I stared at the rows and rows of coloring books. Some of them were too advanced, with intricate designs made for adults and big kids. Others were clearly meant to be scribbled on indiscriminately.

But Paton, she was somewhere in the middle.

A smart and sensitive little girl. Friendly, but wary. And she seemed just a little bit sad.

Just like her mother.

Damn, if it didn’t bring out my protective streak with a vengeance!

Michelle was on my mind constantly. I’d finally stopped fighting it. It didn’t mean I would make a move on her. But I wanted to. I wanted to so bad. It physically hurt not to reach out and touch her every damn minute of every damn day.

And that scared the hell out of me.

If I asked her out and she said no… I’d lose her. The chance to be near her and her wanting to work for me. We needed her at the Jar but that wasn’t half of it. I’d miss her. Not touching her was almost bearable if I could at least see her.

And I was getting way too attached to her kid.

I recognized all the signs. It had happened that night I found a fourteen year old girl shivering in the rain. Something similar had happened with the animals I’d rescued.

But Paton wasn’t a stray. She had a mother. A good, loving one.

Damn if I didn’t want to adopt them both. Well, adopt might be the wrong word for Michelle. Some sick part of me wanted to own her. I didn’t know what the hell had gotten into me.

I scratched my chin, running my hand over my beard. I picked up a coloring book with a science theme. It wasn’t for really little kids, or adult women who used coloring to meditate. Plus, the art wasn’t half bad.

And it had facts. I knew Paton liked facts.

I saw another one with horses and grabbed that too. What kid didn’t like horses? I was pretty sure that was true across the board.

I grabbed a box of colored pencils and a blank sketch pad too. She needed an upgrade from the crayons I got her last week.

I nodded to myself. The sketch pad was good. If Paton had her own ideas about what to draw, she’d have the option.

It was a lot nicer than copier paper from the bar she’d been doodling on.

My phone beeped and I glanced down at it.

Shit.

It was Cain.

I’d been avoiding him since he and Connor had a big blow out last year. It was just days after the wedding. Apparently, Cain had come calling for Connor’s little sister.

I grinned at the memory.

I’d actually had to intervene, holding them physically apart until they cooled down. Didn’t happen.

But I did get Cain out of there, narrowly avoiding a bloodbath.

That was one fight that would not go down well. Both men were strong as oxen and stubborn as mules. But seeing Connor puff his chest out and protect his little sister… after how he’d seduced my little girl, well, it made me laugh.

Connor hadn’t found the comparison as amusing.

But seeing how he was family now, well, I had a responsibility to keep him alive. Even if Connor won the fight, Cain’s men would even the score eventually. And that would upset Cassie.

Cassandra, once known as Casey. The little imp had waited years before telling us her real name. She’d been smart though, choosing a name so similar to her own.

She knew better than anyone that a half lie was way more effective than a whole one.

I hurried to the front to pay, grabbing some brightly colored candy by the register. I hoped Michelle didn’t object to the added sweets. I was in too much of a hurry to call and ask.

Not that I came running every time Cain asked me to. I didn’t.

But I was still part of the club, even if I’d turned it down when they asked me to lead. I wasn’t all that active, but I was still an Untouchable. And the meeting sounded urgent.

I zipped the coloring books and candy inside my jacket and hit the road.

* * *

The Untouchables’ clubhouse was a huge old brick building that used to sell car parts, complete with a big parking garage and a bay for repairs. It had belonged to one of the original members, who left it to the club in his will.

So once you were part of the club and paying dues, technically the place belonged to you. A tiny bit of it anyway. The club had grown over the past fifteen years, when I was just a skinny nineteen-year-old punk ass kid. A punk ass kid with a chip on his shoulder and a love of anything that went fast.

Women, motorcycles, cars.

In that order.

I just wanted to throw myself at the world back then. Now I mostly tried not to fuck things up. I still drove fast, but I was more careful where I did it.

Not in populated areas full of kids, that was for sure.

The less populated country roads out where my bar was… well, there I went hog wild. I still tried not to hurt anybody though.

Not even the deer.

Those suckers were pretty cute, to tell the truth.

I parked and looked around at all the hogs. This was probably the safest place on the planet to leave your ride. Security cameras were everywhere. And the fence that enclosed the lot was electrified.

A couple of prospects stood by the front gate to monitor who came in and out. A few others stood by the entrance to the clubhouse, keeping an eye on things.

The Untouchables did not mess around with security. Not since Cain took control. He was ex-military and ran the club with precision and total control.

Even I had to admit he was damn good at it too.

There was a huge meeting room with an ancient wood table and chairs. There was also a bar, which was semi-open to the public. Only if you were a really hot chick though.

Preferably a hot chick wearing very little clothes.

They’d let Michelle in, though. No matter what she was wearing. She was way too gorgeous. I tried to imagine her in here, getting a beer. The guys would go apeshit when they saw her.

Yeah, that was not a good idea.

Note to self: keep Michelle away from the damn clubhouse.

I didn’t even know if she drank. Or, more importantly, if she liked dirtbag bikers. I kind of doubted it. She didn’t seem the type. Not that she was judgemental or super straight. She was just… nice.

She was a good girl. Responsible. And she adored her kid too much to be out partying. I knew that if she had walked in here back in the old days, I would have done anything to have her. To be with her. And maybe, back then, she would have said yes.

It was pointless to fantasize about that. It would never happen now. She didn’t belong in my world, and I didn’t belong in hers.

She was a ‘normal’ not some club skank.

Still, the idea of her in a tight denim mini and one of those tops that looked like a corset… Goddamn! That was enough to keep me hard for a damn year.

“Mase.”

I nodded at Kendrick, one of the high ranking members. He waved me forward and told me to take a seat at the table. Then he left, closing the door behind him. A minute later, Cain walked in.

Cain was a big guy, like me. But he wasn’t scruffy like your average biker. He was clean cut. Polished. And he still wore his dog tags.

Even his boots looked shiny as he walked to the head of the table and sat down.

“Mason.”

“Cain.”

Neither one of us were big talkers. As expected, he got right to the point.

“Something’s going down with the Raisers.”

I raised my eyebrows. The Hell Raisers were another club from a few towns over. Their old club Prez had been a real scumbag. Dante was a monster who didn’t care about human life. He’d even gone so far as to threaten Cass. Cain, Connor and I had worked together to protect her.

The new club Prez… well, he was just plain crazy.

“It involves Casey.”

“She goes by Cassandra now.”

Cain grunted. My attitude had shifted immediately. I was alert and ready, leaning forward in my seat. No one messed with Cass.

“There’s been another murder.”

I stared at him, my mind going absolutely haywire.

“What’s that got to do with Cass?”

“We aren’t sure yet. But it looks like it might be the same guys who offed Connor’s partner. And the guy in your parking lot. The one Cass saw go down.”

I blinked. Things started to fall into place. Connor acting distant with Cassandra. His late nights. The guy must be freaking out, but trying not to worry his pregnant wife.

Oh yeah, the shit was definitely hitting the fan.

“What about Shane?”

“We haven’t had a sit down yet. We are setting it up for soon. I was hoping you would be there.”

“Me? Why the fuck would you want me there?”

“He came to you last time there was a problem. He trusts you. That could be valuable.”

I rubbed my forehead. Dante had been a bad, bad man, but his successor was batshit crazy. I exhaled. At least I knew Shane didn’t threaten little girls, though.

“Right. Okay, man. So, who bit it?”

I saw his fingers clench.

“One of the Raisers. And his landlord, who had piss poor timing. Looks like he walked in on it and got the royal treatment.”

“Jesus. Same MO?”

“To a T.”

“Even the landlord?”

“Yeah, poor bastard.”

“Fuck.”

The last murder had been brutal. Not just a regular killing, for drugs or money. It had been drawn out, to cause as much pain as possible. They’d even cut out the man’s tongue.

They’d set the guy on fire.

It was gruesome stuff, and my first thought was that I had to keep it out of the Jar. I couldn’t let Michelle or her kid be exposed to it.

“Come to the meeting.”

I stared at him, my jaw ticking.

“Fine. Not at the Jar though.”

“Why not? It’s neutral territory.”

“No, it’s not. It’s my place. And I don’t want to expose my staff to any danger.”

Cain cracked the barest semblance of a smile. For him, that was saying something.

“Heard you got a real pretty new waitress over there.”

“What?”

My hackles were up again, just like when he’d mentioned Cass.

He shrugged.

“The guys won’t shut up about her. You know I don’t give a shit about that stuff. I know what I want. I can wait.”

I nodded, instantly relaxing. I didn’t love that the guys were talking about Michelle, but it didn’t surprise me. More importantly, Cain wasn’t after her.

The truth was, Cain barely even acknowledged women on most days. I was sure he used to have a woman now and then, but it was hard to say. Not since he met Kelly, that was for sure. People talked and I listened, whether I wanted to or not.

Casual sex definitely wasn’t a priority for him.

Which was part of the reason his reaction to Connor’s sister Kelly had been so hilarious. I kept hoping that something would come of it, but so far I hadn’t heard a word.

“Talk to Connor, too. See if he knows anything.”

I shook my head.

“I can ask, but he won’t tell. He’s way too straight-laced.” I cocked an eyebrow at Cain’s stormy expression. “Kind of like you. You should talk to him.”

“That wouldn’t go down well.”

I cracked a smile.

“You afraid to piss him off?”

Cain growled at me a little and I laughed. I knew he wanted to go out with Connor’s sister. He was trying not to make things worse than they were.

Maybe Cain was in deeper than I thought.

“Don’t go there.”

“Okay man, I’ll do what I can.”

He was still glaring at me for cracking a joke at his expense but I didn’t care. He nodded and I stood up.

“Good.”

I whistled as I walked out. Not that I wasn’t concerned. I was. But I was one of the only people who could push Cain’s buttons and get away with it.

It gave me great joy, even under the circumstances.

The truth was, I was worried as fuck about what he’d told me. Not for my own safety, but for those I had sworn to protect.

Michelle, Paton and of course Cass and my Goddaughter Daniella were at the top of the list. Even Connor was on there, though I would never admit it. Hell, they were the list. The people I cared about most in the world.

I didn’t even think twice about the new additions to the list. Michelle and Paton mattered to me. Didn’t matter that I’d only known them a couple of weeks.

They were written in indelible ink on my battered old heart, and they were staying.

I had to look out for my girls.