I don’t think any of us slept very well that night. Being in Thom’s arms kept the nightmares away, but Bailey woke in the middle of the crying out for his father. I’d stayed in bed as Thom tried to quieten and reassure his son. All through the night, even before Bailey’s wailing cry, Thom was twitchy and nervous, waking me several times as he started awake. I didn’t blame him.

I nursed my coffee as Bailey solemnly ate his breakfast. He was normally bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning, chattering away, but this morning he ate mechanically as he stared at his cereal. Bláithín was up, but she looked rough, with bags under her eyes and a slightly haunted look.

Thom was going to deliver Bailey to school and me to work, then he was going to start the process of getting protection for us. I still felt guilty that I’d started all of this, but Thom’s argument that if I left, Rock could take me and use me for leverage against him, had convinced me to stay. After this was settled, I’d find out if he still wanted me.

Thom herded us into his Volvo, locking and starting the car before he began raising the garage door. As we backed out of the garage, he stopped, staring at the front door. I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand. There was something, some kind of animal, lying in front of the door.

“Stay in the car,” Thom said as he opened is door. “Don’t let Bailey look.”

“Bailey,” I said, turning in the seat.

“Where’s Dad going?”

“Bailey, look at me,” I ordered, holding his eyes. “I want you to look at me. Only look at me, okay?”

“What…?” he began as he turned to see what Thom was doing.

“Look at me!” I snapped. His eyes came back to me. I could see the fear. “Just look at me,” I said softly. “Everything is going to be okay.”

A moment later, Thom returned. “It’s nothing,” he said, but I could tell from his eyes it was something.

We drove Bailey to school. Bailey attended private school, and I assumed from the conversation he and Thom were having that Bláithín normally dropped Bailey at the curb, like the other parents were doing. This morning, Thom walked him in while I waited in the car. Thom was gone for several minutes while he talked to the school’s staff, making them aware of what was going on, before he appeared again.

“What was on the door step?” I asked as he opened the door.

“A dog. A Golden I think. It was gutted.”

“Oh my God! Do you know whose?”

“No.”

I pursed my lips. “This isn’t right, Thom.”

“No shit!” he snarled as he backed out of the parking space.

“No, I mean, this isn’t right for the Ravens. The blackmail, going after Bailey, coming after me, it’s not right. Something’s going on. Something’s different.”

“They’re thugs, Carolyn.”

“I know, but they have a code of honor, or they did. They run a shitty strip club and deal coke out the back. They don’t blackmail people, and they damn sure didn’t go after kids or women. A lot of the members have kids of their own. And killing a dog to send a message?” I shook my head. “Before, if they wanted to send a message, they came right at you. They didn’t kill some innocent animal. Something’s not right.”

“You think Rock’s telling the truth? It’s not them?”

I could hear the disbelief in his voice. “No. I think it’s the Ravens. I just don’t understand why. That’s not the club I belonged to.”

“Then what?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

I spent the rest of the day turning things over in my mind, but no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t square the Ravens’ actions with the club I left. I stared at my phone, my mouth dry. I dialed.

“Mikki?” Hearts said.

“Hearts, what’s going on? Why are the Ravens coming after me and Thom?”

“I shouldn’t be talking to you.”

“Why?”

“Because the club is coming apart, and it’s because of you.”

“Me!” I hissed. “I haven’t done shit!”

“I know, but Rock, he’s become obsessed with this guy you’re with.”

“I know! What the fuck, Hearts? I haven’t broken the code. But even if Rock wanted to come after me to get to Thom, attacking his son? Killing a dog? That’s not the club I knew.”

“Attacked whose son?”

“Thom’s! A ten-year-old little boy.”

She was quiet for a long moment. “I…don’t think that was the club, Mikki. Scooby isn’t happy with Rock trying to bring you back into the club against your will, but he wouldn’t go along with that.”

I looked at the phone, unable to believe what I’d just heard. “Bring me back into the club? You think that’s what this is all about? Rock doesn’t give a shit about me.”

There was another long pause. “If not that, then what?”

“Money, Hearts. Thom is wealthy. It’s about money and nothing else. The club isn’t behind this?”

“No. No, I don’t think so.”

Now it all made sense. “Rock is working his own deal,” I said. “He wants fifty-million dollars from Thom. He attacked his son yesterday, and we found a dog that had been gutted lying on the front step this morning. He’s beaten me once himself and had me beaten another time. That’s why I put the restraining order on the club. I thought the club was behind this. He’s fucking the club, Hearts. Thom will never pay, and he’s going to destroy the club. He has the money and power to do it.”

“If he tries—”

“The day Thom met with Rock,” I interrupted, “he gave Rock a chance to walk away, even after he had a couple of brothers beat the shit out of me. Rock didn’t take it, and now Rock, and those with him, went after Thom’s son. You think that won’t cause a response?”

“Who beat you, Mikki?”

“I don’t know. They were wearing masks. But they had a key to my apartment, a key Rock stole, and they knew about the demand for the money. They were definitely Ravens.” I paused as another thought occurred to me. “They were either Ravens, or Rock is using outside muscle.”

“Fuck,” Hearts muttered. “You’re sure about this?”

“I swear to you as a club sister.”

“Let me talk to Scooby.”

“I’ll try to stall Thom. He’s a reasonable guy, but you’ve got to get the bottom of this, and quickly, or there’s going to be war. Thom doesn’t want that, or didn’t until Rock went after his son, and the Ravens don’t want it either. Trust me. There will be blood all over the ground before it’s over.”

“Let me talk to Scooby. Try to keep Thom from coming after us. If he does, he’ll unite the club against him, you know that.”

“I’ll try, Hearts, but it was his son.”

“Was his son hurt?”

“No, thank God, just scared.”

“Then try, Mikki. Try with everything you’ve got. If Rock is working a side deal against the club, then we’ll handle it, but if Thom comes at us…”

“I know. Hurry, Hearts.”

“I’ll try. I’ve missed you, girl.”

“I’ve missed you too, but I’m not coming back. I can’t.”

“I understand. Love you, Mikki.”

I had to bite off the automatic response. I had loved Hearts like a sister…once. “Take care, Hearts.”

I hung up. There was a sliver of a chance to head this off before it got ugly. I closed my eyes and said a little prayer that I could reach Thom’s rational side and convince him to wait before going after the Ravens. Maybe he could destroy the club with his money, but the Ravens wouldn’t go quietly or easily. Every time he pushed, they’d push back. I thought about calling him but decided telling him in person was better. I wanted him to see how desperate I was to head off the looming confrontation. There would be no winner in that war, only a survivor, and I didn’t want that. Even if Thom won, what would be the cost? The blood on the ground might be metaphorical, the damage the Ravens could do wasn’t. The Ravens I knew wouldn’t go after women and children, but if he pushed them hard enough, I wasn’t willing to bet they wouldn’t if they thought it meant their survival.

The predicted rain arrived right on schedule, reducing the traffic and allowing me to appear to work while giving me time to refine my arguments to sway Thom. I was all but bouncing from one foot to the other when he arrived. He pulled into a parking spot at the parts department and I dashed into the rain before the car rocked to a stop.

I jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door behind me. We kissed quickly. “Any trouble with Bailey?” I asked.

“No.”

“Good. I have news.”

“What?”

“I don’t think it’s the Ravens. Not all of them, anyway.”

He looked at me. “Why?”

“I reached out to Hearts, and—”

“Hearts?” he asked as he backed out of the parking spot.

“Linda Buehler. She has a small pair of hearts tattooed right here,” I said, touching the outside corner of my left eye, “that matches a pair on her husband’s right eye.”

He waved his hand. “Whatever.”

“Rock has been lying to the club. Hearts didn’t know anything about the blackmail, Bailey, beating me, any of it.”

“So?”

“So? So she’s the old lady of the VP. She’d know, just like I knew stuff that was going on. The women might not be involved in club business, but we knew what was going on.”

“So maybe this dude…”

“Scooby,” I supplied.

“Scooby?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how he got the name.”

“Jesus. Anyway, maybe this Scooby asshole doesn’t know anything about it.”

I nodded. “That’s just it. He’s the VP. He should know everything that’s going on. If he doesn’t know about it, that means Rock’s working a side deal, and that’s bad. That’s real bad.”

“I don’t give a shit if—”

“No! Listen to me! If it’s not club, there’s a chance to stop this before it gets out of hand.”

“It got out of hand when they went after you, and especially Bailey.”

“You’re not listening! It may not be them! That’s what I’m telling you! If you go after them, they won’t have any choice but to strike back. It’ll unite the club against you.”

“I don’t care what it—”

“Thom, listen to me, please,” I begged. “The club is in trouble. If—”

“Good.”

“Yes. That’s good. Rock’s been lying to the club. The club is divided. I’ve told Hearts what’s going on, and she’s going to tell Scooby. This might be enough to turn the club against Rock. Listen!” I snapped when he started to speak. “This is an internal club problem, but if you start fucking with them, it will unite the club against you. Just give it a few days. That won’t make any difference in the long run, but if the club turns against Rock, it may solve the problem for you. It may be the Ravens didn’t bounce me around, they didn’t come after Bailey.”

He glanced at me. “So what, I just let it go?”

“You said you don’t let your emotions control you. Don’t let them control you now. Give the Ravens time to handle it. If all this shit was sanctioned by the club, then go after them with everything you have, and I’ll help you, but if turns out it wasn’t the Ravens, do you really want to make them your enemy for no reason? Think about it. Even if you kick the shit out of them, burn their clubhouse to the ground and salt the earth it stood on, is it worth risking making Bailey an orphan?”

He stared at me. I could see the wheels turning as he considered. “And Rock?”

I shrugged. “If the club excommunicates him, you won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

“Excommunicate? What does that mean?”

“It means you’re thrown out of the club and dead to them. You can’t be where they are, you can’t have any Ravens markings, nothing. I never saw it happen, but it’s not good, I know that.”

He glanced at me again. “You think this Hearts was telling the truth?”

“Yes. It all fits now.”

“And if I agree to wait?”

I blew out a slow breath. “Give the club a few days. Hearts will call me, and then we can decide what to do together.” I could see doubt clouding his eyes. “I’m with you, no matter what you decide,” I said softly. “You don’t know these men like I do. I’m trying to help you, if you’ll let me.”

“A week. A week, but no more.”

I wilted in relief. “That’s more than enough time. Hopefully the Ravens will solve your problem for you.”

“I don’t trust them.”

“You don’t have to. It’s a matter of pride. Going against the best interest of the club is the worst thing you can do. They won’t take care of Rock because of you, they’ll take care of him for themselves.”

“And you think waiting is the right call?”

“Yes. Trust me. You’ve got everything to gain and nothing to lose. Give the Ravens a chance to clean their own house, to get their hands dirty so you don’t have to.”

He held his hand out and I took it. “I hope you’re right.”

“I’m right. I just hope it’s Rock working a deal on his own so this war between you and the Ravens never starts.”

“If he comes after you or Bailey again, all bets are off.”

“I don’t think he will,” I said. “He’s going to have his hands full defending his position in the—”

The heavy roar of Harleys interrupted me and my blood ran cold. Eight men on motorcycles charged out of a side street and surrounded our car. I didn’t recognize any of the men.

“Shit!” Thom snarled, locking the doors and gripping the steering wheel firmly. “You still don’t think—”

“I don’t know them! They’re not Ravens!”

“Call the cops!” he snarled as one of the men kicked the side of the car.

I dialed 9-1-1 and put the phone on speaker so Thom could hear. “9-1-1 Emergency. State the nature of your emergency,” the operator asked, her voice infuriatingly calm.

“Yes! We’re being attacked by eight men on motorcycles! We need help!” I flinched as one of the men kicked my door.

I heard the rattle of keys. “You said eight men on motorcycles are attacking you? Where are you located?”

“Were in a blue 2017 Volvo XC90, headed west on Harker—Shit!” I screamed as the back window shattered, one of the men wobbling after taking a swing at the car. “Their smashing the windows with a tire iron!”

“Ma’am! I need your location!”

“Harker! Harker, crossing…um, Bradford!”

“Stay calm and stay on the phone with me. Units are responding.”

“Fuck this!” Thom snarled, putting his foot down.

The lead rider realized Thom was going to run him down, dodged at the last moment, his hog roaring as he accelerated to keep up.

“It’s Rock! That’s Rock, but I don’t know the other men!”

The riders fell in behind us as Thom began weaving through traffic, the speedometer hovering between sixty and seventy, his snaking path through traffic keeping the riders off us.

“Shit!” he growled, slamming on the brakes as traffic began to slow for a red light.

The bikes, unable to brake as hard because of the wet pavement, passed us as Thom spun the wheel right, horns blaring as he darted across two lanes of traffic onto a side road.

“We got blocked in,” I said. “We’re now on…where the fuck are we?”

“Nantucket!” Thom said a moment later as we rolled through a stop sign.

“We’re on Nantucket!” I looked behind us. “Here they come!”

“You’re heading south on Nantucket?”

“I don’t know which way we’re going! We turned right!”

The thug with the tire iron came up on my side again and took another swing at the car but missed the glass, hitting the frame of the door with a loud thump. Thom jerked the car to the right, the Volvo smacking into the rider and sending him careering away in a tank-slapper until he lost it and crashed, sliding along the ground before hitting a curb and tumbling. Another rider came up on Thom’s side, but a quick jerk to the left and the man backed off, not wanting to share his buddy’s fate.

“One of the men just crashed!” I said, letting the operator know what was happening.

We rolled another through stop sign and sped away, the Harley’s right on our ass. “I hear sirens!” I said into the phone.

“Units are closing in on your location. Continue on Nantucket, and when the units arrive, do not stop. Continue to stay on the phone with me and I will tell you when it’s safe to stop.”

“The operator said not to stop.”

“I heard. Don’t worry, I won’t.”

We blew through another stop sign, a patrol car sliding around the corner before we reached the next cross street. I could see more blue lights farther back.

“Hang on!” Thom cried an instant before slamming on the brakes. Two of the riders behind us couldn’t stop in time and smashed into the back of the SUV, going down in a tangle of flesh and steel. The moment the riders hit the car, Thom went back to the throttle and the Volvo clawed for speed again. The unit behind us skidded to a stop before running over the riders, the other five men peeling off and roaring away. I mentally crossed my fingers that one of the two riders that rear-ended us was Rock, the bastard.

“They’re gone,” I said into the phone.

“You will encounter a unit approaching you from the front. When you see it, stop if it’s safe to do so.”