“You shouldn’t have left,” Bella told Diesel’s broad back as he helped carry a box of toys into the warehouse. She might as well be talking to a brick wall.

At least she got a grunt as an answer.

“You should’ve made him leave, D.” She rushed past him to open the back door for him. “Are you listening to me?”

“Tryin’ not to,” he barked and pushed past her and down the hallway. “But hard to ignore you when you’re screechin’.”

“I’m not screeching.”

“Sounds like it.”

“Whatever.” She followed quickly on his heels as his long strides ate up the floor space. The corridor spilled into a big wide-open area that held a few vehicles, some equipment, and a whole bunch of padlocked containers.

She wasn’t even going to bother to ask what was in them. She would be wasting her breath.

He made a sharp right turn to a storage room they were using to house the donated toys until they could get them to Toys for Tots.

She rushed past him again to grab the door. At least being in D’s warehouse, she knew the donations were safe. There was no way the Warriors would break into this location to steal any more. Especially with D’s crew coming in and out at all hours of the day and night.

And if the Warriors had any brain cells, they’d want to stay off his crew’s radar. Especially since they had a hard-on for the Warriors ever since Kiki and Jazz were kidnapped.

She followed him into the room and as soon as he put the large box down, she began to sort the toys.

“Gonna be in my office. Find me. Gotta talk.”

She straightened to ask why, but when she turned, he was gone. With a sigh, she went back to pulling each toy out of the box and organizing them by sex and age.

The community had really pulled through, especially when both the DAMC and the PD put the word out about the theft.

“Gotta find those fuckers before the PD does.”

A deep voice behind her, one she didn’t recognize, startled her. She straightened and turned toward the door. A tall man, maybe six-foot-three, leaned against the doorjamb. He had super short dark hair, military-type cut like Slade and Axel, had piercing grey eyes and the man would have been extremely good-looking if he didn’t have a scar that ran diagonally across his face. With his arms crossed over his chest, it emphasized how big and built he was. He didn’t look like a man to mess with.

He had to be Mercy. Though she never met him, she’d heard about him from Jewel, who was now helping D run the security business. She also recognized him from the scar.

Bella nodded. “Hope so.”

“Gonna teach those fuckers a lesson they won’t forget.”

Bella had to admit a chill ran up her spine when he talked. He was scary as shit and she wouldn’t want to be on his bad side.

Mercy pushed away from the door and took two steps into the room. Bella’s pulse began to pound in her neck. Looking at him was like looking at someone with no soul.

Empty. Cold. Merciless.

“Heard you were stabbed,” he said softly, his eyes running down her body. “The fucker dead?”

She wondered if D told him. Though she couldn’t imagine why. If Jewel was running her mouth... “Yeah.”

He gave her a sharp nod, then tilted his head as he stared at her. “Good. Thought I may have to put him on my to-do list.”

That was probably a list you never wanted your name to be on. “Nope. He was taken out in prison.”

“Where at?”

“SCI Greene.”

His eyes crinkled so slightly at the corners Bella almost missed it. “No.” He lifted his chin up and down her body. “Where at?”

“Is this a ‘if you show me yours, I’ll show you mine’ thing?”

Finally, one corner of his mouth curved up. The side that was marred slightly from his scar. “Wouldn’t say no if you’re agreeable.”

He might be a scary fucker, but his rough voice sent a shiver through her. If the man turned on the charm, he might be irresistible. Even with that scar and those intense eyes.

But he didn’t and he wasn’t, so she shook her head. “No thanks.”

“You’re a survivor.” He tapped his temple with his finger. “Like that.”

“Not looking for a date,” she said, hoping he’d get the picture.

“Don’t date,” he answered, clearly not offended at her disinterest.

Of course he probably didn’t date. He didn’t seem the type to want any attachments. Until Jewel, Diesel was like that for the longest time. Fucking women in the bathroom at church. He didn’t even want them up in his room so they wouldn’t get any ideas.

Mercy probably did something similar, just pulled his pants down far enough to get his dick out, get it wet and tuck it back in once he was done draining his nuts. No commitments. No noose around his neck. No ball and chain around his ankle.

She nodded. “Good. Then no further discussion’s needed.”

He smirked. “You’re D’s family, so if you ever need anything...”

He let the rest of that fade off. Bella had no idea if he meant sexually or protection wise. Either way, she hoped she never needed his services.

“Done here? I can take you to D’s office.”

She glanced down at the remaining toys. She had more to sort, but she could finish that the next time she did a drop-off. “Sure.”

She followed him out of the room and closed the door behind her. As they traveled down the narrow corridor she realized just how big Mercy was. He might be an inch shorter, a few pounds lighter, and not as broad as D, but the man was still someone to take seriously.

He halted abruptly and leaned into an open doorway. “Boss.”

Bella heard D’s familiar grunt. Mercy stepped back and lifted a hand, indicating she should go in.

As she stepped into Diesel’s office, Mercy closed the door behind her at D’s chin lift.

Why did she feel like a student going to the principal’s office?

She looked at her cousin sitting behind his desk and snorted. “Hard to picture you in an office.”

Even so, his desk was a mess. D had never been a neat person. She remembered how he used to keep his room at church; like a complete pigsty before moving in with Jewel. And now his ol’ lady was always bitching about how he just threw his clothes and shit everywhere around her apartment, including the floor.

“Try to get Jewelee to do all this shit now,” he grumbled.

“How’s she doing with it?”

He grunted.

“Keeping you organized?”

D grunted again and leaned back in his office chair.

“You said we have to talk,” she started. “What about? If it’s about the toys—”

“That pig.”

Her stomach dropped. “I already said you should’ve made him leave.”

“Reason I didn’t.”

Bella waited.

And waited.

She lifted her hands impatiently. “Want to explain?”

“The man loves you.”

Bella reached out to grab the arm of the chair that sat in front of his desk. She plopped her ass in it before her knees gave out.

First of all, she couldn’t believe D called Axel “the man” and not “the pig” or “cop.” Second, it floored her that D would even care how Axel felt about her.

“I know,” she whispered.

“Wanted to pound the fuck outta ‘im when I saw ‘im in your bed again. Fucker wouldn’t leave your side, though. Woulda let me do it just to stay with you.”

“I know what it looked like, D, but he doesn’t want to be with me.”

D’s brows rose sharply. “Why?”

“He realized that...” She stared at her clasped hands in her lap.

“What?”

Bella closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them before continuing. “That my loyalties lie with the club.”

“Yeah. And?” he asked, satisfaction clearly in his voice.

Of course Diesel wouldn’t see a problem with that. He lived and breathed DAMC. “He can’t be involved with someone who might have ties to... illegal things.”

His head jerked back and his eyes narrowed. “Ain’t nothin’ illegal.”

“Right. But... with all the shit that’s been going down with the Warriors... Squirrel and Black Jack’s disappearance. You getting shot. Plus, you and Hawk getting arrested after that fight in South Side... And he knows your crew’s hunting Warriors, D.”

“My crew ain’t a part of the club.”

“Your business is. A percentage goes into the club coffers, D. So really, it is.”

D grunted. He knew she was right.

“I told him it wouldn’t work from the beginning. He kept pushing. Then reality hit him and he pushed me away instead.”

“Ain’t pushin’ you away.”

Bella sighed. “D, he already did.”

Diesel shook his head, planted his palms on his desk and leaned forward. “That man ain’t pushin’ you away. Saw it with my own two eyes.”

Bella sat back and studied her cousin. The one who always had her best interest at heart, even though he could be the biggest, most unfeeling asshole out of all the brothers. “Why are you telling me this?”

D sat back, too, running a hand over his short dark hair. He frowned. “Hate what his blood did to Z, freezin’ him out. Hate they turned their back on the club. Hate they didn’t do shit when Z went inside. But hate it even more that I fuckin’ had no clue what Rebel was doin’ to you. Hate that Rebel had the opp to fuckin’ do you wrong. Hate the fact I didn’t get the chance to take ‘im out ‘cause I woulda gutted the fucker.” His eyes got hard and his body went solid when he growled, “Really hate the fact you kept that secret from me, Bella. Shoulda told me.”

He slammed his palm on the desk and Bella jumped.

“An’ it pisses me off that he took that life from you. From all of us. Good thing Rocky took the fucker out. Woulda loved to filet our colors off Rebel’s back with the knife he stabbed you with.”

“D—”

He raised his palm and shook his head. “Hate the fact you love a cop. An’ hate that he loves you. But, woman, that’s the fuckin’ facts. You love each other as much as I hate it.”

“You’re getting all mushy. You getting soft now that Jewel’s got you wrapped around her finger?”

D grunted.

That wasn’t a no.

“The fact is,” Bella stated, “it’s not going to work. We’re too different.”

“Got DAMC blood runnin’ through his veins. He’s a biker at heart.”

Bella shot up straight in her chair, surprised. “You are getting mushy!”

“Shut the fuck up,” he muttered.

“Fact is I love you, you big asshole. And I’m lucky that you have my back.”

D grunted, but she didn’t miss his eyes softening just a touch.

He jerked his hand toward the door. “Get the fuck outta my office. Got work to do.”

Bella pushed up from his chair and hid her smile until she faced away from him. Then she beamed as she reached for the door handle.

“Expect the fucker at the party. Time for this club to start movin’ forward in all ways.”

“Can’t promise that,” she said over her shoulder, without looking at him.

“Get it done,” was the last demand she heard before heading down the corridor and back out to her car.

She had no idea how she was going to do that. She wasn’t leaving the club, not that anyone would let her, anyway. So Axel was either going to have to accept her as she was... DAMC. Or she was just going to have to disappoint Diesel.

And Sophie.

She sighed. That reminded her that she needed to go apologize to the woman for freaking her out.

* * *

Bella frowned at her brother, Dex. “You are supposed to be keeping an ear out for the stolen toys.”

“We are,” he insisted as he made change. He shoved the cash register drawer shut, then thanked the customer. “Need help takin’ that to your car?”

The man grabbed the stereo speakers and told Dex he didn’t.

After watching the customer walk away, Dex turned his dark brown eyes to her with a frown. “Why’re you here, besides bein’ a pain in my ass?”

Bella looked over her brother’s shoulder to see their sister behind the glass in the back office. Ivy made a face at her and Bella made one back. “I came to talk to Ace.”

“He ain’t here.”

She groaned. “Thanks, Captain Obvious. So now I’m talking to you.”

Dex twisted at one of the large clunky silver rings that he wore on his fingers. “We’re keepin’ an ear out.”

“Did Axel stop by here to talk to Ace yet?”

“How the fuck would I know?” he snapped.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t you work here?”

“Bad enough I gotta work with Ivy,” he lifted his chin toward their sister, “but now you’re in here pestin’.”

“Dex, this is serious. Thousands of dollars’ worth of toys went missing.” Not missing, swiped by those asshole nomads.

“Know that.”

“Don’t you care?” she asked him.

If anyone would care it should be him. Their mother was a single woman raising three children on her own. If anyone knew what it was like to not get a lot for Christmas, it was the three of them. They probably would’ve gotten nothing if it wasn’t for their uncle Ace and their aunts helping out. So she understood the need for a charity like Toys for Tots.

“Yeah. Of course, I do.”

“Then act like it.”

“Fuckin’ bitches,” he grumbled.

Bella jerked her eyebrows up. “Really?”

“You hardly ever talk to me unless you want somethin’,” he grumped.

“’Cause you’re a pain in the ass, too. Ever think of that?”

Suddenly he grinned and leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Was gonna give some info to D...”

Bella’s ears perked. “What info?”

“Gotta call from a shop in Baldwin.”

“Baldwin!” she exclaimed. The Dark Knights were expanding into Baldwin, so it surprised her that the Warriors would dare step a foot into the other outlaw club’s territory. And the Knights had a great dislike for the Warriors, wanting to see them obliterated as much as the Angels did.

“Will ya let me finish?”

Bella struggled to pin her lips together.

“Asked if we were gettin’ a high influx of kids’ electronics in. New shit. This is the time of year people are buyin’ presents for kids, not sellin’ ‘em.”

“Right. Have the name of the shop?”

“Yeah. Baldwin Pawn.”

Well, that wasn’t obvious. “Thanks.”

She began to turn to leave when his brows furrowed and he jerked out his hand to stop her. “Hold up. Whataya gonna do?”

“Just go take a ride up there.”

“Uh. No. Tellin’ D to check it out.”

“No. Hold off on D. I’ll go talk to them and if I find out anything useful I’ll give it to him.”

“Uh, no,” Dex repeated, shaking his head. “Ain’t happenin’.”

Now her brother cares what happens to her? “Ain’t got a say in it, Dexter.”

His face became stormy at her use of his full name. Which he hated for good reason. “Okay, Izzy.”

“Dex,” she warned.

He lifted his palms. “Shouldn’t have told you then.”

She sighed. “I got it. I’m just going to go talk to them and see if they know anything else.”

Her brother stared at her for a few seconds then sighed, too. “Look, I’ll call ‘em an’ tell ‘em you’re headin’ up there. Then you gotta promise to tell D if you learn anythin’, got me?”

“Got you.” She smiled at him and turned to leave. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, blowing him an exaggerated kiss. “Love you, brother.”

He grunted in reply.

Bella headed out to the parking lot and before she got to her car, Ivy was rushing out of the shop in her high-heeled boots, pulling on her leather jacket. “Hey, wait up.”

She hit the automatic locks on her Challenger and looked over her shoulder as Ivy caught up with her.

“Where are you going?”

“Why?”

Her sister shrugged then smiled mischievously. “I’m bored to death. Dex can handle the pawn shop’s customers until Ace gets back.”

“Heading to Baldwin to check out a lead.”

“For the theft?” Ivy asked.

“Yeah. You should stay here.”

“Fuck that!”

They heard a screamed “Hey!” from above them.

Both their heads turned up to the apartment over the pawn shop. Jewel stood at the top of the landing with her hands on her hips. “What are you sexy bitches doing?”

Ivy snorted and Bella sighed.

“Going to Baldwin,” Bella yelled back.

“For what?” Jewel jogged down the metal steps and approached the car.

“Dex got a lead that someone might have pawned some shit at a shop in Baldwin.”

“Cool. Can I go?”

“Diesel going to have a shit fit?” Bella asked.

“Probably.”

Bella turned to her sister. “Jag going to have a shit fit?”

“Probably” was Ivy’s reply.

Bella smiled. “Mount up, ladies. We’re heading to Baldwin!”

All three laughed as they climbed into the Dodge. Bella turned the key and the big block roared to life.