I had to admit, when Jasper started talking about his new partner—his money and connections, I got an uneasy feeling in my gut. Not because I didn’t think the club could handle it, because there was no doubt that we could.

We’d already proven that we had the kind of grit to withstand almost anything, but from the little bit that Jasper had just revealed, we were about to have one hell of a fight on our hands. Unfortunately for Jasper and his new compadre, Satan’s Fury had never been scared off from a fight, and this time would be no different. We’d give them the war they were asking for and more. I clamped my hand around Jasper’s neck and dug my fingers into his throat as I growled, “Don’t waste your breath on the bullshit, asshole. Give me his name.”

“I’ll tell you everything you need to know, but I need to talk to Gus first.”

Angered that he would even consider asking, I slammed my fist into his gut, causing him to gasp for air. Once he was able to collect himself, I reached for his head, grabbing a handful of hair as I forced him to look at me. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, but you’re in no position to make demands.”

“No disrespect, but he needs to hear this from me. He needs to know first-hand how to deal with this guy, or this thing is gonna end up coming back on me.”

“So, what’s it to you? I’ve already told you … your road ends here.”

“I know. And I get that, but it’s already clear you aren’t listening to me. This guy is like nothing you’ve encountered before, and he’ll find a way to haunt me long after I’m six feet under. I can’t let that happen.”

“And why would I give a fuck about that?”

“Please,” he begged. “Just give me some time with him, and I swear I’ll make it worth y’alls while. I’ll tell him everything he needs to know to get to this guy. I give you my word.”

“Your word don’t mean shit to me, but what-the-fuck-ever. I’ll leave it up to Gus to decide if he wants to come down here and talk to you.” I reached in my pocket and grabbed my phone as I said, “But I’ll tell you this. If you waste his time, my offer of a quick death is off the table.”

“Understood.”

I sent Gus a text, giving him the rundown on Jasper’s request, and to my surprise, he agreed to hear him out. After I read his message, I put my phone back in my pocket, and as I waited for Gus’s arrival, I glanced over at Jasper. It was hard to believe that such a tall, lanky piece of shit would have the balls to even consider going against Fury, and then it hit me: There had to be one hell of a reason why Jasper would take such a huge fucking risk, and it had to be something big—something other than just a handful of cash. Before I had a chance to ask him, Gus stepped into the room and motioned out into the hallway. With a concerned look in his eye, he asked, “What’s going on?”

“He’s ready to talk, but he’s got it in his head that you need to hear what he has to say.”

“I’ll hear him out, but I gotta tell ya, brother, we’re running out of time here. We’ve got the run at the end of the week.” Running his hand through his salt and pepper hair, he continued, “And if that’s not enough, Cotton is expecting this shipment to be the biggest one yet. My gut tells me we need to postpone, but the other chapters aren’t gonna like it.”

Cotton, the president of the Satan’s Fury Washington chapter, was the man who worked hand in hand with Gus to implement our pipeline across the country. His club, along with four other of our fellow chapters, had become an integral part of our club’s gun distribution ring, and over the past year, it had become more profitable than any of us could’ve imagined. There was no way Gus would put that in jeopardy, so I wasn’t surprised when he mentioned postponing the next pickup. Knowing he was concerned, I tried to assure him by saying, “I learned a long time ago not to question your instincts, Prez. I’m sure Cotton and the others have done the same.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.” As he started inside the room, he turned to me and said, “Riggs was asking for you. I think he’s got something you need to see.”

“You sure you don’t want me to stick around?”

“I’ve got this. I’ll let you all know what I find out, and tell Riggs not to go far. Depending on what Jasper says, we may need him.”

“You got it.”

Once the door closed behind him, I headed out to find Riggs. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go far. When I got to his room, he was sitting at his desk, staring at his laptop screen. He didn’t budge when I strolled over to him. “Gus said you have something to show me.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think you’re gonna like it.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Noting my obvious frustration, Riggs motioned his hand towards his computer screen. It took me a second to realize that it was the video feed from the bookstore, but from what I could tell, the place seemed empty. “A couple of hours ago, your friend had a visitor.”

“What kind of a visitor?”

“A guy I’ve never seen around here before, but it was clear she knew him.”

“And?”

“Something about their conversation must’ve freaked her out, because as soon as he left, she closed the store early and headed upstairs.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “I’ve sent a link to her security feed to your messages. You can use it to monitor what’s going on from there.”

“Thanks, brother.”

“Oh, and I was supposed to give you this.” He took a slip of paper from his desk and offered it to me. “Alex wanted you to have it.”

I opened the paper and quickly noticed that it was a check from Alex for three hundred dollars. “What’s this for?”

“She wanted to pay for the install we did. The boys told her it wasn’t necessary, but she demanded that you have it. I figured you would want to handle that.”

“Yeah, I’ll take care of it,” I told him as I ripped up the check.

“Figured you would.” He gave me a concerned look as he asked, “Making any leeway with Jasper?”

“He’s talking with Gus now. I’ve got a feeling we’re not gonna like what he has to say.”

“Yeah, I’ve got the same fucking feeling, brother, but we’ll find our way through it.”

“No doubt.” As I started for the door, I said, “Thanks again for the help.”

“Anytime.” I’d only taken a few steps when Riggs shouted, “Hey, Shadow. Hold up!”

I stepped back in the room and asked, “Yeah?”

“Something’s up with your girl.” He pointed to the screen, and I spotted Alex rushing down her stairs with a large duffle bag strapped across her shoulder. Before I had a chance to register what was going on, the screen flipped to the bookstore, and my blood ran cold when I noticed a strange man standing at her front desk. “You ever see him before?”

I leaned closer to get a better look. “Never.”

“Seems strange to get another visit like this so soon. You think something’s up with her?”

“No fucking idea, but I’m about to find out.”

“You want me to go with you?”

“Not an option, brother. Gus needs you here.”

We both watched as Alex made her way into the store, and it was clear from her stunned expression that she wasn’t expecting her guest. “Looks like you need to get over there.”

“Yeah, let me see what’s going on, and then I’ll be back.”

His eyes narrowed as he said, “Maybe it’s nothing, but you don’t need to go alone. You’ve got no idea what you’re walking into over there.”

“I can handle it.” I started towards the door and grabbed my phone to quickly search for the link that Riggs had sent, and once I could see her clearly on the screen, I headed out to my bike. By the time I made it out to the parking lot, I could tell she was in trouble. Relieved to see that Gunner was out by his truck, I yelled “Give me the keys and get in” without giving him an explanation.

After tossing me his keys, he asked, “What’s going on?”

“Now, Gunner!” I started the engine, and once he was inside the truck, I handed him the phone. “Keep your eyes on the screen and let me know what the fuck is going.”

Doing as I asked, he looked down at my phone, and while I was heading through the gate, he gasped, “Holy shit!”

“What’s happening?”

“Who is this chick?”

Unable to control my emotions, I growled, “Just tell me what the fuck is happening, Gunner!”

“From what I can tell, he’s mouthing off about something, but she’s acting cool. Doesn’t look like she’s bothered by what he’s saying.”

“How do you know that?”

“Cause she’s smiling at him.” He snickered. “Oh, shit. He must’ve said the wrong damn thing, cause she just Kung Fu’d his ass!”

I couldn’t make sense out of what Gunner was saying. As hard as I tried, it just didn’t make sense. Thinking I must’ve misunderstood, I asked, “She did what?”

“Dude, this chick is a badass! She just ninja chopped this motherfucker right in the damn balls, and now, the guy his holding his crotch and it looks like he’s about to puke!” He was smiling ear to ear as he said, “Wow. I think I’m in love.”

“Shut the fuck up, Gunner.”

“Sorry, brother.” The color drained from his face as he explained, “I just got carried away. I was all caught up in the moment and wasn’t thinking.”

Ignoring his explanation, I pushed, “What’s happening now?”

“She just knocked this asshole off his feet, but he’s trying to get up … Oh, damn.”

“What?”

“Douchebag has a gun, Shadow.” My heart started to pound so hard I thought it would come right through my chest when he added, “He’s got it pointed straight at her.”

Even though I was already gunning it, I pressed my foot against the accelerator as I raced towards the bookstore. “Keep talking, Gunner.”

“He’s talking to her, but I got no idea what he’s saying.” He paused for a moment, then said, “She’s walking towards him. She’s walking slow, and I can see her mouth moving. She’s talking to him. Fuck. I wish I knew what the hell she was saying!”

“You and me both.”

“Dude. She just keeps getting closer to this guy. What the hell does she think she’s doing?” After a brief second, his eyes widened as he announced, “Damn it all to hell. She just plowed him in the side of the leg. Like, holy shit man. I’m pretty sure she just broke his fucking knee.”

“Good. What about the fucking gun?”’

“I don’t see it … Wait! She’s got it.” I could see the surprised look in his eyes when he turned towards me and asked, “Who the hell is this chick, Shadow?”

“I’m beginning to wonder that myself.”

“She’s a friend of yours, right?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I know every fucking thing about her.”

“Hell, don’t worry about it, brother. All women have their secrets. She just happens to have more than most.” He looked back at my phone and said, “Damn. She’s gone.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Hold on … How do you get to the other cameras?”

“Fuck. I don’t know. Riggs didn’t tell me.”

As soon as I pulled up to the curb in front of the store, we both jumped out of the truck and rushed towards the door. When we walked in, we found the guy on the camera sprawled out on the floor, and he wasn’t moving. Gunner nudged him with his foot as he asked, “Damn. Did she kill him?”

“Don’t fucking care. I just want to know where the hell she is,” I snapped as I headed towards the back staircase. “Keep an eye on him. If he moves, end him.”

“You got it.”

I’d gotten halfway up the stairs when Alex came barreling out of her apartment with two large boxes in her hands. Totally unaware that I was even standing there, she started down the stairs, but stopped cold when she almost ran into me. “Dammit, Shadow. You scared the living hell out of me.”

“Where are you going?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She tried to inch past me, but I blocked her from passing. “Look, Shadow. I don’t have time for this. Please move. I’ve gotta go.”

“Not until you tell me what the hell is going on.” I could see the wheels turning in her head as she considered her next move. When I saw a spark of determination flicker in her eye, I warned, “Don’t even think about it.”

She cocked her eyebrow as she asked, “Think about what?”

“Pulling that kickboxing shit with me.” Realizing I knew about what had occurred with her unwanted guest, her eyes dropped to the floor. I reached out and took the boxes from her hands. “Just tell me who that guy is and why he’s after you.”

Her eyes locked on mine as she answered, “I’ve got some bad people after me, Shadow. That’s really all I can tell you. It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m leaving town, and you’ll probably never see me again.”

That thought didn’t settle too well with me, and I found myself sounding more harsh than I intended when I replied, “You’re wrong. It does matter—and you’re sure as hell not leaving. Not like this. Not because of them.”

“You don’t understand,” she cried.

“I understand more than you think.” I lowered the boxes down on the step as I asked her, “Do you want to leave here?”

“Of course not, but I don’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice, Alex. You could’ve chosen to go with that man tonight, but you didn’t. You decided to fight, and that’s what you have to do now. But this time, you don’t have to do it alone. I’m here, so let me help you. Whatever this thing is, let me help you fight it.”