After we finished breakfast, Dan took Kevin to the play room to find his friend Logan, while Janice gave me a complete tour of the clubhouse. She took her time showing me all the places I could and couldn't go, and as we went from room to room, I was actually impressed by how they’d managed to turn something old and neglected into something so amazing. I loved its rustic charm, and it was clear she enjoyed sharing it with me. After we left the kitchen, we went down to the TV room where Kevin and a couple of the other children were playing video games. Along with the huge, flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, there were two pool tables, and I got a little excited when I noticed an air-hockey table in the back corner. I looked at the kids sprawled out on the oversized leather sofas and recliners, and I couldn’t think of a better family room.

When we left there, Janice took me by the laundry room and the stock room, just in case I needed anything. From there, we headed towards the library. As we walked down a long hall, I found myself drawn over to the window.

With all that had been going on, I never had the chance to look outside, so it was the first time I’d noticed that the clubhouse was surrounded by a fence. It wasn’t just any fence—it was a ten-foot high security fence that had barbed wire weaved at the top. I froze the second I saw it. I’d seen the tall gate when Riggs had brought me in, but in the dark, I’d totally missed the enormity of it. As I stood there staring out the window, the walls started closing in on me, and my heart pounded against my chest. Janice must’ve noticed that something was wrong and eased up beside me. As she looked out the window, she said softly, “I know it looks a little daunting, but it’s for our protection, dear.”

“Protection from what?”

“Well … I really don’t know,” she confessed and pulled her cardigan around her even though it wasn’t actually cold. Janice was older, in her late fifties with blonde hair. When the sunlight hit her in just the right angle, I could see the gray starting to take hold, but she was still quite attractive. She pointed to the back corner of the grounds, and I saw that the guys were all dressed in black as they gathered around a large maple tree with two freshly dug graves. Gus stood in front of them, and it looked like he was reading from the Bible as the others stood with their heads bowed. “This is bad. I can’t remember the last time a member was killed, much less two.”

“They’re burying them here?”

“For a lot of the boys, the club truly is the only family they have. It makes sense to bury them in the family cemetery.”

The mere thought of being buried alone in an old pine box sent a cold chill down my spine. I looked back over to her and said, “There’s a lot to this club stuff, isn’t there?”

“Yes, dear. There really is, and I still don’t know or understand a lot of it.” She ran the tip of her finger over her brow, “I don’t know if you realize this or not, but Dan and I aren’t exactly members of Fury.”

“You’re not?”

“No, sweetie. Becoming a member of the club was Sawyer’s dream, not ours.”

“I had no idea. I just assumed your whole family was a part of Fury.”

“I guess in some ways we are. They look after us because we’re Sawyer’s parents.”

I sighed. “It’s a lot to take in.”

“Yes, it is. I’m still trying to get used to it, but when he came to us and told us that he was going to join a motorcycle club, his father and I weren’t exactly happy,” she explained. “In the beginning, I had my reservations about the club … lots of them. It pained me because I knew there were things that went on that I wouldn’t want Sawyer to be a part of. I hated to even think about it, but as the years have passed, I’ve learned that it’s not all bad. In fact, there’s been a lot of good that’s come from him joining Fury. These men have been like a second family to him … and to us. When Kevin got sick, they were there for us in ways I can’t begin to explain, and honestly, I don’t know if Sawyer would’ve gotten through it without them.” She shrugged. “So, I’ve learned to take the good with the bad and accept that this is the life that my son has chosen.”

“And last night when he got hurt? You just have to accept that, too?”

“Yes. I just have to trust that Gus will do as he promised and take care of his boys.” She cocked her eyebrow. “Because that’s exactly what he did.”

“Umm… There’s a lot of trust going on in this place,” I sighed.

“You’re right, and there are times when it will seem like trust is all you’ve got.” She turned to look down the hallway. “Are you ready to go see the library?”

“Sure.” As we started walking, I asked, “So, you said there are things you don’t know about the club. What do you know?”

She cut her eyes at me as she shook her head. “Not much. Sawyer has made it clear that club business isn’t talked about. He says it’s for our own safety, but I’m not so sure about all that.” When we passed a hallway off to itself, she pointed to it and said, “That area is off limits.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. It just is.”

I sighed. “Umm. Okay.”

Once we got to the library, it wasn’t exactly what I would’ve called a library. It had several bookshelves of books and a quiet place to sit and read, but that was about it. After Janice showed me a couple of her favorite novels, we sat down on one of the sofas and started talking. It wasn’t long before she started telling me about Kevin and everything he’d been through. There was no doubt that she and Dan were crazy about him. She was about to roll into her next story when she got a text message from Dan asking about lunch. As she stood up, she said, “I guess I better get back. The boys are ready for something to eat. Would you like to join us?”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll just head back to my room for a little while.”

“Okay. You know where we’ll be if you change your mind.”

I followed her out into the hall and said, “Yes, I do, and thank you for the tour and the talk.”

“It was my pleasure, sweetie.” She leaned towards me and gave me a quick hug. “Let me know if you need anything at all.”

“I will.”

I was just about to turn to leave when Janice said, “Kenadee?”

“Yes?”

“There’s one more thing I should probably mention.” She looked at me with concern in her eyes.

“Okay.”

“You don’t talk about the club with anyone … No matter how insignificant it may seem, you just keep it to yourself,” she warned. “It’s really important that you remember that.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Yeah, I think you do.” She cocked her eyebrow. “There’s a reason no one knows what goes on in the club. No one breathes a word about what they’ve seen or heard in the club.”

While I wasn’t crazy about the idea of keeping secrets, I nodded and said, “I get it.”

“I knew you would.” She smiled. “I better get going before my boys start wondering where I am.”

“Okay, and thanks for all the advice.”

“Anytime, sweetie.”

After she left, I decided to make my way back to my room. As I headed down the long hallway, I started thinking about everything Janice just told me and how hard it must’ve been for her to have a son who lived in a world with so many secrets, especially since there was so much danger involved. I was pulled from my thoughts when I thought I heard Sawyer’s voice coming from one of the rooms across the hall. Feeling hopeful, I tiptoed over to the crack in the door, and after a few minutes of eavesdropping, I was certain that Riggs and Sawyer were the only ones in the room. Thinking they wouldn’t mind if I popped in to say hello, I eased the door open and stepped inside.

The room was quite different from my own—like night and day kind of different. Where mine only had the bed, this also had a large sofa, a beautiful dresser, and not just one TV mounted on the wall, but three. There was a computer on the desk with a large flat-screen monitor, and Sawyer and Riggs were both staring at it as they talked back and forth. I walked up behind them, and as I looked over their shoulder, I saw an image of a man on the screen. There was something familiar about him, very familiar, and as I stood there staring at him, I noticed that he was wearing a jacket that I remembered seeing recently.

When curiosity got the best of me, I asked, “Who is that?”

Both of them seemed surprised by my presence as they whipped around with their eyebrows furrowed and scowls on their faces. Sawyer looked like he could spit nails as he barked, “What the hell are you doing in here?”

Confused by his reaction, I answered, “Um … I was just walking by, and I heard your voice.”

“Dammit, Kenadee!” he roared. “You can’t just come barging in to places you don’t fucking belong!”

“Are you being serious right now?” I shouted. “How was I supposed to know I couldn’t come in here when it was just you and Riggs?”

“Because I told you I had shit I needed to do!” It was clear I’d fucked up, but I thought his reaction was a bit extreme and it pissed me off. “You should’ve listened!”

“Sorry for being so thick-headed, Sawyer.” I snapped, and as I turned to leave, I caught one last glimpse of the man on the screen. “And just so you know, I know who that guy is, and he’s a real jerk … just like you’re being right now!”

I slammed the door and charged down the hallway towards my room. I’d only taken a few steps when I heard Sawyer call, “Kenadee, wait!”

“Why? So, you can tell me that I’m breaking another rule.” I stopped and threw up my hands. “What? Am I not supposed to walk down this hall?”

“Hey.” His voice softened as he said, “You’re right. I shouldn’t have gone off like that.”

While I was still mad, I knew I was wrong, too. “I’m sorry for going in there like I did, but I’m still figuring all this stuff out.”

“We’ll talk about that later.” Then, the look on his face turned serious as he said, “For now, I need you to come back to the room and tell me everything you know about the guy on the computer screen.”

“Hold up. So, now you want me to come into the room?” I asked, taunting him.

He stared at me for a moment, but then, as if he couldn’t help himself, his lips curled into a smile. “Yeah, I want you to come into the room.”

“But, I thought I wasn’t supposed to go in there.”

“Kenadee.” He sighed. “It’d really help me out if you would tell us what you know.”

“Okay.” I followed him back into the room and as soon as I sat down, I said, “He came into the hospital with his sister and her daughter a few weeks ago.”

From there, I told him everything I knew. It took me a few minutes to remember that his name was Terry, but that was all Sawyer needed to put the pieces of the puzzle together. From everything I told them, they knew exactly who I was talking about—Terry Dillion.

Riggs turned to me with an excited look on his face and said, “We owe you one, Kenadee. We owe you big.”

“If you say so. I’m glad I could help.”

“We need to let Gus know. We gotta find this guy and bring him in.”

Even though I knew they wouldn’t tell me, I asked, “Why is this guy so important?”

Both of them looked at me, but neither of them answered.

“Is he behind the shootings or the explosion at the garage?”

Still nothing.

“Well, if he is … if he has anything to do with any of it, anything at all …” I could feel the anger building deep inside me as I looked at both of them and said, “Then, I hope you make this asshole pay for what he’s done.”

Sawyer leaned towards me and kissed me on the forehead. “We will baby.”

I followed them out of the room, and as I watched them head off to find their president, I almost felt sorry for Terry. While I didn’t know for certain that he’d done anything wrong, I had no doubt that if he had, Gus and the brothers of Fury would make certain that he would pay dearly for his crimes against them. I figured it would be awhile before I’d see Sawyer again, so I headed to the med-room to check in with Mack and Gunner. When I walked in, Mack was sitting next to Gunner, and he looked exhausted. “How’s he doing?”

“Still the same. I just don’t know what else to do.” It was clear to see that he was truly worried over his brother. “I can’t lose him, too.”

“He’s young and strong. Give him time. He’ll pull through this, Mack,” I tried to assure him.

“I wish I could believe that, but Runt was as strong as a fucking ox. I would’ve thought he could’ve taken three times the bullets that he had, and we lost him in seconds. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“How are his stats?”

“His heart rate is good. Blood pressure, too.” He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. “Got any ideas?”

Seeing how exhausted he looked, I knew he hadn’t slept much in days, so I urged him, “You should go get some sleep.”

“I will soon. I’m just gonna sit with him for a few more minutes.” He lied.

“Okay.” I glanced around the room, trying to see if I could find where I’d left my purse. “Have you seen a blue handbag anywhere?”

He pointed over in the corner. “I put it over there in the cabinet.”

“Thanks.” After I grabbed my purse, I walked towards the door. “Be sure to get some rest.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Once I was back in my room, I reached inside my purse and grabbed my phone. When I tapped the screen, I had thirty-seven messages—twenty-two of them being from Robyn. I started reading them, one by one, and I’d only gotten through half of them when it was clear she was freaking out that I hadn’t called. I knew I had to get in touch with her, but I hesitated. After talking to Janice, I didn’t want to say something I shouldn’t and wasn’t sure what I should and shouldn’t say to her. Knowing I couldn’t keep putting her off, I dialed her number and prayed that I’d be able to come up with the right words to say. It had only rung once when she answered, “Kenadee? Is that you?”

“Yeah. It’s me.”

“Oh, my God. You had me scared to death!” She gasped. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you!”

Overcome with guilt, I fell back on the bed and sighed. “I’m really sorry. I should’ve called sooner, but I was … um … busy.”

“Busy? Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve been going out of my mind over here wondering where you are and if you’re okay, and you’ve been busy?”

“Well, after you left for your date with that sales guy, Sawyer came by the apartment …”

“Umm hmm,” she grumbled.

“And I ended up going back to his place,” I continued.

“Is that when he convinced you to run off to Vegas?” She snarled

“Vegas?”

Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she replied, “Umm, yeah. Riggs called me at the hospital and told me about your little trip to Vegas. I want to know why you didn’t call to tell me?”

“Umm … it was so last minute. I had no idea we were going. It was a surprise, and Sawyer told him to call you so you wouldn’t worry.”

“Well, I did worry. He implied that you two might be eloping, but I knew you wouldn’t do that without telling me.” She paused for a minute, then asked, “Right?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t! Don’t be ridiculous.”

“So, what’s with this Sawyer guy?” Her voice was three octaves higher than normal, and she was almost ranting as she continued to fuss at me. “It’s not like you to just take off on some trip with some guy you barely know. You’re the one who’s supposed to think things through.”

“I’m really sorry, Robyn.”

“When are you coming back?”

I braced myself when I replied, “Umm … I’m not sure yet.”

“What do you mean, you’re not sure?” she shrieked. “You have work tomorrow, and there’s been this creepy guy who’s been following me around.”

“What creepy guy?”

“Some biker dude. He’s been following me to work and sitting outside the apartment. I think he’s a stalker. I should probably call the cops or something.”

Remembering that Gus said he was going to have a prospect keep an eye on her, I said, “No. I don’t think that’s necessary. He’s probably just a new neighbor. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“It wouldn’t be a big deal if you were home,” she said. I knew she was pouting.

“Robyn, I haven’t had a vacation in three years, and I’m having a really good time.” I lied, again. “Let me have this, okay. I’ll call the hospital and let them know that I won’t be in for a few days. It’s not like I don’t have the days off.”

“You promise you aren’t eloping?”

“Yes, Robyn. I promise,” I assured her. “I’m a long way from anything like that.”

“Okay, good. Will you please keep in touch a little better so I won’t worry so much?” she pleaded.

“Absolutely, and hey. I’m really sorry I worried you.”

“I’m not going to say it’s okay because it isn’t, and I’m not sure how long it will take me to get over it.” She fussed. After a short pause, she sighed. “But, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear about what’s going on with you and the Sexpot in Leather.”

Giggling, I replied, “I can just imagine what he’d say if he heard you call him that.”

“Pfft. Trust me. I’ve called him much worse,” she teased. “Now, tell me. Are you falling for this guy or what?”

I stared up at the ceiling as I thought back over the time I’d spent with Sawyer, and if I could take the club and all its secrets and danger out of the equation, my answer would be easy. I would tell my best friend that my answer was yes, that I was falling for Sawyer Mathews. But the fact was, Sawyer and the club were a package deal, and I would have to decide if I could learn to accept them for what they were. And to know for sure, I would need more time.

Since I didn’t have an answer, I simply said, “I guess time will tell.”