The three men nodded their understanding and went out the front door, the sound of their bikes soon fading in the distance.

Finally, Styx turned to the rest of the men in the room. Mae—Styx pointed at me, Ky’s voice loud and stern as if Styx were saying something important—is under my protection and y’all know what that means.

I frowned and looked to Beauty, who offered me a watery smile. My heart broke for her. She had lost a friend today and she was hurting. The entire club was.

Mae was nearly killed today… Lois f**kin’ was. We were either tailed by the f**kers from compound or someone leaked intel last minute. And by Christ, it better’ve been the first or I’ll rip the rat apart limb by f**kin’ limb.

I shivered at his threatening words. The men in the room were clearly uneasy too.

Rider’s been shot in the shoulder. Doc’s with him now. I’m f**kin’ raging at this whole cock-sucking mess!

Ky’s cell phone rang, cutting through the heavy atmosphere Styx’s words had generated. “Yeah?” he answered, and after a few seconds looked up at Styx, slamming the phone back shut.

“Flame, the faux-hawked motherfucker, just caught him some Balaclava meat. The cunt who killed Lois.” That devastatingly handsome smirk spread on his face.

Styx tipped his head back and sighed in pure relief. ETA? he spelled out, Ky voicing his question out loud.

“‘Bout an hour. Told Flame to take him out back. You want the honor, right?”

A hungry grin tugged on Styx’s lips and he cracked his neck as he rolled it from side to side. I did not need this response translated. He had a look of revenge in his eyes. Glancing around the room, he signed, We find these cunts… Then we send them to the boatman, right to Hades.

Styx had quick words with Ky and a few other men I did not know, then came to me. He took my hand and dragged me away.

When he entered the main door to his apartment, he sat me down on the bed, meeting my gaze. “Y-you okay?” He nodded toward the graze on my arm that Beauty had packed and bandaged.

“It is just a graze.”

He began to pace before me on the hardwood floor, each step becoming more and more angry. “Wh-why the f**k d-did they attack?”

“I… I do not know?” I whispered, keeping my head down. I did not like this side of Styx. I suddenly understood why he was feared by so many people—he had a dark side… a frightening side.

Walking to a large panel of wood that separated the bedroom chamber of his rooms, Styx screamed loudly and punched his hand straight through the wood, leaving a large hole, his fall-colored eyes untamed and wild.

Unable to conceal my shock, I shrieked and covered myself on the bed. Styx ignored my fright and disappeared through to the linen closet. He came back with a towel, throwing it on my lap.

“G-get in the shower and clean that f-f-fuckin’ blood off you.”

Losing the battle with my trembling lip, I took the large white towel and scurried into the bathroom. As soon as the door shut, I let my emotions flow freely. Styx was so angry. His attitude toward me had turned cold and sour—just like every other man I had ever known.

I honestly believed that Styx was different.

The man outside was Styx, the Hangmen Mute, the president of an outlaw MC, the man capable of killing with zero remorse. The man outside was no longer the man I knew.

He terrified me.

I walked to the mirror, staring at my rough appearance: wounded arm, messy hair, scratched skin, and dirtied clothes. I was a mess, but all I could think about was Rider injured, Lois dead… and Rider had saved me. Jumped in front of me and saved me. He saved my life. He could die and I—

A hard fist hit the wood of the door, making me jump and bang my elbow on the vanity. “Wh-what the f**k are you d-doing in there? I don’t hear w-water.”

I quickly wiped my eyes and turned on the faucet. I flipped the lever for the shower. I laughed without humor. It was just like the one I had at The Order, and the situation felt all too similar.

“I am going in now,” I shouted back with a shaky voice and set to undressing.

I showered quickly and wrapped the towel around me to dry. I had no other clothes but the filthy heap on the floor, so taking a deep breath, I opened the door and tiptoed through in my scant state.

Styx was on his bed, a cigarette hanging lazily off his bottom lip, strumming a morose melody on his guitar, the lyrics haunting. “You can run on for a long time, but sooner or later, God’ll cut you down.”

Styx looked so dark and powerful as he sat on his bed singing quietly around the smoking white stick in his mouth. My breath caught at the sight. His dark hair fell over his fall eyes and his huge arm muscles flexed with every strum of his fingers on the strings. He was sin personified… A sin I craved… but right now I was out and out afraid of him.