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“Mmhmm,” he hums. “Let’s just hope she’s not as crazy as Courtney or we’ll have to find you a new road name.”

“Fuck off,” I growl, turning away from them. I hate how much they are always doggin’ on me. I mean, yeah, I’ve made some mistakes when it comes to women and relationships but they aren’t fucking saints either. Shit. Chance was married to a stripper for a while and Storm didn’t date at all before he met his wife.

“Moose. Kodiak. Fuzz,” Blaze calls as he walks out of his office with his phone in his hand. “With me.”

I set my beer down on the bar and clap Chance’s shoulder to say good-bye as I follow behind Kodiak and Fuzz. Blaze leads us outside to the line of bikes.

“What’s up, boss?” Kodiak asks. Blaze shakes his head as he grabs his helmet and puts it on.

“Not sure but Rodriguez just called and said there’s something he needs to show us. It sounded urgent.”

That’s all we need to hear.

We all nod before going to our bikes and following Blaze out of the parking lot. The club met Detective Rodriguez five years ago when he was involved with a case we were working on. After everything went down, we were able to develop a friendship with him and it’s proved beneficial to both of us. When things fall beyond our reach, he steps in to give us a hand and anytime he ever needs our assistance, we are there to help. It’s unconventional but it’s been a fruitful relationship and has resulted in more lives saved which is all we both want.

As we drive through the streets of Baton Rouge, my mind drifts to Juliette and that intense kiss on my front porch last night. I’ve thought a lot about what Cora said on my trip down to Miami and even if I can’t admit it out loud to anyone other than Juliette, I know she was right. I hold myself back and don’t invest in anything as a coping mechanism and to prevent myself from getting hurt again but this thing with Juliette… I have never felt anything like this so I don’t give a fuck how much it scares the shit out of me - I’m not letting her go.

Red and blue lights bounce off of buildings as we slow to a crawl. Police tape stretches out, blocking off the street as a crowd of people start gathering around, trying to get a peek and my stomach sinks. Why the hell would Rodriguez be calling us to a crime scene? Blaze pulls his bike off to the side of the road and we all follow behind him. As we park and dismount, we exchange worried glances. Rodriguez has never called us to a crime scene like this before so I have to assume that it has to do with someone we know but who? I look at Kodiak and Fuzz, my thoughts racing out of control.

“Let them through,” a voice calls out as we approach the police tape and an officer in uniform lifts the tape, allowing us to walk under it as Rodriguez makes his way over to us, his face strained. “Sorry to bring you out here, guys.”

“What’s going on, Diego?” Blaze asks, his gaze sweeping over the scene and I do the same. There are drops of blood in a line along the sidewalk and when I follow them, I suck in a breath. What I can only assume is a body lies on a gurney at the end of the trail, covered in a white sheet. My thoughts screech to a halt as I stare at it and then a list of names begins running through my head - anyone that means anything to us.

Tatum.

Emma.

Nix.

Carly.

Ali.

Quinn.

Brooklyn.

Daisy.

Addilyn.

Alice.

Tucker.

Trey.

Juliette…

My breath rings in my ears and my heart pounds as the world around me warps and fear creeps up my spine. Rodriguez calls out to two men standing near the body and as they wheel the gurney over, my stomach rolls. I want to leave, turn away from what I know is coming, but I can’t move no matter how hard I try. The men stop next to us and Rodriguez pulls the sheet back.

“Sammy,” I breathe. A sense of relief shoots through me, quick as a flash, before the pain descends and I take a step back, tears stinging my eyes as I stare at her bruised and bloody face. Memories come rushing back from my past and another wave of pain crashes into me, this one older and weathered from years of tormenting me.

“What happened?” Blaze asks, snapping me out of my daze and I take a step forward as I push the pain away, ready to funnel all my energy into examining the scene around us. Rodriguez shakes his head as he covers her with the sheet again.

“We’re not sure yet but it appears someone lured her out of her apartment and attacked her from the cover of the trees.” He points over my shoulder and I turn, studying the thick patch of foliage behind me. “She stumbled out of there and made it into the street before she collapsed.”

“How did she die?”