Chief headed the meeting at the table in the middle of the clubhouse. Johanna sat beside him, and then Olin, Thorn, and Karla. Keeffe stood behind Chief. Sydney sat with Chief's family after a confusing and scary night of being woke up by pounding on the door, only to be told to get her things together and follow a group of at least a dozen bikers back to the Brikken clubhouse.

She and Kylie had locked themselves into the playroom and spent the rest of the night snuggled down into sleeping bags on the floor, amongst Hot Wheels cars and stuffed teddy bears.

The strangest thing about the night was the lack of explanation. She had no idea why they were brought to the clubhouse or why she was invited to a family meeting.

That was ten minutes ago, and Sydney sat on her hands and bounced her legs waiting to hear what was going on. She would've liked to have had Kylie with her, but she stayed in the playroom and watched Jackie and Stassi.

Chief knocked on the table, drawing everyone's attention. "Last night, Jett was warned in prison about one of Brikken's enemies targeting Sydney."

She gasped. "Me?"

"It's not personally about you, Sydney. Brikken has enemies, and the infrastructure inside prison means Jett is constantly targeted. I believe they used you because they're hoping it's a way to make Jett break to add more time to his release date. Whether the news last night was just a bullshit threat or real, Jett wanted you and your sister removed from the house and brought here."

She bit down on her lip to keep from asking more questions. Having grown up being whisked from one foster family to another, often in the middle of the night, she hadn't thought the problem was as serious as Chief was claiming. She was more worried about Jett and his safety inside prison if someone was making threats. He'd fought before, and she didn't want him getting hurt.

"There was no one hanging around Jett's house last night or since Sydney moved in there." Olin posed a formidable man sitting with his arms crossed over his broad chest. "I'm the one responsible for the teams that are guarding Sydney. No one has mentioned anyone even nosing around."

"Same goes for the club. There's been no hint of any threats or security risks." Thorn rested his arm on the back of Karla's chair. "Keeffe can back me on that. We finished talking to every Motorcycle Club president in the Pacific Northwest, along with the inner PNW within the last forty-eight hours."

Sydney bounced her attention from one person to the next, trying to make sense of the conversation. She'd only seen the fun side of Brikken. Any meeting or business was done out of her sight. For them to involve her in a private family meeting, she must be missing some unspoken problem.

Chief tapped his thumb against the table. The same habit Jett had when she'd visited him at the prison. She understood Jett's father was thinking, and when he'd gathered his thoughts, he'd speak.

That was a huge step from her initial meeting with him all those years ago. Understanding his quirks made him less scary to her. She pulled her fingers out from underneath her thighs and clasped her hands in her lap. Though Chief was no less intimidating.

Olin uncrossed his arms. "I'll go to the next visitation and find out more. Jett will—"

"Hold on, son." Chief ran his hands down his beard.

Sydney's attention centered on Jett's dad. She wanted to go to the prison with Olin but was afraid to ask.

"Jesus Christ," mumbled Chief, pushing away from the table. He picked up the nearest chair and threw it across the room in an outburst of emotion before bracing himself against a nearby vacant table and letting his head drop between his arms.

Everyone sat straighter. Sydney's pulse raced. The tension in the room seemed controlled by Chief's wild swing of moods.

"What's wrong?" asked Karla.

Johanna bowed her head and closed her eyes. Olin and Thorn glanced at each other and shook their heads.

"Chief?" Karla stood from the table, shaken. "Someone. Anyone. Tell me what's going on."

Chief straightened and finally turned around and walked back to the family. He cleared his throat. "I called you all together because I received a phone call from the prison this morning as Jett's next of kin."

Karla cried out, covering her mouth, shaking her head. The mournful cry of a mother pierced through the confusion. Olin and Thorn jumped to physically support their mom, looking at their dad for answers.

Answers.

Answers.

Chief's mouth moved, but Sydney couldn't hear what was being said, only the echo of him saying next of kin repeated in her head.

Next of kin meant the 'kin' wasn't alive.

She stared at the others, all of them acting differently to what Chief was telling them. And, all she could do was sit there.

Jett was gone.

Gone.

Johanna kneeled beside her chair and grabbed her hand, rubbing the back of her fingers. "Sydney?"

"Hm?" She looked at Johanna.

"Did you hear what Chief said? Jett will be okay. He's going to have changes in his life, but he's a strong man. He'll be home in three months, and you can help take care of him." Johanna squeezed Sydney's hand. "They said he made it through surgery and will be in the hospital for at least a week before being transported back to the prison."

Sydney inhaled swiftly, grasping onto only a few words. "He's not dead?"

"No, honey." Johanna's face softened. "As soon as he's back in prison, I'm sure he'll let you come and see him. He'll be okay. He's alive. That's all that matters."

Her heart thundered in her chest. Jett wasn't dead. He was alive.

Only when she was positive that she wasn't going to lose another person in her life, could she listen. And, what she was told broke her heart.