It didn’t take long for Ozzy and me to get my bike purring like a kitten again. Before I knew it, I was pulling into a bar right outside of Sweetwater to meet Blaz and Carson.

Bellying up to an empty seat, I waved over the bartender I had known for most of my life.

“Daddy said you’d be showing up here tonight,” Harlow cooed as she poured me a glass of whiskey.

“It’s nice to see you, Low.” I eyed her as she stood in front of me. She sure had grown up nicely with light blue eyes that could make the Devil himself smile a bit. Her long, curled dark hair bounced just as much as her tits did while she emptied a case of beer into the ice trough in front of her.

“No one but you can get away with calling me that.” She giggled.

“It’s been a while. How’re things around these parts?”

Her bright red Cupid’s bow pulled at the corners. “It’s quiet like always around here. Boring, to say the least.”

“Boring isn’t always a bad thing. Too much excitement can make for some sticky situations.” I ran my finger over the rim of my glass. Vilas was the main charter for the club and had seen more bloodshed than I liked. It was good to hear Sweetwater wasn’t following suit with the mayhem.

“What’s got you down, Collin?” Harlow was good—maybe too good—at reading me. Even when we were kids and my dad would bring me up on runs with him, she’d always known when something was up.

“Just trying to make good on a promise and tie up some loose ends, that’s all.” I didn’t know how much she knew. Her father, Blaz, was the oldest of the club’s presidents, and he’d made it that far by keeping his lips sealed and the women out of club business as much as he could.

“I’ll get it out of you one way or another.” Harlow bit her lip as she narrowed her eyes at me. Damn, that girl knew how to press every one of my buttons.

“How’s your mom?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation in a more PG direction.

“Abigail is Abigail. That broad has beat cancer and is still kicking like always. You know how it is with the matriarchs in this family—nothing can stop them.”

“You definitely got that one right.”

“Collin?” Carson took a seat next to me with Blaz standing right behind.

“It’s good to see you guys.” I shook both of their hands before killing what was left in my glass.

“Glad to see everything worked out.” Blaz shot me a quick wink before taking a seat on the other side of his VP.

“It’s all thanks to you, from what I was told.”

Blaz waved me off. “We’re family. It’s what Abel would have wanted.”

“You ready for a charity toy run?” Carson asked as Harlow handed him a bottle of Bud.

“Gotta help the kids, right?” I chuckled a little. Most people thought of one-percenters as complete outlaws without any heart, but little did they know, we took philanthropy seriously and did our best to make our communities better.

“I wanna go!” Harlow’s eyes got wide as she glanced from me to her father.

“If Collin wants a rider, I don’t see why you can’t.” Blaz was glaring at me with a look only a father could give. He had worked hard over the years to keep Harlow and me apart. He knew we’d inevitably make good on all the not-so-innocent flirting, and I could feel how strongly he was against it. The last person I would ever want to piss off was Blaz—he’d have me strung up by my boot laces for touching his only daughter—but I couldn’t help the feelings that had been brewing since puberty had set in.

“I’d love the company.” What else was I supposed to say? Blaz had left it up to me, and I couldn’t disappoint the little lady who wasn’t so little anymore.

“Awesome!” Harlow bounced on her heals with glee as she pulled a headband with a tiny, glittery elf hat on it out of her purse. “I knew I would need this for something.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t be such a scrooge! The kids are going to love this.” Harlow put it on before sticking her tongue out at me.

“Whatever makes you happy, sweets.” I shot her a quick smile as her face lit up a bit.

“Honey, give us a second. I need to talk to the guys alone.” Blaz’s voice was stern as his daughter walked away to leave us to talk club business. “There’s more than just the toy run this weekend. I got a protection job I need you to help us out with.”

“Whatever you need, I’m here for you.” I didn’t break eye contact with Blaz. I knew at the end of the day, he was going to put me to work and hard while I was up in his territory.

Carson cleared his throat. “There’s a warehouse not too far from here that has been having problems with shipments not making it or coming in half robbed. It’s under our protection. The thugs are small-time, not another club, but they all know us, so that’s where you come in.”

“Need me to send for some of my other guys?” One man was not going to be able to scare even the smallest of criminals away from a payday, especially with the holidays creeping up fast.

Blaz shook his head. “I have Bear coming up to help you, along with Kane, Ax, and Reese.”

“This must be more than just a small-time problem if you’re pulling from so many charters.” Bear was the one we always called on when things were going to get messy. He and his wife were a force to be reckoned with, and I knew if Bear was coming, Scar would be along for the bloody ride. She was the main exception to our rule that women didn’t get their hands dirty.

“It’s personal,” Blaz responded. “They’re going to meet you at the cabin in the morning, and we’ll hammer out the details once they’ve arrived. Harlow is going to head there tonight with you to make sure y’all have everything you need. Harlow.” Blaz waved his daughter over.

“Yeah, Pop?” I couldn’t help but stare at her rack as she rushed over to us. In her low-cut V-neck, her tits were practically popping out. I wanted to throw a coat over her and stop all the other guys in that bar from staring, too. Sex sells, though, and I knew the more she showed, the better her tips would be.

“Everything ready up at the cabin?”

“The fridge is stocked with beer—what more could those heathens need?” She laughed a little, leaning on the bar top.

“Such a smart one, aren’t you?” Blaz put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “When you getting outta here?”

“I can have Marlena close up if you want me to head up there now.”

Blaz glanced over at me. “You ready kid?”

I shoved away from the bar, digging my keys out of the inside pocket of my cut. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“I’ll be up there first thing in the morning, sweetheart.”

“Okay, Dad.”

“Here.” I handed my leather jacket and spare helmet to Harlow.

“You’re sweet.” She took the stuff from me and climbed onto the back of my bike, wrapping her arms tightly around my middle.

“That’s a word I don’t hear very often,” I admitted before letting the engine of my hog roar to life.

Burying her face in my back, she replied, “Get used to it if you’re going to be around for a while.”

Riding up the winding roads to the cabin with Harlow was nothing short of perfect. The stars blanketed the clear night sky and the moonlight danced on the pavement beneath us. It was the kind of night bikers live for, and I never wanted the memory to slip from my grasp.

It didn’t take long for us to be pulling up into the drive of the dimly lit home. It was strange to be alone with Harlow. Usually we had to steal moments when her father wasn’t looking, and I couldn’t believe he was trusting me alone for a night with his daughter. It felt a little too much like a test.

After helping Harlow off of my bike and taking my bag inside, I sat on the front porch in a rocking chair smoking a cigarette.

“Have one of those for me?” Harlow asked while handing me a longneck.

“Of course.” I pulled out the pack of cowboy killers and lit the stick for her.

She planted herself right down in my lap with her face an inch away from mine. “This is a long time coming,” she muttered before letting her lips dust over mine.

Instinctively, I laced my fingers in her hair, pulling her into my hungry kiss.

Within seconds, my mind snapped back to clarity, forcing a retreat. “This isn’t a good idea, Low.”

“Why?” She pouted as rejection assaulted her smile, letting it fade into disappointment.

“You know why.” I ran my thumb over her soft lip, which I craved to taste again.

Letting her head land on my shoulder, she sighed. “I guess you’re right. Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

I wrapped my arms around her. “Trust me, I want nothing more, but I don’t want my head to be the next trophy on your father’s wall.”