Penni sat there, staring into the dark night. Her cell phone kept pinging, but she didn’t want to talk to Shade, Lily, or Winter. Jackal, at least, did not call. Then why are you checking to see if he did?

The drive back to Treepoint had been tense, both she and Winter imagining what they would find when they arrived at the clubhouse.

“Want me to stop and get you something to drink?” Penni had looked at Winter who had been staring out the window. When she had turned her head, Penni could see her cheeks were wet.

“No, we don’t have time. We’ll be lucky if we make it before they know we’re missing.”

Penni licked her dry lips. “Winter, Viper wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your marriage.”

“Viper’s not the one who’s ruining our marriage. I am.”

“I didn’t realize you were having problems. You just seem so happy together.” Had she been so involved chasing Train and immersed in Jackal that she had missed that the marriage was crumbling?

“Viper and I both want to keep our problems to ourselves. We didn’t want any of The Last Riders to give their opinions.”

“Why would they give their opinions? Your marriage is just between you and Viper. It’s none of their business.”

“I want a child, Penni. I want one so badly I can barely breathe.”

“Then have one,” Penni said matter-of-factly. “I can see why it could be a problem. Raising one in a clubhouse would be hard, but Razer and Shade make it work.”

“I can’t have children … Well, I can, but I can’t.” Winter took a breath before explaining her confusing answer. “When I was attacked and left for dead, my spine and hips were injured. My doctors say there’s a chance I wouldn’t survive.”

“Holy shit! I can see why Viper doesn’t want you to do it. Have you thought about adoption?”

“Yes, but the baby wouldn’t be mine and Viper’s. We filled out the paperwork to start the adoption process, but we were denied.”

“Assholes. You would make the perfect parents.”

“I know. That’s what I think, too, but they did a background check and found out he’s the president of The Last Riders. They don’t think we’ll make suitable parents. We even tried to take in foster kids, and they turned us down for that, too.”

“Winter, if there is anything, I would—Hey, I could be your surrogate.”

Winter shook her head. Smiling, she pulled out a Kleenex to wipe her face. “I would take you up on your offer, but Viper would kill you if you didn’t hand over the baby after it was born. You wouldn’t give up a child after carrying it that long. You have a hard time being away from your ducks. You drove Jackal crazy every day by making sure Colton was feeding them.”

Penni thought about it, but she didn’t agree. Penni knew she could admit her own flaws, and she wasn’t possessive. When men stopped calling her, she didn’t get offended, chalking it off as another failed attempt to get Train off her mind. The child would be Winter and Viper’s, not hers. She was sure she could do it, but she would give Winter time to think over her offer.

“If you change your mind, let me know.”

“I will. We’ll work it out … if he’s not doing something he shouldn’t be doing.”

“He won’t be.” Penni waved her hand in the air, releasing her own worries and any she might have caught from Winter. Then she put her hand back on the steering wheel. She was determined to make Winter lighten up. “You think Kaden would give me maternity leave, though, since technically I wouldn’t be keeping the baby?”

Winter leaned her head against the window. “You’re a nut.” When she managed to stop laughing, she put her tissues back in her purse. “Will you do me favor?”

“Of course.”

“Don’t tell anyone. I let my emotions get the best of me. I really want to keep this between me and Viper.”

“No problem.”

The Last Riders had become a family. None of them would want Winter to jeopardize her health.

“I wish I could have seen Shade’s expression when he discovered we were missing.”

Winter brought her hand to her mouth. “I wish I could have seen Cash’s. He was guarding the backdoor. If the clerk hadn’t shown us the employee exit, we wouldn’t have managed to get away.”

For the rest of the drive, they talked about how the boys at the school where she was principal always believed they could pull the wool over her eyes. Winter told Penni several of the more humorous anecdotes, not stopping until she parked in The Last Riders’ parking lot.

Because they were driving Willa’s car, the two men on the front porch went back to leaning against the door.

“We’re here,” Winter said unnecessarily.

“Are you sure we should do this?” she whispered. Whether Winter went or not, Penni had every intention of seeing what Jackal was doing.

“Yes.”

“Remember, let’s be cool. Whatever we see, we don’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they’ve hurt us.”

“I’ll be calm. I promise. We’ll go in the front door. If they’re not in the living room, they’ll either be in the kitchen or the basement. The men won’t take the women upstairs to mess with; they’ll be too afraid of Mag barging in.”

“You remember she’s in a wheelchair?” she said as they quietly made their way up the large flight of steps.

“Tell that to Rider. I don’t know how she managed to get in her wheelchair, but she opened Rider’s door and caught him with Jewell.”

“I think she has a crush on him.”

When they reached the door, Penni saw it was Train and Crash on guard duty.

“What are you two doing here? You’re supposed to be in Lexington. Where are Shade and the rest—”

“We decided we didn’t want to stay the night. Excuse us.” Penni attempted to get to the door, but Train and Crash both blocked it.

Their guilty expressions made her sick. Winter had been right; the men had wanted them gone.

“Move, Train … now.”

Train and Crash stepped to the side, letting them open the door.

Penni looked over the crowded room. The members were having such a good time. Music was blaring, and several of the women were dancing. Several of the men were at the bar, watching a boxing match on the big screen.

“I see Viper.” Penni pointed at Viper, who was sitting on a stool with Ice and Cade on each side of him. “I told you that you didn’t have anything to worry about. Do you see Jackal?” Penni asked Winter, but her attention was on Viper who had turned to stare at them, his phone in his hand.

“I guess the secret’s out. Go. I’ll try to distract him from calling Jackal until you can find him.”

Penni had seen Jackal wasn’t in the living room, and the kitchen was practically empty. The few members back there were watching the boxing match in the room off the kitchen. They didn’t pay attention to her as she went down the steps.

The couple hadn’t heard her come in. Raci’s hand was on Jackal’s dick, and her breasts and pussy were bare. He was finger-fucking her. Then he slid his hand out, wiping it on her thigh.

After that, she didn’t remember much of anything. It was as if she were staring down at herself.

The rage that blindsided her didn’t leave until she was sitting on Shade’s porch swing and Winter left. Shade had warned her about the killing rage he was capable of, but she hadn’t expected it to be so intense to actually shoot at someone. Technically, she hadn’t shot him, but she hadn’t been aiming … Okay, she had been aiming at his dick, but she had missed it.

Son of a bitch! Penni breathed in through her nose and out her mouth, calming herself again.

The son of a freaking bastard-bitch-snake-in-the-fucking-grass deserved more than the three bullets she had sprayed down the steps.

When she couldn’t think of any other names to call the ass-wipe, Penni decided to go to bed. She couldn’t leave before Lily returned from Lexington, but when she did, Penni decided it would be time to head out.

She knew Shade would try to talk it her out of it, but she didn’t care. If the cartel was stupid enough to try to intimidate her, it would be the last thing they ever did. With the mood she was in, she could take on the whole freaking cartel. Maybe she could give them Jackal…

* * *

The next morning, Penni was up early. She showered and got dressed in a pair of grey leggings and a black and grey T-shirt that had crisscross straps on the back. The outfit was deceptively simple, the shirt falling past her hips. The leggings were tight and showed off her bottom, and the expanse of her back was left bare.

Penni turned her back to the full-length mirror, turning her head to see the full effect. She smacked her ass. The five pounds she had gained looked good on her.

She had finished packing her bags when Penni heard Shade and Lily come in. She zipped her suitcase, leaving it on the bed. She would ask Shade to pack it into the car when she was ready to leave.

Penni took her time coming down the steps, seeing Lily holding John as Shade set down the shopping bags on the couch. Shade and Lily watched her as she came to a stop.

“Did you know?”

“Lily, take John upstairs and put him down for a nap. Wait for me in the bedroom.”

Her friend sent her a sympathetic glance, but followed Shade’s order.

Penni went toward the living room. “Don’t tell me you’re angry at Lily.”

“My wife lied to me when I repeatedly asked her where you and Winter were. She has a habit of keeping information from me when it involves the women. Her loyalty belongs to me, not to every harebrained idea the women come up with.”

“You trying to rationalize the men deliberately wanting us out of the house so they could cheat?”

Penni shivered at the blue eyes that drilled into hers.

“Viper didn’t want Winter out of the house so he could cheat, and I didn’t know which man had been picked to try to get information out of the woman they believed was betraying the club.”

“What?” Penni’s voice rose.

Shade waved his hand to silence her. “I had my suspicions it was Jackal, but that was left to Viper and Ice. If they had asked me my opinion, I would have chosen Jackal, too. Only someone from the club would have known Genny was going to the store. We needed to know who it was before someone was seriously hurt.”

“They chose Jackal?”

“Yes.”

Penni stared down at the floor. “Did they give him a choice?”

“I’m assuming yes.”

There was a whole clubhouse of men; Jackal could have said no. It had come down to a choice between the Predators and her, and he had chosen the Predators.

“Did he find out who the traitor was?”

“Viper told us it was Raci this morning. He’s going to call a meeting to vote whether she stays in the club or goes. They won’t vote her out, though. Raci has been a good member for years. Her cousin and cousin’s husband were taken by the cartel. Raci was trying to save their lives.”

Shade had never discussed club business with her, but he knew Penni would see Raci every time she came for a visit. Poor Genny. She would be the one who would have to look at Raci every day and know she was responsible for almost getting her killed and the destruction of her home.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Shade held out his hand. “Where’s the gun?”

Penni went to the kitchen, taking it off the top of the refrigerator and giving it to Shade.

“Did you leave any bullets?” Shade defrosted slightly when she handed it to him.

“A couple. If he hadn’t run like a sissy, I would have emptied the chamber.”

“Don’t be too hard on him. I would have run when I saw a gun in your hand, too.”

Penni punched her brother in his shoulder.

“Ouch, that hurt.” Shade actually smiled at her.

Damn, Lily was good for him.

“I’m leaving after lunch.”

Shade’s smile dropped at her words.

“Listen. Please listen. When I’m done, if you still say to stay, I will. Okay?”

Shade nodded. “Tell me the plan.”

* * *

Penni made her way to the clubhouse where she found Genny busy cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast.

“I thought I would give you a break by fixing lunch if you don’t mind?”

Genny kept mopping, answering, “I don’t mind at all.”

Penni didn’t have to broach the topic on whether or not Viper had already told Genny who had been responsible for her house being destroyed. It was on her face.

She went toward the basement door, knowing there had to be a mess left over from last night.

“Raci already cleaned it. She was doing it when I was talking to Viper,” Genny said, stopping her from going down.

“Genny, I wish there were something I could do to make you feel better. I know how much that house meant to you.”

“Really?”

Penni nodded. “I’ve been lucky. My parents had a wonderful marriage, and they gave me a home I’ll always cherish and can tell my children about one day. One day, I’ll have enough to buy my own home.”

Genny began crying, placing her head on the handle of the mop. “I worked so hard for that house.”

Penni moved toward Genny, patting her on the back. “Whoever blew up your home didn’t only destroy your home, but your dream. But you can buy another one. Viper probably feels bad enough that he’ll buy you a bigger one.”

Genny lifted her head, laughing. “He already did. He offered to buy me the house next to Mrs. Langley’s home, and it’s bigger than hers. I told him I wouldn’t want to clean it on the weekends.”

“If it were me, I’d get Viper to make Raci clean it every Saturday.” They laughingly came up with other chores to make Raci do. Then Penni went to the counter, beginning lunch. She was going to make The Last Riders a meal they would never forget.

She worked as Genny cleaned the rest of the kitchen then left to work on the rest of her chores.

It was lunchtime when Winter came in to the kitchen.

“Something smells delicious.”

Penni tossed the broccoli she had been cutting into a bowl. “Thanks. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes.”

Winter poured herself a cup of coffee. “Have you seen Viper this morning?”

“No, and I haven’t seen Jackal, either.” She picked up several cloves of garlic, mashing them with her sharp knife.

“They left to go to town to see Knox,” Genny said, having come back in, as she took the plates out of the kitchen cabinets. “Viper told me this morning before you got here.”

“Oh, thanks.” Winter moved away from the smell of the garlic. She stared at the food spread out on the counter. “Uh … Penni, what’s in the crockpots?”

“Meatball stew and barbeque hotdogs.”

Winter opened the crockpots then closed them. “Did you mean for the food to look this way?”

“What’s wrong with it?” Penni scraped the garlic from the cutting board into a bowl of vegetables. She set another five cloves on the cutting board then mashed them one at a time.

“Never mind. Isn’t that a lot of garlic?”

“Yes … it … is.” Penni scraped the garlic into the salad then poured on the dressing. Using tongs, she tossed the salad before setting it on the buffet. Then Penni went to the pantry and fridge before coming back to the counter.

“What are you making now?”

Penni opened the bread. “Making you a sandwich.”

“I was going to eat in my room, but I wouldn’t miss this, even if the house caught on fire.” Winter winced at her word choice. “Sorry, Genny.”

“None taken. I’m supposed at be at work in an hour for Willa at the church. When I saw the way Penni was cutting the hot dogs into small pieces, I figured I could risk being late. Did you see the way she cut the broccoli? She cut off the heads.”

Penni garnished the cheese ball with a small slice of red pepper then stabbed a small knife into the center for the men members to use.

Winter took her sandwich and went to sit at the kitchen table. “I need a front seat to enjoy this.”

Penni saw Viper, Jackal, Ice, Cade, and Hennessy come into the kitchen. They hesitated before coming forward to take their plates and get in line.

“Hello. Are you having a good day?”

Penni shot Viper a spearing glance, not answering his question.

Viper hurried through the line.

Raci, Jewell, and Evie came into the kitchen next, followed by King, as Shade came in from the back door.

Jackal was next in line. “I want to talk to you after—”

Penni picked up the sharp knife she had used to cut the vegetables. She began cutting the large carrots into slivers.

Jackal blanched, moving away.

The line moved along, none of the members brave enough to talk.

Evie took a bowl next to the crockpot, asking, “What is it?”

“Meatball stew.”

“You go, girl!” Evie grinned, closing the crockpot and putting the bowl back.

The members continued to pass her one at a time. Raci looked like she wanted to bolt from the line.

Raci raised her eyes after she had put salad on her plate. “Penni … I—”

“No worries. Here, have some more.” Penni put another mound of salad on her plate. “Enjoy.”

“Thanks.” Raci moved away in relief.

I wish I had put another ten cloves of garlic on the salad, Penni fumed internally.

“Do you want me to turn down the crockpot? It looks done.” Genny’s hand went to the power switch.

“No. I will after lunch.”

“Okay.”

Penni waited until all of the men were settled before she went to stand at the table where Viper was sitting with Shade, Jackal, and Ice.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Can it wait until after lunch?”

“No.”

Viper sighed, starting to get up. “Fine, we can go in the living room.”

“Don’t bother. I just wanted to tell you I’m leaving.”

“You can’t leave yet …” Viper and Jackal spoke at the same time.

Penni put her hand in front of Jackal’s face. “Don’t talk to me. The only reason I’m talking to Viper is as a sign of respect for Winter.”

Viper’s face grew cold.

“I hired Alec to protect me, so there’s no reason for me to stay. I’m going to meet up with the band in Reno. With Alec and their force, I’ll be well protected. If anyone tries to stop me, Alec has my permission to call the State Police. He’s waiting for me in the parking lot now.”

“Shade?” Viper’s voice was hoarse with anger.

“She’ll be fine. Alec hired extra men, and he understands how dangerous the men he could be dealing with are.”

“I guess I have no choice other than to let you leave, then. I wish you would wait, but I won’t stop you.”

Penni nodded, turning toward the kitchen.

“This is horseshit. You’re not leaving!” Jackal tried to take her arm, but Penni jerked away.

“I told you last night not to touch me.” Penni strode by angrily as Shade and Viper stood up to make sure Jackal stayed seated.

Penni went to the kitchen counter, making a bowl of stew, then carried it to the table where Jackal was sitting.

“I made you a bowl of meatball stew.”

“I don’t want any fucking stew. I want you to listen to reason. There were reasons—”

Penni dumped the contents of the bowl on his lap.

Shade and Viper sprang away from him while Ice simply leaned away from the droplets of stew that were flung his way.

“You crazy bitch!” Jackal jumped to his feet, trying to tug the hot material away from his skin.

Penni picked his still full plate up then slammed it down on side of his head.

Jackal fell like a brick wall.

“I warned him not call me a bitch.”