my livelihood, either. I just want another set of eyes on that fucker, that’s all. Just in case.”
I can only exhale sharply, not hiding my frustration as I text him Kyle’s details. “He lives somewhere up in Anaheim. You’ve got his last known address and phone number there. Do with them as you wish, but I’m telling you, we have this covered. Nadia is safe.”
“I trust you. I trust Orion and Kai, too. It’s everyone else that I can’t trust. This is a wild and evil world, Drake. You know that. You’ve seen the worst side of it. I have a duty as a father here.”
I get it.
But I’m sharing his daughter, along with Orion and Kai. Naturally, I’m more subjective in anything involving her. I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe and happy, though. I never lied to Michael about that.
The shadow of Colton Harrow has been stretching more and more lately, filling me with a quiet kind of dread. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way, and my instincts are never wrong.
This man is the worst kind of trouble, and the minute he walks through the clubhouse doors, it’ll be a declaration of war.
9
Kai
Nadia was a surprise.
I’m still reeling, much like Drake and Orion. We never saw her coming. We were fine on our own, sharing the occasional woman and never daring to hope for something serious. What woman would welcome the three of us in her life, for life? What woman would understand us and the bond that we’ve shared for so many years?
Working girls are different. They get paid for their services. But love, that’s something else entirely. I am trying hard not to build up a utopia in my head where Nadia is concerned. I keep telling myself that it’s just the kind of crazy fun that we’ve needed. It’s more than that, though. I feel it. The guys feel it. And I’m sure Nadia feels it, too.
I see it in her eyes whenever they meet mine. I hear it in her voice whenever we’re together. And it’s written all over her body. She’s so relaxed, so joyous and bright. So bold and curious. It’s refreshing, and I enjoy every moment that we get to spend with her.
Nadia is coming into her own as a woman. I’m shocked that she saved herself for so long. A woman of her beauty and wit would make one hell of an old lady.
I take a deep breath and shove my bike keys in the back pocket of my jeans as I walk into the clubhouse. The atmosphere hits me from the moment I step inside. It’s dank and unpleasant, and trouble is waiting in every corner, and it’s only going to get worse.
Paddy sits at the bar. I check my watch. It’s past noon, which is the perfect time for a first shot of whiskey before lunch. I nod at other brothers scattered around the room, and they try to smile but I can tell they’re not in the best of moods. I know the reason why, and we’re going to have a sit-down about it soon.
Orion and Drake are upstairs. I’m not riding anywhere else today, so I ask Travis to fix me a double scotch on the rocks, and I take a seat on the stool next to Paddy.
“You look like shit,” he tells me in a low voice.
“You look worse, Paddy, but I love you anyway,” I reply with a wry smile. “I’m guessing they’ve all heard about Matt last night.”
He nods slowly. Travis gives me my drink and a worried look, but I ignore him.
“Colton Harrow is a mean, cruel son of a bitch,” Paddy says. “Matt’s a good guy. He didn’t deserve that beating.”
“Is he going to make it?” I ask.
The scotch flows smoothly down my throat, burning and soothing my senses at the same time. Paddy scoffs, slowly shaking his head. “It’s still touch and go. The doc says he’ll be staying in the intensive care unit for at least another couple of days until the swelling goes down.”
“Was it Colton himself or one of his goons?”
“Colton,” Paddy says. “He used a crowbar. It was awful. And the Sea Snakes have no intention of bringing the cops in, either.”
“They can’t expose their pill operation,” I reply. “Yet it’s precisely what Colton is going after. Damn. That means we’re next, whether we like it or not. He’s coming.”
Paddy looks around, spotting Nadia before I do. She comes out of the ladies’ room, striding across the dining area toward the bar. “You’ll need to send her away,” Paddy mutters. “Quicksilver has been made aware of the situation. I know Drake promised to keep her safe, but Kai, shit’s about to hit the fan. We can’t afford that risk, not with Nadia.”
“Yeah, I know.”
