I look over at Sabrina from the corner of my eye, catching her deer in the headlights reaction. Sure, my family is mostly comprised of my closest friends, who can be rough around the edges, but once she gets to know them—

Mother. Fucker.

What the hell do I mean by ‘get to know them’?

I must be thinking crazy. She won’t be sticking around indefinitely. It’s not an option. I’ll make sure she’s safe over the next few hours, no more than a couple of days at most. When the coast is clear, I’ll deliver her back to a friend or someone she trusts. No harm, no foul. What I did for her was a courtesy. I couldn’t just ignore a woman who was nearly poisoned and shuttled off by thugs that were ready to fuck me up too. But she’s fine now. Just to be safe, I’ll ask Tate to look into who she is. That won’t take much time. After that, she’ll be out of our hair, and I’ll have a lighter conscience.

It’s a win-win.

Everyone in the clubhouse stares at her, eyes brimming over with suspicion. She doesn’t belong here, but she’s my guest. They’ll get over it. Well, everyone except for my mother, who I see walking towards us through the crowd. The members part for her as if she’s their queen. In a way, that’s what she’s been since the day I took over as president of the Satan’s Saints MC after my old man died. As the widow of the past President and my mother, Cindy Corrigan is MC royalty.

“Who’s the broad?” My mother motions over at Sabrina and puts her hands on her hips. She purses her lips for emphasis and adds, “I don’t remember approving an expansion of our sack demons ranks.”

No. This won’t be too easy.

I widen my stance and crack my neck, ready to put my foot down. “She’s a friend who needs help. I’m letting her stay here for a while. Maybe a couple of days. Any objections?” My gaze lifts from my mother and sweeps across the room, to remind everyone who’s boss around here. As expected, they’re all silent. “I didn’t think so.”

To be sure that the murmur from my mother isn’t outright disagreement, I step towards her. “Ma?” I lock eyes with her blue-green stare, waiting for her answer.

“You know exactly how I feel about it.”

Her lips tip up in a fake smile, shut tight and hiding all her teeth. She’s not on board. Still, she isn’t screaming at the top of her lungs to object. Thank fuck this unplanned visit by an outsider won’t last too long. Sabrina moves a few steps, centering herself behind me. Smart girl, keeping her distance from a potential shit storm. What happens in the next couple of minutes are crucial as hell.

My mother looks up at me and her eyes narrow. “Can I have a second of your precious time, Einstein?”

Without waiting for my answer, she stalks toward the clubhouse meeting room. I follow her inside and ignore the force she uses as she shuts the door behind with a decisive slam. I know exactly what she’s about to say, but it’s my club. She’ll have to accept whatever I decide. Still, it’s better to have this showdown now than to find Sabrina beat up and slumped over in some dark corner of the clubhouse later.

“What were you thinking, bringing a strange, unvetted woman here? You crossed the line this time. Have you lost your goddamned mind? Have you totally forgotten how things have been over the past two weeks? This isn’t a good time to follow your cock into ever hot piece of ass you find on the street.”

“That’s enough, Ma—”

“We’ve been up to our ears in problems, Si. Did you think about what we’re facing with Los Diablos MC since we pulled out of that deal? You know they’ve been getting tight with the Mongols. How do you think that’s going to go down for us when we’re walking targets? Now you have the bright idea to bring this plaything in a Dior gown into the mix? Why? To liven things up a bit? Where the hell did you find her anyway?”

I wait for her to get everything off her chest. This won’t end anytime soon, so I take a seat and let her continue.

“Answer me, Si.”

“I was wrapping up some business tonight, and she needed help. So I helped. That’s as far as it goes, okay?”

“What’s her name?”

“Sabrina Temple. We’ll keep her here for a while until I can release her and her designer dress back into her natural habitat. No biggie.”

“Sure, if she doesn’t end up getting snatched by the Los Diablos or the Mongols just for being connected with you. Or maybe she’s working with them. Who knows?”

I don’t agree. She’s just another pretty, rich broad. With a sweet ass. And that mouth.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Silas.” My mother throws up her hands and looks at me intently. “Please don’t tell me you’re into her.” She turns again and studies my face more closely. “Christ. She’s not one of us. God knows what that rich girl will tell people about us after her visit.”

“Stop. She won’t. There’s nothing to tell.” I pluck Sabrina’s phone from my pocket and wave the tech around so my mother can see it. That’s all she’s getting, so I ignore the other crap she suggested. “Anyway, I have her phone.”

“And what about later? You do plan to take her back, right?”

“She’s not my prisoner. You’re being paranoid. She’ll spend a few hours here in the clubhouse, not standing in the middle of our weapons storage unit.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

Shoving the phone into my jeans pocket, I get up. “She’s staying. End of story,” I tell her and leave the meeting room.

“We’re not done here, Si!” she calls out after me.

Nope, that would be too fucking easy. Without looking back, I head over toward Axe, who’s chalking his cue at the pool table.

“Do me a favor.” I nod my head toward Sabrina. She’s standing exactly where I left her while everyone else goes about their usual business as if she isn’t there.

“What do you need, bro?”

“Keep an eye on her. Cindy’s on the warpath. I don’t want her in the crossfire.”

“I can do a lot more than watch that piece of ass in my bed tonight, no problem.”

“Don’t fucking bring that shit up,” I warn him, a little surprised by the threatening tone in my own voice. “Don’t even say a word in her fucking direction.”

“Sure, whatever. Sorry, man.” Axe puts his hands up with the pool cue still between his fingers.

“Cool. I’ll be back in a while.”

“Roger that.”

“And don’t let anyone touch her.”

“I’ll make sure they leave her alone.”

“Thanks.”

It takes me less than five minutes to go upstairs to my room and grab the first t-shirt and sweatpants I find in my dresser drawer, yet I return downstairs to find that Axe is focused on his game of pool as Cindy gets in Sabrina’s face.