Atlas inclined his head, a slow smile forming on his lips. “Yeah. You’re gonna do fine.” His grin widened. “Pup.” I swung my fist at Atlas, but he easily ducked it, chuckling the whole time.

  “We’re heading out.” Brick approached, a hard expression on his face. “Anything I need to take care of?”

  I shook my head. “Not now. We’ll worry about it later. For now, your job is the kids.”

  “Understood, sir.” With a nod to me and a quick glance at Atlas, Brick stomped back to his team. Brick would be there when they moved the children. He would do as I’d instructed, and he’d be efficient about it. Which was a good thing, because I was going to have my hands full with the warehouse.

  “We’ve only got until dark, Prez.” Atlas clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll see if El Diablo can spare Jekyll.”

  “He’ll be a good fit?”

  “He will. More importantly, he’s a lot like Brick. Loyal to a fault. He and I grew up together. Reconnected when we rolled in here. Went through a lot when we were kids.”

  “Good. He gonna have a problem takin’ orders from me?”

  Atlas shrugged his massive shoulders. The man was aptly named. “Can’t speak to that. But I wouldn’t consider him if I thought he’d be a problem.”

  “Jekyll it is, then. I want to be in place by full dark. Shotgun and Esther said the men from the warehouse should be back with a fresh group of kids an hour after that.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll fill Jekyll in on everything and meet you here in three hours.”

  “Sure he’ll join us, are you?”

  “Yep.” With a grin, Atlas turned to leave.

  I looked at the compound gate. Everything in me demanded I follow Iris. I barely knew the woman, and only from afar. I knew nothing about her other than she was super protective of her sister and had more determination than was good for her. “Damned woman should have trusted me to take care of this.”

  “Well, she doesn’t know you.”

  Warlock came up behind me. I turned to look over my shoulder at him and scowled. “So? She knew El Diablo asked me to do this. She knows him and this club well enough to come here when she needed help. She should have trusted them.”

  “You’re gonna have a hell of a time, Sting. This is going to be amusing.”

  “You can be a real dick sometimes, Dad.”

  “Just sometimes?”

  I wanted to smack the grin off his face. I had certainly fallen hard for a woman I didn’t know. The only person who could read me better than Brick was Warlock. “Watch it, old man.”

  He sobered then. “Heard you had words with Snake.”

  “I did. He’s gonna give me grief.”

  “Always did me. Want my advice?” I raised an eyebrow, knowing Warlock would give me his advice whether I wanted it or not. “Cut him loose. I shoulda done it years ago, but I was too busy letting Bev ruin my life.”

  “You think he’ll continue to cause trouble, then?”

  “I know he will. He has for years. Had his sights set on being president since before I was voted in years ago. He will question everything you do and sow seeds of discord everywhere. Especially with the older men. You’ve got Brick and Atlas firmly in your corner, so they can keep it under control, but that’s one more nail in your coffin.” His expression was hard. “The best way to keep those guy’s respect is to do what you have to do as quickly as you can. In fact, take care of it before you leave to go back to Indiana. Use this job as leverage to get Black Reign to clean up the mess.”

  “Is that what you’d do?” I knew what his answer would be, but I needed to ask the question.

  “Without hesitation. Don’t make the same mistake I did. You want Iris? Great. Take her. Make her yours. But keep your eyes on the club and her members.”

  “Understood.”

  I headed up to my room. I needed a power nap so I was fresh when this went down. The last three months had been filled with sleepless nights and planning. My head hurt sometimes with all the things rolling around up there. This was a mission I could not fuck up.

  When I reached my room, I locked the door and shot off a text to Atlas telling him where I was. Then I stretched out on the couch and shut my eyes. I was as prepared as I could be. It was time to trust my team and be as rested as I could be for the coming battle.

  Chapter Four

  Iris

  I sat outside a warehouse on the edge of the industrial shore area. Ships on- and off-loaded their cargoes about a quarter mile away. The warehouses were easily accessible to the road and any truck ferrying cargo. This warehouse was on the remote edge. Close enough to be part of the complex, but far enough away not to draw attention. No one had come or gone, but it wasn’t fully dark yet. I figured anything they did would be under the cover of darkness.

  This was a stupid idea. There was no way I stood a chance of actually rescuing Jerrica. Not only was I not strong enough to actually win a fight, I was absolute shit at fighting. The only thing I could hope for was to be captured and be put with Jerrica and any other kids inside. At least then I could provide a small layer of protection for her.

  As if I’d summoned them, the door opened, and two men stepped outside the warehouse. One was on his phone, the other scanning the area like he knew what he was looking out for. Yeah. I didn’t have a chance in hell of taking Jerrica from these men if they had her.

  I was about to back my way out of the area and try to find a better way in when a hand clamped over my mouth and pulled me down to the pavement. I tried to fight off my attacker, but he was infinitely stronger than me, trapping me face down between the hard ground and his equally hard body. My heart raced as I tried to buck him off me, but he was so Goddamned heavy! He didn’t seem to feel anything even though my feet connected with his shins more than once.

  “Knock it off, Iris. It’s me.”

  That voice…

  I stilled. When I did, he slowly removed his hand from my mouth.

  “Sting?” We hadn’t spoken to each other aside from in meetings, and I’d never addressed him directly. He always seemed to be watching me, though. It was as unnerving as it was exhilarating. Sting was the type of man you didn’t defy. He was hard and unbending. Anyone could see by the way he handled his club his word was law. Now he had me under his control. The thought should have been disconcerting. Instead, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

  “The one and only, little hellcat.” His deep, rumbly growl at my ear made my insides shiver. God, this man was potent! The heat from his body was scorching. Even more so with his breath in my ear. In another situation I’d be swooning. Now I was pissed off.

  “What are you doing here?” I hissed my question.

  “Could ask you the same thing.”

  “I’m trying to rescue my sister since you’re too big a pussy!” Lashing out at him wasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done, but he’d scared the life out of me.

  “Always intended to go after your sister, Iris.” He didn’t sound angry or annoyed. Just matter-of-fact.

  “You said it was too big a risk! That you didn’t have time to set things up or whatever!”

  “Honey, your sister’s already been moved. Brick’s got a crew following her. They will get her to safety when they see an opening, and she’ll be safe and sound back with you in less than twenty-four hours.”

  “What?” Panic seized me. “They’ve… they’ve already moved her? Oh, no!” I struggled anew, doing everything I could to get the big bastard off me. Still, he didn’t budge.

  “Take it easy, little hellcat. We’ve got this under control. All you have to do is stay where I put you while we take care of these bastards. They’re bringing in a new group of kids. When they get here, we’ll rescue the kids and erase the bad guys. Yeah?”

  “But you said it was too risky!”

  “I said we’d never get her if we tried to take her at the warehouse because we only had an hour to plan and get set up. Not nearly enough time to do it without risking Jerrica. I never said we’d leave her.”

  I stilled beneath him, looking back over my shoulder. “You promise?”

  “I do, hellcat. I ain’t no saint, but I’d never leave a little girl in the hands of monsters because I was afraid to go in and take her. Only wanted to minimize the danger to her as much as possible. But we got eyes on her. Brick thinks the risk is acceptable, or it becomes more dangerous to her for them to wait any longer, he’ll strike and risk everything to bring her back safe.”

  “You really believe that.” It wasn’t a question. I could see it in his eyes.

  “I do. Now. ‘Cause you jumped the gun and didn’t trust us, I gotta take care of these fuckers a little quicker than I’d like. I’ll be spankin’ your ass later for not trustin’ me on this.”

  Two thoughts went through my head. First was, “Yes, sir. May I have another?” I wasn’t about to say that out loud. So I settled with something a little more outraged.

  “Touch me, and I’ll find a way to kill you.”

  Sting chuckled. “Yeah? We’ll see. In the meantime, I need you to stay here. Let me and my boys do what we’re trained to do. I’ll come back for you, and we’ll meet up with Brick so you can be with your sister.”

  I sucked in a breath. Tears threatened. I wanted to believe him. So bad! Looking up into his eyes, I thought I might. Sting lifted his weight off me slightly, and I rolled to my back. To my surprise, he settled himself back on top of me. I should have felt trapped. Instead, I kept seeing us like this in a different setting. A soft mattress beneath me while Sting’s hard body was above me.

  Without thinking too much about it, I lifted my hand to his face, stroking his short beard. He let me, even grinning down at me. Then he lowered his face to mine and kissed my lips in a soft, lingering caress.

  I could have sworn the sky lit up with fireworks. I know I whimpered as I opened my mouth in a soft gasp. Sting grunted, sweeping his tongue inside my mouth in a slow, gentle glide. He only did it once before ending the kiss and lifting himself to look down at me.

  “I’ll finish that once we’re in my own territory, hellcat.” He grinned, his gruff voice sending a thrill through me.

  I blinked up at him. This was a really bad idea. He was managing me, and I was letting him. When his grin turned into a smirk, I found my backbone and determination. I shoved him off me. Rather, I shoved, and he got to his feet, then reached for me. Rather than waiting for me to take his hand -- which I would never! -- he grabbed my arms and hauled me to my feet.

  “Come on. You can wait in the truck. Everything goes without a hitch, you’ll ride with me. Anything goes sideways, you’ll be in a safe place, and Atlas’ll get you back to the compound.”

  “You can’t just dump me off like a naughty child!”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have acted like one.” His grin was positively panty-melting, but I wasn’t letting it get to me. This man was entirely too cocky for my liking.

  “Are you sure my sister isn’t in there?”

  “Absolutely, hellcat. Brick’s got his team on her with instructions to get all of them to safety. If they can’t get everyone, they will get Jerrica or die trying.”

  He sounded so confident. And the expression on his face was almost playful when I knew he was anything but. I’d seen this man for weeks. Every day. We hadn’t interacted much, but he rarely smiled and never joked. This was a whole other side of him I’d had no idea existed. He seemed less intimidating, but I knew better.

  I didn’t really want to do what he said -- because he’d taken for granted I’d follow his orders -- but I found myself letting him take my hand and lead me to the big Bronco waiting two blocks away. He opened the door to the back passenger’s side and guided me inside.

  “Wait here. I’ll be back as soon as I can and take you to your sister.”

  This was insane. I didn’t know this guy. Good kisser aside, I wasn’t sure I even liked him. He was so abrasive in the club atmosphere that this other side of him was throwing me. Maybe all he wanted to do was manage me. Maybe after they got the children out of the warehouse, he’d go back to ignoring me. My stomach rebelled at the thought, rolling in grief I had no business feeling. When we were at the clubhouse, every time his gaze met mine it was like a physical caress. It was like he could see into my soul. There was such wicked promise in those unspoken exchanges I already thought of him as mine. Which was stupid. Men like him didn’t want a little innocent like me. It was for the best, really. Once this was done and I had Jerrica back, she needed to be my focus. Not a man who was completely unattainable and would only break my heart.

  But that kiss…

  Admittedly, that was my first kiss. Living in a group home with a bunch of girls wasn’t exactly a place to meet guys. At least, not of the non-creepy variety. There were always the couples coming to visit and see if there were children they were interested in. The only ones interested in me and Jerrica were men and sometimes women who had plans in mind for one or both of us that weren’t limited to providing a nurturing home environment.

  I’d never been interested in the boys at school, the little we got to interact with them, but older guys weren’t for me either. I’d noticed most of the women at Black Reign had men who were much older than they were. I didn’t think I could do that. Sting, however, while older than me, didn’t give me that icky feeling most older men did. Thinking back to when he’d had me on the pavement before, I hadn’t felt threatened. Even before I knew who had me, when I’d fought to get him off me, I hadn’t felt that bone-deep panic I should have.

  I was so lost in thought I jumped and gave a little squeal when the door to the Bronco opened, and three girls scrambled in. The dome lights didn’t engage, so it was dark inside. I couldn’t see their faces, but as they pressed against me, I could feel them tremble.

  “Come with me, Iris.” Sting’s deep, gruff voice was commanding, and I started moving before I really thought about it.

  “Iris?” One of the girls squealed out my name. I squinted, trying to see, but it was impossible.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s us, Iris.” Another of them answered. “Daisy, Monica, and Clover.”

  I gasped. “What?” I reached for the girls, pulling Daisy and Monica close while little Clover crawled into my lap. Clover was only six, while the other girls were twelve. They were wrapped in thick blankets, but otherwise, didn’t seem to have any clothes on.

  “They took us,” Daisy said bitterly. “Fuckers tried to…” She trailed off and shuddered against me.

  “Why are you with these guys?” Monica spoke softly, almost a whisper. “Aren’t they just as bad as the others?”

  Clover hadn’t said a word, but her arms were wound tightly around my neck, and she shivered continually. I thought she was weeping silently, and that was like a dagger to my heart. It wasn’t surprising. The girl hadn’t spoken since she’d first come to the home a year before. I suspected this incident wouldn’t help her along any.

  “They aren’t like the ones who took you, Monica. They’re here to help, and to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

  “I’m not going back to that fucking place.” It was no surprise Daisy felt that way. I’m sure they all did. I sure as hell did. There was no way I was taking Jerrica back, either.

  “No one said anyone was goin’ back.” Sting’s voice startled me. I glanced sharply at the open door of the Bronco. He stood there, his big body silhouetted in the moonlight.

  “I ain’t goin’ back either.” Monica’s voice wasn’t as strong as Daisy’s, but there was no doubt about her wishes.

  “No, honey. You’re not. We’ll work it all out. Right now, we need to get back to the compound. Iris? You want to stay or ride with me?”

  What kind of question was that? Of course, I wanted to ride with him! But little Clover’s arms tightened around my neck, and I knew I couldn’t leave the girls. Not even knowing they were safe.

  Sting nodded once as if reading my mind. “I’ll see you back at the clubhouse.”

  “But I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to, hellcat. They need to feel safe. You’re safe to them. No way you leave them when you know they need you.” Strangely he didn’t sound angry or resigned. He sounded… proud?

  “You’re right. I can’t leave them.”

  “You’re a good woman, Iris. You’ll make a great ol’ lady.” Why would he say that? What did that even mean? “We’ll get the young ladies settled. The women of the club will help with anything you need. Then we’ll go find Brick and bring your sister home.”

  I needed to say something. To thank Sting or protest not going to get Jerrica now. Anything. But I nodded and wrapped my arms tighter around the girls. He was right. They needed to be taken care of.

  “Will Brick take care of Jerrica?”

  “He will until you get there. He’ll protect her with his life.”

  “Why would he do that? He doesn’t know us.”

  “Two reasons, hellcat. Brick is loyal to me. I told him to protect her with his life, so he will. Gladly. Second? He’s not exactly what I’d call a good guy, but he’s the most protective man I know. Even more than me. He will protect that girl with his life because she needs protecting.”

  I sighed. Brick was the strong, silent type. The really big strong, silent type. It was possible he would terrify Jerrica, but there was no help for it. The quicker they got these three girls settled, the faster she could get to Jerrica.

  Atlas opened the driver’s door and slid behind the wheel. “Let’s get you four home.”

  “Ain’t goin’ back to the home!” Daisy sat up and tried to get out of the car.

  “Relax, honey. Poor choice of words.” Atlas tried to smooth things over. “I should have said your new home. Ain’t no one there gonna hurt you. We got you away from the ones who took you. Besides, do you think Iris would let you go with us if it weren’t safe?”

  Daisy stopped, moving closer to me. “No.” Her voice was soft now. Like she’d been chastised.

 

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