“So,” Scarlett says, dangling her feet in the icy-cold water.

Like me, she doesn’t seem to let it bother her. Which is something, considering it literally turns you numb in a few seconds. That can’t be good for the body, but oh well, it is what it is. It makes me feel alive, and I’m wondering if it makes her feel the same way.

“So, what?” I say, flopping down onto a rock beside her and putting my feet in the water also. I cringe for a few seconds, then smile at the cool that washes over my body.

“You and Koda?”

I stare at her. “For someone that doesn’t know me very well, you’re extremely ballsy.”

She grins. “I don’t have to know you to know we’re going to be great friends, which means I require all the gossip. Now, Koda ...”

“What about him?” I mumble. “He hates me. I hate him.”

She snorts. “Oh, right. Anyone with two eyes can see there is massive sexual tension between you two.”

I give her a horrified look. “As if!”

She looks to Amalie, who is crouched on the rock, smiling, but not putting any of her body parts in the water. “Amalie, it’s obvious, is it not?”

Amalie gives me a sympathetic nod. “It’s obvious.”

“Not even,” I huff, shaking my head. “Hate can often be confused for sexual tension, but sometimes, shocking as it might seem, it is actually just hate.”

Scarlett’s brows raise. “I write songs for a living. I watch all kinds of people. I pay attention, and I’m telling you, given half the chance, you two would be tearing each other’s clothes off.”

She’s wrong.

She didn’t see how he treated me the morning after he found me rubbing myself to him fucking another chick. No, he wasn’t happy about it at all. He treated me like I had a damned disease for the whole day. If he wanted to rip my clothes off, he would have taken that opening, and he would have done so.

She’s wrong about this one.

I choose not to argue.

“Well, no matter what you see or don’t see,” I say, “it’ll never happen. Koda is fully focused on finding out why I have a hit on my head, and he’s not letting anything else get in the way, I can assure you of that.”

“Hmmm,” Scarlett murmurs. “It’s so unfair you should be with all these bikers, and not be getting a little action.”

I laugh. “It’s not all about action.”

Her brows go up again. It makes her look even cuter. No wonder Maverick is obsessed with her. She’s adorable in a pretty, country way. “Honey, it’s all about action. Trust me, you want in on that at least once. These bikers ...”

She fans herself, and Amalie giggles.

“Am I right, Amalie?”

Amalie nods, flushing.

“You two would say that, you got two of the hottest from the club.”

Scarlett snorts. “Oh, come on. Koda is hot, if not hotter, than our two. He has that dangerous, scary edge. Oh, what about Mason? Or Boston? Those two are ... Mmhmm.”

I laugh, I can’t help it. This girl brings it out in you. She has such a bubbly, quirky personality.

“Boston is far too reserved ...”

“But Mason.” She wiggles her brows.

Mason is gorgeous. There is no denying that.

I’ve caught myself looking at him more than once.

“Totally hot, but I’m in danger, I’m not here to get a little action out of any one of those hotties.”

Scarlett gives me a look that tells me I’m dribbling shit.

I probably am.

Because, honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve been with a man. I’m far from being easy, but I am a woman, and I do like sex. A lot. Probably more than most, so being surrounded by all these strong, masculine, males ... It’s definitely challenging.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Charlie. You can still get protection and have some fun. When was the last time you had any fun?”

I frown.

“Probably when your boyfriend used me to get into that hotel so he could get to you,” I tell her, smiling.

That was the first time I met anyone from the club. Maverick asked for my help getting him into the hotel that was heavily guarded for Scarlett so he could see her because he screwed up. That was the first time I’d been out with some old friends for a long time, we went on a road trip. Since I got back and joined in with the club to help them and found out my dad was free, I haven’t seen any of them.

I can’t risk it.

Or them.

And that sucks.

But it’s too much of a risk until I know I’m safe again.

If that’s something that’ll ever happen.

“That was funny, well, not really at the time because I wanted to murder him, but it’s funny now.” Scarlett smiles. “But that was also months ago. You need to have some fun, girly. All you’ve been doing is worrying about the club and whatever danger is following you around, and trust me, that is all-consuming and can take away all your fun and cause nothing but stress. So, tonight, and tomorrow night, you’re going to have fun. You’re safe here. Which means you can let loose, just a little.”

I stare at her then glance at Amalie who nods.

“We bought cocktails ...”

I smile, I can’t help it. “Really?”

Scarlett nods. “Yep.”

“I could probably be persuaded into having a cocktail ...”

Scarlett claps her hands. “Then let’s get to it.”

Two hours and three cocktails later and we’re all sitting around a fire that Maverick made out front of the cabin in between all the tents, which are in a circle around it. Everyone is sitting down, and the smell of burgers cooking on the grill just off to the left fills the air and makes my stomach grumble.

But the laughter and chatter flowing around feels good.

Really, really good.

“I have to know,” I say to Scarlett, leaning in close. “How quiet can y’all can be?”

She looks to me, eyes bright from the alcohol, cheeks flushed. “Quiet?”

“Well, these tents are not sound proof and they’re all really close together. There are two couples here that I know for a fact are going to be getting—” I lean in closer “—it on ... later. So, how quiet can you be? Because, I imagine, with those big, handsome bikers in between your legs, it would be very hard to be quiet.”

Scarlett giggles and throws her hands over her mouth, making a few of the guys turn and look at her. She glances at Maverick, flushes, and then looks back to me and leans in close. “I never thought of that!”

“Well, you might want to. Those poor men having to listen to your moans of pleasure.”

“What’s so funny over there?” Malakai asks, bringing Amalie closer as she’s sitting between his legs. Such a beautiful couple.

“Oh, Charlie was just checking that us girls know how to be quiet, you know, with the tents being so close.”

My mouth drops open. “Scarlett!”

Malakai chuckles. “Make a good point. Guess it’ll be a scream off between Scarlett and Amalie. Better up your game, brother,” he says to Maverick.

Maverick snorts. “No challenge. Not even close. My girl moans just lookin’ at me.”

Scarlett giggles, and I roll my eyes. “Oh, puh-lease!”

Maverick grins at me. “Don’t think it’s possible?”

I look at Scarlett, and she shrugs, blushing.

“He’s really that good?” I ask her.

She nods. “Oh, he’s that good.”

I grin. “Lucky woman.”

“Plenty more to go around here,” Malakai says, and I glare at him.

But I can’t help it, my eyes skitter to Koda, who is watching me with an expression on his face that I can’t quite make out. I don’t know if it’s lust, or disgust, or just pure confusion. Like he’s trying to figure out who I am.

“No, thanks,” I murmur, glancing back at Malakai.

He’s grinning at me.

Yeah.

Jerk.

“Why don’t you tell us somethin’ about yourself, Charlie?” Boston pipes up, inhaling a cigarette.

He doesn’t say much, and I glance at him, taking him in. Gorgeous, no doubt. But he is so incredibly quiet. It makes you wonder why. What made him that way? What’s he like beneath it all?

“There isn’t really much to tell,” I say, taking a big sip of my drink.

I know where this conversation will lead.

And that’s okay.

I’m ready to share with these men. Maybe it’s the alcohol, or maybe it’s purely the fact that I’m sick of being scared. I have to trust someone eventually. And maybe it will put them in danger, but in the end, they’re not going to stop until they find out my story, and they’re going to take my father on, no matter what. They’re better off having me on their side.

I have information they’ll never hear about.

Or find.

“A girl that’s got a million-dollar hit on her head, there’s somethin’ to tell,” Boston says, and his voice is gentle.

Not at all mean.

I swallow and glance at Koda, who is watching me intently now. He wants this story. Maybe more than anyone.

I sigh.

“Ask away. You guys need to know what I know, which means, eventually, I have to tell you. Better now than never, right?”

Malakai looks at me, and his eyes are kind, too.

And I know I can trust them.

“Don’t have to speak until you’re ready to speak ...”

I smile at him, and shrug. “You’re going to find out eventually anyway, and I’m not afraid of my story.”

“Then what are you afraid of?” Maverick asks.

“I’m afraid of you all getting hurt because of me.”

All their heads kind of swing in my direction.

“What makes you think that?” Malakai questions, narrowing his eyes.

“Because I know what you’re dealing with, and you don’t. Not yet, anyway.”

“Dealt with some pretty bad shit in our time, darlin’,” he informs me. “This is just another thing ...”

I bite my bottom lip, then take a big drink.

“It’s not really about bad shit, it’s about the sheer size of what is being run,” I tell him, drinking more and handing my glass to Scarlett, who immediately refills it.

I need alcohol for this.

Lots of it.

“Keep them coming.” I smile to her.

She nods.

“Not about manpower, it’s about how smart you are,” Malakai says, his voice a little gruff.

I’m not trying to offend him.

I glance at Koda. “That’s what he said.”

“Why don’t you tell us,” Maverick adds, crossing his arms and stretching his legs out, “and we can decide. Yeah?”

I glance at them all.

And then I nod.

“Yeah.”

So, I start telling them the story.

~*~*~*~