Thad's balls tightened in pleasure, and he stretched his legs, coming in Lena's mouth. A shudder ran through him. He'd barely stirred awake when he felt Lena's warm, soft mouth taking his cock under the blanket.

He raised his head off the pillow, gazed down his overheated body, and whipped the covers off Lena's head, catching her in the act of wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand.

"You look like a cat who licked the cream, babe," he murmured, eliciting a soft laugh from her.

She raised up on her hands and knees, jumping from the bed. A few minutes later, the shower came on. He stayed in bed and closed his eyes. He could get used to starting his day off with her giving him head.

The alarm sounded on Lena's side of the bed. He rolled and reached, shutting off the scheduled wake-up call on her cell phone for her to get ready for work. Because he planned on taking her to the police department, he got up and put on his clothes.

Downstairs in the kitchen, he started the coffee pot and popped some bread in the toaster. He stood in front of the open refrigerator staring at the contents. His parents bought shit for Lena a couple of weeks ago that was already going bad. Even if the cucumbers and different meats and cheeses were still good, he had no idea what to do with them, except slap them on a plate and hand to Lena.

"Everything okay?" asked Lena, behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and swung the fridge door shut. "I don't know what to give you for breakfast."

She smiled softly and walked up to him, slipping her arms around his waist. "You were standing there so still, I thought maybe you fell asleep on your feet. You didn't have to get up early for me."

"I’m taking you to work." He grabbed a bag of white cheese sticks and held them up. "Do you eat these?"

"Yep." She plucked the bag out of his hand. "I can get lunch at work out of the vending machines or call and have something delivered."

She tore open the bag and ripped off one of the sticks, setting it on the counter. He ran his hands through his hair. On the surface, she seemed to handle the stress of staying with him again. But, he'd watched her toss and turn last night, and cry out in her sleep. He suspected the restlessness had to do with dealing with her mom, more than the situation with Tigres.

Lena walked out of the room and returned with her purse, putting the cheese inside. He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms watching her. She took an empty water bottle out of her bag and stepped over to the faucet.

"Are you okay with going to work and dealing with the questions surrounding the vandalism and threats yourself?" he asked.

She glanced at him. "Sure."

"If something comes up and you need me, you have my digits on your phone." He rolled his shoulders, working out the tension. "I'll be at work, but I'll come to you."

"You can't do that." She tightened the cap on the bottle. "You'll get in trouble with your foreman."

"I can take a few hours off with no-pay for personal time if needed."

She shook her head. "I'll be okay. I'm surrounded by policemen when I'm there. Save that time for when a child goes missing, and you need to search."

"Right," he said.

Lena double looked at him. "What's going on?"

"You seem...okay about everything."

She laughed. "Nothing has happened. Yes, Tigres are after me, but they're after three other women besides me. Nobody has been harmed. It's a bandana and paint. It's juvenile, at best. Probably a couple twenty-year-olds wanting to be members and this is their initiation. You know how that is. You probably had to do something—swear your loyalty, circle jerk, or sleep with twenty women in one night— to belong to Notus, right?"

He stared speechless at her.

"I'm joking." She stopped smiling and leaned against him. "Bend down, so I can kiss you."

He held himself stiff when she looped her arms around his neck and refused to lower himself. "I grew up with every member of Notus. I've known them since I was six years old. Our loyalty has been tested, given, and used our whole lives. We've lost my sister. We've lost another member, Rich, when he couldn't handle losing my sister—who he loved. We've had a serial killer kidnap Gracie, an ex-boyfriend beat the shit out of Ingrid, and almost lost Thad when he was shot multiple times. We've found hundreds of missing persons, and lost just as many, who we never got to meet. We've each done things that we should be sitting in prison for, but we're walking around with a free conscious because our job is necessary. There are things I've done that would make you walk out of my house right now and not look back. We never have, not once, circle jerked."

She inhaled deeply and dropped her gaze to his chest. His pulse ran steady, determined. Notus Motorcycle Club was not a gang. She got it.

"Tigres members don't have loyalty, babe. They'd kill their own brother if they even suspect someone stepping outside the territories. They don't wait for proof. You need to take what's happening seriously," he said.

She raised her gaze and nodded.

He palmed her cheek and softened his words. "I know you're dealing with shit regarding your mom, and it's hard to prioritize what's important right now, but you have to do it, Lena."

She stretched to her full height. "I am, in my own way."

From the moment he'd met her, she gave off the vibe that she had her life under control. Unflappable, she had her game on.

He knew differently.

He could see beyond the strong female she portrayed.

No one, man or woman, could detach themselves from the emotional toll of family. She denied the impact a little too much. She pushed boundaries a little too hard. She was 'fine' a little too often.

Most of all, she loved on him too much to back up the statement that she had no feelings. They were there, hidden behind a wall barricaded higher than anything he'd ever seen or had to scale, but he was in good shape. He'd climb the fucking wall.

"Do you have money for lunch?" he asked.

Lena's body relaxed. "Yep. Though I hope this all ends within the next day or so because I didn't bring enough clothes with me, again. Tomorrow's outfit isn't going to fly...not that we have a dress code, but I grabbed the Seahawks hoodie instead of the Old Navy hoodie—they're both blue. If I wear the football one, I'll start World War III between the cops and firemen and have to listen to football talk all day."

"Big world problems, babe," he muttered, letting her go back to a topic that meant nothing compared to what she was dealing with. "I'll figure out what we're doing for dinner before I pick you up at six o'clock."

She stepped over and kissed him. "You're too good to me. You know that?"

"No, I'm—"

"Oh." She walked backward away from him. "I better hurry and get my shoes on. I'll be ready in five minutes."

He watched her hurry out of the room. She was wound up tighter than a fork spring on his motorcycle. If they had more time, he'd take her upstairs and relax her.

Taking out his phone, he texted his mom. She'd be up making his dad breakfast by now, and he could depend on her to help him out. He sent and received an okay in reply to his request she pick up some food for the house when Lena peeked around the corner of the wall.

"Ready?" she asked.

He dipped his chin and checked out the window again to make sure it wasn't raining. Then, he took her to work on his motorcycle.

She hopped off his Harley outside the police station, and he walked her to the door. The station wouldn't open to the public until eight o'clock.

Lena pushed the after-hour button on the side of the door and waved through the window at the front desk clerk. The door lock clicked open. Lena braced her hands on Thad's stomach and stretched up to say goodbye. He wrapped his arm around her and palmed her lower back, holding her against him as he kissed her.

"Mm..." She pulled back and rubbed her lips together. "See you tonight."

He kissed her quickly. "Remember to eat, so you don't fall asleep at your desk."

She grinned and saluted him. He shook his head in amusement and watched her hurry inside and the door close behind her. She'd be safe inside, and maybe the distraction of working would calm her down and get her mind off her problems.

Thad got on his bike and left, planning to swing by his folks' house on the way to work. He had a good forty minutes to spare before the first air horn went off signaling the start of his day at Port Loaders.

Three blocks away, he coasted into his parents' driveway. He knew better than to ride in with the muffler vibrating. His mom had charged out of the house many times, lecturing him about waking the neighbors as he came back in the early morning after partying all night during his younger years.

He got off the motorcycle, spotted his dad standing on the porch, and lifted his finger. "Morning, Pop."

"Son," said his dad. "Did you take a day off work?"

He shook his head and took out his wallet. "I texted mom a few minutes ago about picking up more groceries for me. I wanted to drop off some money."

His dad shoved the cash into his pocket without counting. "That lady staying with you again?"

"Lena." He slipped his wallet into his pocket and leaned against the railing. "Tigres have been leaving signs of threats toward her and three of her co-workers."

"What's up with that?" His dad set his coffee cup on the wooden railing and crossed his arms, all his attention on Thad.

"I wish, I knew." He sighed and stared at the sun coming over Mt. Hood in the distance. "The police are leaning toward them being targeted because they work at the 911 dispatch center together. But, I can't think of a fucking good reason why and Lena doesn't have a clue."

His dad whistled low. "Can I give you some fatherly advice?"

Thad looked at his dad. He'd never denied his dad the right to guide him. Even at forty-four years old, he still needed and respected his dad's viewpoint.

"I've watched you over the years trying to protect everyone you know. It's a good quality to have, son. We both know what drives you to take responsibility and I'm sure if you look back, you can pick the times, the people, the cases, you've grown closer to because you were the one needing something in your personal life." His dad held up his hand when Thad opened his mouth to disagree. "You're my son. I don't want to see you get hurt with this Lena gal."

"It's not me who'll get hurt, Dad." As soon as he said the words, he knew he was wrong. "She's got some serious shit she's dealing with besides the threats from Tigres. Her family...is fucked up.  It was different for me. I heard I love you every day of my life, even after Thalia was killed. Actually, even more afterward. I can't imagine Lena going through life never hearing the words and knowing that no matter what she did, she wasn't going to be loved. I've never met someone as strong as she is, or who deserves someone to help her carry the load."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" asked Dad.

"It's her life and her choice who she shares it with, not mine." He pushed off the railing. "I need to get to work. Tell mom thanks."

"We'll drop the groceries off later for you." His dad lifted his hand.

Thad returned the gesture and climbed on his Harley. All he had to do was get through the next eight hours at work, and then he could concentrate on Lena. His dad's talk left him despondent about their relationship. If Lena's past was too much for her to have someone else in her life, he was going to hurt.

Losing her now would kill him.