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I shifted uncomfortably, my injured leg throbbing and groaned, leaning my head back against the seat. “Great. This night just keeps getting better and better.”
Rory chuckled beside me, his hand still resting protectively on my thigh. “Look on the bright side, darlin’. At least we’re all in one piece.”
“Speak for yourself,” I muttered, wincing as I shifted, willing the pain to ease up in my leg. “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”
“That’s what happens when you swipe the legs out from under a 6 foot 5 Russian, Kat,” Connor piped up beside me. “Next time, maybe just shoot him instead.”
I twisted around to look at him. “Hey, in mydefense, he had his gun trained on Rory. Was I supposed to stand by and watch him get shot? Where were you?”
Connor held up his hands in mock surrender. “I was a bit preoccupied with the two goons trying to turn me into a punching bag. Sue me.”
“Children, please,” Declan interrupted, his voice laced with exasperation. “Can we focus on the matter at hand? We’ve got a problem at home with that asshole in my house, and God knows how many of Volkov’s men are on our tail. We need a plan.”
Wren snorted as she took a sharp turn, nearly sending us all flying. “I’ve got a plan. It’s called ‘get the hell out of dodge and figure the rest out later.’ Any objections?”
The car fell silent for a moment, save for the squeal of tires as Wren continued her manic driving. Finally, Rory spoke up.
“Actually, I might have an idea,” he said slowly. “But you’re not gonna like it.”
Declan turned in his seat, eyeing Rory suspiciously. “Why do I get the feeling I’m about to regret asking?”
Rory grinned, that mischievous glint in his eye that always spelled trouble. “How do you feel about a little road trip to Nevada?”
I groaned, immediately catching on to Rory’s plan. “Oh no. No, no, no. We are not dragging this mess to my bar.”
“Come on, Kat,” Rory pleaded, his hand squeezing my thigh gently. “It’s perfect. Remote location, off the grid from the way you described it, and Volkov’s men would never think to look for us there.”
“Exactly!” I hissed. “And I’d like to keep it that way. I left this life behind for a reason.”
The car fell silent as all eyes turned on me, and I could feel both Rory and Connor tense as Declan narrowed his eyes. “Left what life behind, exactly? Care to share with the class, little sister?”
I cursed under my breath at the slip of my tongue. Of course, none of them knew about my grandfather or who he was. That was a can of worms I’d hoped to keep firmly sealed.
“It’s... complicated,” I mumbled, avoiding his piercing gaze.
“Uncomplicate it,” Declan growled.
Chapter 23
Kat
Wren, bless her, chose that moment to swerve violently, sending us all lurching to the side. “Whoops! Sorry, folks. Thought I saw a pothole.”
I shot her a grateful look, knowing full well she’d done it on purpose to buy me time.
“Look,” I said, straightening up and meeting Declan’s eyes. “I promise I’ll explain everything later. And as much as I hate to admit it, Rory might be onto something with the Nevada plan.”
Connor leaned forward; his brow furrowed. “I don’t know, Kat. A biker bar in the middle of nowhere? Sounds like the perfect setup for a bloodbath if Volkov’s men find us.”
“Trust me,” I said grimly, memories of my past flooding back. “They won’t find us. And if they do... well, let’s just say they’ll be in for one hell of a surprise.”
Rory’s eyebrows shot up, a mix of intrigue and concern on his face. “Darlin’, I think you’ve been holding out on us. What exactly are we walking into here?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to say. “You all know about my career. Only Rory knows why it ended. And for now, I like to keep it that way. But what happened is, why the bar... is a front. It’s a safehouse for domestic abuse and human trafficking survivors. Five years ago, my mother got sick. Derek was running the place up until my career ended. After I recovered, I took it over, and that’s when we turned the basement into a safe house.”
“We?” Connor asked, his voice coming out squeaky.
I let out a shaky breath. “Liam, my grandfather’s second in command. He helped me set it up.”
