The dark sky was filled with red flames that could be seen over the trees. Penni moved to the edge of the porch, terrified for Genny. The flames were coming from the direction her house was located.

Jackal’s cell phone began ringing, but before he could answer it, Viper, Shade, Ice, and Max ran out the front door.

“Genny’s house is on fire,” Viper announced, halting as the other men ran down the steps toward their motorcycles. “We’re going to check it out. No one other than us gets in or out.”

Rider came out the door, taking a position next to Jackal. “Is Genny okay?”

“Yes. Greer and Tate took her to the police station to make sure she was safe while the fire station puts out the fire.” With that, Viper ran down the steps, not taking any longer to answer their questions.

“Go inside,” Jackal told Penni.

She didn’t argue, wanting to be with Lily and John. However, Penni did stop and grab his T-shirt, telling him, “Be careful,” trying to tell him she was worried without being all girly.

It was hard for her to know how to react. She had considered him the enemy for so long the new feelings he had roused in her made it difficult to respond to him normally.

Jackal didn’t have that problem, though. “Go take care of Lily. I’ll be fine.”

Penni nodded, reaching toward the sky and trying to pull down any good Karma she could, worried about Genny.

Seeing the room full of men tightened the fear in her chest. They were located at every window, two at the door. The women had been ushered upstairs where Cruz, Hennessy, and Crash stood with guns. The large one in Crash’s hands had her rushing through the room and into the kitchen.

“Holy Shit.” There were almost as many men in the kitchen as in the living room. Lucky and Train were guarding the back door.

“Where are you going?” Train asked as she drew close.

“Shade’s house.”

“They’re down in the basement with Beth.”

Penni nodded before going downstairs.

She steadied her nerves, not wanting Lily to see she was worried.

Bliss, Diamond, Willa, and Winter sat stoically on the couch, Lily held a sleeping John, and Beth paced back and forth, watching their children play. Cash, Razer, Drake, and Stump stood by the door that led to the outside. There were more men upstairs than there were down here to protect the children.

Cash saw her staring at the door with a worried expression and assured her, “The door is steel, and the window is bulletproof. If I hit the button, the door at the top of the steps closes, and no one can get in or out.”

“Is it steel, too?” Penni asked, reaching down to pick up the pretty, little girl who had wrapped her arms around her legs.

“Yes.” Cash’s stony countenance wasn’t what she was used.

Penni was surprised that he had been willing to be left behind at the house, but now she knew. He would die to protect every woman and child in the room. All of the men would.

Bliss rose to take the beautiful child in her arms. “Sorry. When Darcy gets tired, she wants to be held.”

“I didn’t mind.”

Penni had met Bliss several times when she had visited Shade, but she had never become friends with her.

The love she held for the little girl she and Drake had adopted as she sat back down, singing softly to her, showed how content Bliss was in her new life.

“Does anyone know what’s going on?” Willa murmured, not wanting to wake Darcy who was beginning to fall asleep. “Lucky just told me to stay down here and then went upstairs.”

The men hadn’t told any of them what was going on, but they had come down here, anyway. It was a testament to the love these women felt toward their husbands—respecting and trusting that it was for their own good.

Unfortunately for them, Penni thought they deserved to know.

“There’s a fire at Genny’s home.” When Willa seemed about to jump off the couch, Penni reassured her, “She’s at the sheriff’s office; she’s fine.”

“Thank God.” Willa and the women didn’t want to alarm the children, so they talked softly.

Willa and Beth carried the children to Lucky’s bedroom, settling them so they could sleep as they waited.

“Chance and Noah think it’s a sleepover.” Beth had given up her pacing to sit down next to Lily, running her head over John’s hair. “He gets more beautiful every day. Women aren’t going to stand a chance from falling in love with him.”

“If he takes after his mama, it will be love at first sight.”

“That’s not exactly how I remember it.” Penni snorted. “You were afraid of your own shadow then. I had to drag you out of the dorm room to go to a party, and you hugged the wall the whole time.”

Lily laughed. “I may have been exaggerating a little bit.”

“A little?” Penni and the rest of the women laughed with her.

Diamond turned the television on, starting the third movie in the series, I’m Having a Baby with a Zombie.

“Uh … Diamond, do you think it’s a good idea to watch this now?” Penni really didn’t want to watch a zombie movie when the clubhouse was under attack. She personally didn’t think that a blood and guts movie would take their mind off their fears.

“If I die, when will I get to watch it again?” she retorted.

Cash, Razer, Drake, and Stump didn’t look like they appreciated her humor.

“You’re not going to die, but it will take our mind off being worried about Genny.” Penni settled down on the other side of Lily. She wanted to call Jackal to see what was going on, but she didn’t want to interrupt him.

Once the movie ended, they were about to start another one when Cash stopped them.

“They’re back.”

Penni followed the women upstairs, anxious to find out what had happened.

The living room was crowded, so Penni stood in the open doorway. She could barely see Genny shivering beneath a blanket.

“I’ll make some coffee,” Penni said to no one in particular, turning toward the kitchen and filling the empty pot.

Viper led Genny to the kitchen table, telling everyone, “Go to bed. The fire is out. Train, Rider, and Max will keep an eye on the house.”

The crowd began to dissipate.

Willa sat down next to Genny, taking her hands in her own. “What happened?”

“Greer took Genny to the grocery store. When he came back, he saw someone had been in the house. He got her out as the house exploded. Knox said the fire department thinks it was a gas leak.” Viper put an arm around Winter’s shoulder.

Penni stared at Genny in horror. She knew how much the woman had loved her new home.

“Was it intentional?”

“Yes,” Viper revealed the answer everyone had been waiting for.

Genny buried her face in her hands, which were shaking.

Hennessy, who was standing by the kitchen door, slammed his fist into the door, making it swing madly. The wood splintered as the door parted from the doorjamb then leaned drunkenly to one side.

“I take it that one wasn’t made out of steel,” Penni muttered to Cash as she passed him to gather coffee cups.

“I must have missed that one.”

Penni passed out coffee to the ones left in the kitchen. Ice and Jackal stood by themselves, shaking their heads when she offered them some.

“How did you get so dirty?” she asked Jackal. His face was covered in grime, his T-shirt was ripped, and his jeans were torn almost completely off.

“Genny had a new kitten that became scared when she tried to catch it. It climbed a tree, and I tried to get it down.”

“Where is it?” Penni looked at Genny who was still crying helplessly in Willa’s arms.

“When I tried to get it, it jumped down and ran into the road.”

Penni wanted to tell her how sorry she was, but she didn’t want to bother her and Willa. Plus, she was gradually getting herself under control.

When she managed to quit crying, Penni went to her, patting her shoulder. “Let’s go get you cleaned up. You can share my room at Shade’s home. There are twin beds. I promise not to snore.”

“Go ahead,” Willa urged. “You’ll feel better when you get the smell of smoke off you.”

Genny nodded, letting Penni lead her away.

At Shade’s, she gave Genny a nightgown to wear and showed her the bathroom before leaving her alone.

Penni rubbed her aching brow. Genny seemed so fragile. She had told Penni that she had been in foster care before finding jobs in town after she turned eighteen. Penni hadn’t pried to see why she had been in foster care. After all, Genny was private and didn’t like talking about herself.

Penni knew she and Willa had a close relationship, but even when they had hung out together in the kitchen, Genny had seemed solitary. It hadn’t taken long to realize who Genny reminded her of.

It was Lily. Her best friend had never shared secrets with her, and Penni didn’t see it happening with Genny, either.

Genny took the spare bed when she came back into the room, burrowing beneath the covers.

“I’m sorry about your kitten.”

Her only answer was a lone tear steaking down Genny’s cheek.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, I’m just going to go to sleep. I have to be up at six for work.”

“You’re not going to work tomorrow—”

“Yes. It will take mind off Smokey.” A sob caught in her throat. “I jinxed him by calling him that.”

“No, you didn’t,” Penni soothed her, turning the light off. “I’m going to watch some television downstairs. I’ll make sure not to bother you when I come back.” She wanted to give Genny some privacy to take in what had happened tonight.

“Thank you.”

Penni softly closed door, turning to see Shade carrying John to his room with Lily following as she went to their bedroom.

“How is she?” Lily asked quietly.

“Not good. I wanted to leave her alone for a while. I’m not sleepy, anyway. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night.” Lily went into the bedroom where Shade was leaning over John’s crib, watching him sleep.

“How bad was the fire?” Penni asked when Shade came out.

They moved to the edge of the stairs so the women couldn’t hear them.

“It’s gutted.”

“Her insurance will—”

“Genny bought the house a few months ago. Willa practically gave it to her. Even with the insurance, Genny can’t afford to buy another one.”

“Surely, you and the rest of The Last Riders can help? I can, too.”

“We already have. She refused our offer. She knows we’re the reason the house was destroyed.”

“It just happened. Give it a couple of days, and hopefully, she’ll change her mind.”

“I hope so. I’m going to bed.”

When he turned away, she blurted, “Shade, when is this going to be over? I can’t stay indefinitely. I need to get back to work.”

“It won’t be much longer. The fire showed they’re getting frustrated because they can’t get close to us. They’ll make a mistake, and we’ll have them. Until then, you’re staying.”

“Yes, sir.” Penni snapped a salute before she sauntered down the steps.

Shade leaned over the stair railing. “You’re not too old to get spanked.”

“That’s what Jackal said.” Penni started to provoke Shade for his overbearing attitude then thought better of it. “Never mind.”

“Thanks. That was a TMI.”

“Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.” She was smart enough not to poke a tired tiger when he was getting ready to go to bed.

Penni was about to sit on the couch when she heard a knock on the door. Raising the curtain, she saw Jackal standing outside.

Penni opened the door and went outside, afraid that their voices would keep Shade from going to sleep.

“I wanted to kiss you good night.”

Before she could respond, Jackal placed a scorching kiss on her lips.

“Damn, how’s that supposed to help me sleep?” she mumbled around his lips.

“Too much?” Jackal eased the pressure on her lips to place a tender kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“Not enough.” Penni jerked his face back to hers, not waiting for an invitation.

She tugged at his bottom lip, making room to explore his mouth, while pressing her hands on his chest.

Every time they kissed, she discovered something new about Jackal. His body would tense as if he were holding himself back. It was exciting to have a man who wanted you so badly he found it hard to control himself. Penni felt the same way toward Jackal. Invariably, she was the one who was unable to control herself.

“Let’s go to the hotel,” Penni panted out when she broke the kiss.

Jackal groaned. “Now you want to give in? Ice is waiting for me to talk.”

“It can’t wait until tomorrow?” She raised her hips up to notch her pussy against the bulge she could feel straining against her.

Jackal pressed his forehead against hers. “It could, but I don’t want Ice interrupting when I’m fucking you.”

“I can wait until you’re done.” Penni couldn’t understand the sense of urgency that was filling her with dread.

“I’ve waited years to get you in my bed, so I can wait one more night to make it good for you.”

Penni laid her head on his chest. “I can’t change your mind?”

“You can, but Ice will change it back if I keep him waiting much longer.”

Penni sighed, giving him a parting kiss.

“You going to dream about me?”

“I don’t have dreams,” she confessed.

“Everyone has dreams. You must not remember when you wake up.”

“I don’t.” Penni shrugged.

It was when she had heard children describe their dreams or nightmares in school that she had realized how unusual it was not to have them.

“You won’t have that problem after tomorrow night. I’m going to make your first time so memorable you’ll dream about it every night.”

Penni burst out laughing. Slapping her hand over her mouth, she turned toward the house to make sure she hadn’t woken the others up. When she turned back toward Jackal, she could make out his scar in the darkness. She thought his powerful silhouette seemed more sinister than what most women would consider dream-worthy.

“Maybe you’ll be the one dreaming of me.”

“Babe, that’s nothing new. I dream of you every night.”