Tyler tied his Batman bandana around his head and cranked his motorcycle. Plugging the address into his phone, he followed the directions down the street, but made a detour to circle around the diner. He stopped at a light right outside the restaurant’s window.

Annie stood there in another long sleeve sweater, waiting on a customer. For the past week, her eyes held a bit more wariness each day. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. Every morning for the past seven days, he’d gotten the same donut and cup of coffee. And each and every day she’d smiled politely, made small talk, even remembered the way he took his coffee, but he could never get past the superficial conversations of the weather to pry into her personal life. The moment anyone would stop and take notice of them, she would clam up. Go all robotic on him.

He had to keep reminding himself he barely knew her; perhaps that was just her demeanor. However, a nagging irritation in his gut warned him that wasn’t true. She’d smiled too much as a kid to be so skittish now. Something wasn’t right and damn if he hadn’t tried to ignore it, let her take care of her own business, but he couldn’t stand by and suspect someone was getting abused and not act. Not his way. But what could he do? He’d never helped an abuse victim before. He hoped the Guardians had answers.

He glanced at the clock. Six-fifty. Did she take a break? She’d been there all day.

A car honked its horn behind him. The light had changed to green. He caught her stare just before he zoomed down the street.

Two left turns and a right later, he parked his bike in a grass field outside of a steel barn. Several other bikes sat there. Must be in the right place.

He pushed through the metal barn door, but instead of being met with hay shavings, his feet were met with cement. Collapsible lawn chairs leaned against the wall. A giant flag sporting a blue angel with a black background hung from the rafters of the barn. Under that, an equally large Texans football flag. A table to his left stood propped against one of the horse stall doors. A plate of cookies and a pitcher of iced tea with a stack of solo cups sat on the tabletop, and underneath, a cooler filled with ice and beer. A horse neighed and tried to reach his head over the wooden gate to grab a cookie.

“Get back, Angus,” a petite woman reprimanded the horse as she strolled up to him. “You must be the new guy.” Her jet black hair lay braided to one side, and the gait of her walk told him she wasn’t someone he wanted to piss off, despite her small stature.

“Yeah. You JoJo?” He held out his hand.

“Yep.” She just stared at him.

Tyler pulled his hand back. “Not a hand shaker?”

“No. Fill these out.” The curt woman thrust a clipboard to him.

“Okay.” He took the board from her. Background check. “I suppose if someone wants to help abused children they can’t be a child abuser themselves,” he muttered.

“Ding. Ding. Ding. Grab a cookie if you want one.” She pointed to the plate on the table. “Father’s plaything made them. She thought snacks meant cookies.” JoJo rolled her eyes. “Usually, we have real food.”

Father really needed to get someone else in charge of the welcome committee. This woman was about as inviting as a hemorrhoid and seemed as much of a pain in the ass.

“What’s up with the Batman symbol on your bandana?” A slight sneer took over her face as she pointed to his head. “A bit old for superheroes aren’t we?”

Pain in the ass all right.

“Sometimes, we all need a superhero.”

He shook off her comment and scribbled his information on the pad. His love of Batman was none of her business. As far as he was concerned, their business was over.

“I can see why Father agreed to let you come.” The little woman stared at him from head to toe. “He doesn’t just let anyone in, ya know?”

“No, I don’t know.”

“And I heard he’s already given you a name.”

Tank. Was he supposed to start calling himself that? He stopped writing. The woman wouldn’t stop staring at him. “And what exactly do you think you see?”

“A big man with a hurt soul.”

He glanced away. Yep, they were through. “I think I’ll take my seat now.” He slapped the pen on the clipboard and handed it over before he pushed past her. Her small hand gripped his upper arm.

“It’s okay,” she leaned in and whispered. “That’s why we’re all here. You’ll do well.”

JoJo glanced at his paperwork. He’d left the nickname portion blank. She wrote Tank on the line.

Little Bit had managed to insult him and compliment him all in the same conversation. What the hell was her deal? He met her stare. A flash of understanding hid beneath her tough exterior.

Hell. His stomach sunk. Perhaps him and this lady had more in common than he’d like to admit.

“Yeah, well, thanks, I guess. Like I said, I’m going to take my seat now.”

“Save me one, Tank.” A wry smile touched her lips as she walked toward the front of the room.

Great.

Shortly after he’d found a seat, Father stood in the center aisle at the front of the group. Ten other men and two women sat in the small barn area with him. Every one of them wore the Blue Guardians leather jacket, except him.

“Hey, Guardians,” Father addressed the crowd. “I’m sure some of you have seen by now we have a visitor. Everyone meet, Tank, aka Tyler.” The leader pointed in his direction. Several turned but didn’t bother to speak.

Friendly bunch.

“Tank here joined us tonight to see if we’re something he might want to get involved with. Now, let’s get on to business.”

A muscled man with dark hair leaned in. “Hey, man,” he whispered and stuck out his hand. His biceps were visible under the roughed leather, and his body seeped the undercurrent of smoke. “I’m Blake Steele, everyone calls me Steele.”

“Hey.” He offered his hand. “Tyler Wilde…Tank.”

The man nodded. “’S’up, Tank?”

At least one person seemed friendly.

JoJo cleared her throat, and they both stole a glance at her.

“What’s her deal?” Tyler whispered.

“JoJo? Give her time. She hates anything male at first.”

“Glad to know I’m not the only one.”

“Time for our pledge. All rise,” the leader of the pack instructed.

Steele and JoJo both stood beside him. He took that as his cue to follow suit. Father began as everyone else joined in.

“We pledge to protect women and children of Briar County. We follow up on all leads given with dignity, respect, and love to the person who has been harmed. We respect their wishes and do what is needed day or night. We are the Blue Guardians, Black Widow chapter.”

Women and children.

Leona had been right about the Guardians, and the truth stood right there in the pledge. If Annie was in trouble, was anyone doing anything to protect her?

“Now, down to business,” Father said. “Tree, you’re up.”

A tall, thin man with a black bandana wrapped around his head and a scar below his left eye stood with a notepad. The nickname fit. “Not many minutes to speak of,” the biker said. “We discussed the success of Ray Lynn’s court date. The little girl’s father was put in prison for ten years, while her mother told us she was proceeding with divorce. Last month, we celebrated JoJo’s birthday with cupcakes—”

Tyler glanced over at the tough chick and leaned in. “Happy late birthday,” he offered with a slight smile.

She narrowed her gaze and stared at him for a few seconds before she relinquished a slight glimmer of a smile back. “Thanks.”

He was wearing her down.

“Okay, anything new?” Father glanced around. “Any new leads, anything anyone wants to share?”

“Yeah.” A short, heavyset man with a rounding belly stood. If the other guy was a tree, then this man would be the stump.

“What is it Stump?”

Tyler had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing out loud.

“Macy told me about a kid in her school. Nathaniel Franks. Said he showed her a bruise on his arm on the playground one day last week. Claimed his dad did it.”

Tyler leaned in to JoJo. “Macy?”

“Stump’s daughter,” she whispered back.

“Does the child’s teacher know?” Father asked.

“I talked to their teacher. She couldn’t tell me a whole lot since the kid wasn’t mine, but in not so many words gave me what I needed to know. She suspects, by his recent, odd behaviors, the kid’s being knocked around. He’s grown quieter, moody. I think we should go knock on the door, talk to the mother, and see if we can talk to Nathaniel. Offer some support.”

“Good idea,” Father said. “I’ll talk to the school counselor myself. Anyone willing to go tomorrow?”

JoJo and Steele raised their hands. Tyler joined them. This was what he came here for, to help, and he was ready to get started. Annie flashed in his mind again.

“Awesome. Glad to see so many able to help.”

“Can the new guy go?” Tree pointed a pen toward him.

“As long as his background check passes, Tank’s good,” Father agreed.

“All right.” The tall biker wrote their names on the notepad.

Steele leaned in. “Father’s a counselor. Abuse is his specialty.”

He glanced at the leader’s wardrobe. Blue jeans, red cotton shirt, and the same scuffed up boots he wore last week at the shop. The laid back look suited the old man, and he supposed the facial wrinkles gave the guy a soft edge, an appearance victims could trust. Someone they could really open up to.

“Ah.” Tyler nodded. “Makes sense.”

 “Remember, our ride’s in two weeks,” Father spoke up again. “Meet here. Seven a.m. sharp. We’ll pack our tents in the back of Sandi’s truck. She’ll follow us to the lake.”

“Tents?” Tyler whispered to Steele.

“Fourth of July ride. We always go to Jasper, to the lake.”

“Okay. Is it mandatory?”

“It is if you want to be a part of our club.”

“Got it.”

“Tank,” Father called over the crowd. “We don’t tell anyone about our rides. We just meet and ride, got it?”

“Yes, sir.” What excuse was he going to come up with at work? Being the new guy, he doubted asking for a holiday weekend off so soon was going to be in his favor. Still, he’d figure it out. Had to if he wanted to be in the group.

“Great.” Father clapped his hands. “Is there any more business?” He glanced around the room, waiting for someone to speak up.

Annie’s tired face burned a hole in his mind. His stomach rolled imagining her beautiful features, her smile—the few times she had given him one. What if he never saw it again?

“Short meeting this month. Next month, we’ll start talking about our Christmas project. Well if there is nothing else—”

Shit.

If his suspicions were true, he had to make sure she got the help she deserved.

“Wait.” He held his hand up.

“Yeah, Tank, what is it?” Father asked.

“In the pledge you say you protect women and children. What if a woman is getting knocked around? What’s the procedure?”

“We don’t help women unless they come to us for help.”

“What if they don’t know where to go? I mean you keep this place kind of hidden.” He referred to the barn.

“They see us in town. They see our jackets. While our meeting space is kept secret, our agenda and who we are isn’t. Adults are a different story from children. If a woman needs help, she has to come to one of us first. We don’t help those who don’t want to be helped, son.”

There was that father figure mentality again. “Right, okay. I understand. Can I ask one more question?”

“Yeah, what’s that?”

“Are there any woman you are helping now?”

“At the present time, no.”

He gritted his teeth and took his seat. “Okay, thanks.”

“Well, if that concludes our meeting…”

If Annie was being abused, why hadn’t she come to them for help, or went to the police? The way she stiffened when the group of officers walked into the diner didn’t sit well with him. If she didn’t feel she could go to the police, and she wouldn’t go to the Blue Guardians for help, well then, he would just bring the Blue Guardians to her.

“Hey, JoJo.” Tyler leaned closer to the welcome committee. “I feel bad for missing your birthday celebration. What do you say you head to the diner with me, and I’ll buy you a slice of cake?”

“You asking me out?” JoJo snickered.

Time for the truth. “Not really. I need help with something.”

“Help?” She raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to tell me what it is are you?”

“Not until we get there.”

“Does this have something to do with that blonde waitress, Annie, and your Batman mentality?”

Tyler pulled back. “How’d you know?”

“Take it from a girl who’s been knocked around. You know when it’s happening to another one.”

Knocked around. So that was JoJo’s story—why she didn’t warm up to men easily. Annie probably had the same trust issues as JoJo.

“Will you help me?”

“I think it’s a bad idea.” She crossed her arms and pushed back deeper in her chair.

“That’s a no? I get it.” He stood. “Thanks anyway.”

“I didn’t say no, I just didn’t say yes.”

Mercy, this girl is irritating.

“So, what exactly are you saying?” He stared down at her.

She shot up to her feet and straightened her spine. He had a feeling she wanted to stand on her chair so they were eye level, but pride kept her from it.

“I’m saying, I think it’s a bad idea, but I’ll go. Everyone needs a superhero from time to time, right?”

Was she mocking Batman again? He bit back his irritation only because he needed her. “Thank you.”

Little Bit turned and stalked toward the exit, her boots clicking on the concrete. “And I don’t want a slice of cake. I want a burger,” she hollered over her shoulder.

Steele stopped and stared at him. “Taking the piranha on a little date, are you?”

“I wouldn’t call it a date. More like she’s my mission’s accomplice.”

“Dude, you must have a tough mission to recruit the help of JoJo.” Steele slapped him on the back. “See you tomorrow. Oh, and about our rides. Make sure you’re not late. We don’t wait.”

Tough bunch.

“Yeah. No problem.”

“You coming or what?” JoJo called from the front of the barn.

“You better go man. She doesn’t wait on anybody.” Steele stared back at JoJo and rubbed the back of his head. “But wait…uh…you sure you want to take her?” The group member glanced back at him and gave him a questioning look. “I could help you.”

“Thanks, man, but I think for this task, I need someone more feminine.”

“Yeah, dude, that ain’t me.” He held his hands up in the air, palms out, and took a few steps back. “See you around, Tank.”

“See ya.”

Tyler headed out and hopped on his bike. “Follow me.”

JoJo slapped her helmet on and revved her roadster.

He hoped this worked. That sinking feeling in his gut from last week had never went away. Beauty was in trouble. He was sure of it, and if no one else would help her, he would.