Page 43 of Seven

“Well, too bad for them because I don’t know a thing. And if I had to guess, Mom doesn’t either.”

He studied me for a beat, then asked, "What about Rooks? Do you think he might know?"

There was something in the way he said Rooks' name that led me to believe that he knew something I didn’t. My chest tightened. "You think he's involved, don't you?"

"I don’t know for sure, but it’s a possibility, especially with his line of work.”

“I don’t know. There was a time when I trusted him more than anyone.” My chest tightened as I told him, “Now, I don’t know. He and Dad were always so close, so there’s a chance...”

“Sounds like he and I need to have a conversation.”

“I’m sorry. I know things between you two haven’t been great.”

“That’s an understatement.” Holt opened and closed his fits. “But this supersedes any conflict between us.”

“Will you go to where he and Mom are hiding out?”

“No. I’ll have him come to the clubhouse.”

“Oh.”

“If he knows something, we will need to move on it.”

I didn’t know what was going on, but whatever was buried in my family’s past was clawing its way to the surface. And Holt was determined to uncover it with any means necessary. “Okay. I get it.”

“You and Ford should come, too. It’ll give you a chance to look around and meet some of the brothers.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good deal.”

We went back inside, and after we got Ford up and dressed, we all piled into Holt’s SUV. I’d never been in a clubhouse before, so I just assumed it was a small building where they all gathered from time to time. But the second we pulled through the large metal gate, I realized it was much more than that.

This place was enormous, and it was secured at every corner with barbed-wire fence and security cameras. Holt was as cool as a cucumber as he parked and led us inside. I, on the other hand,was a nervous wreck. I felt like we’d stepped into a different world that we didn’t belong in. The wide-eyed look on Ford’s face showed he was just as hesitant as I was. I pulled him in a little closer for reassurance, and I put on a big smile as Holt introduced us to one brother after the next.

But I couldn’t help but notice that they all kept calling him Seven instead of Holt. Curious why, I tugged at his sleeve and asked, “What’s up with the name Seven?”

“It’s a name I picked up in the military, and it kind of stuck.”

“What does it mean?”

He hesitated, then answered, “You’re not gonna like it.”

“Just tell me.”

“Seven men in seven seconds.”

“What?” The question had barely left my mouth when it hit me. He could kill seven men in seven seconds, and that revelation floored me. Holt had always been so kind and compassionate. It seemed strange to think of him killing someone. My back stiffened as I muttered, “Never mind.”

“Don’t do that.” His brows furrowed. “Just say what you were thinking.”

“Nothing. It just makes me realize just how little I know about you.”

“You know the important stuff.”

“Do I?” I pushed. “What about your time in the military or your role here at the club? You haven’t shared any of that with me, and clearly, they’re a big part of your life.”

“There’s stuff you haven’t shared with me either. Your pregnancy, Ford’s first words and his first steps. Paris. New York. And everything in between. I want to know every detail, but we haven’t had a lot of time on our hands.”