When he stepped out of the bedroom, Spyder knew he was a different man to the one who’d gone in.

Sex didn’t usually change a man, but in this instance, it did.

He felt different. Older. Wiser. Like now he knew he had responsibilities and he was aware he couldn’t shirk them.

That little conversation with a Goddess helped too.

He shuddered at the memory.

Had that actually happened? Really, had it?

He ran a hand through his hair to hide the tremor in his fingers—because he knew it had happened.

He’d had a reprieve. Jessie was his savior.

He waited by the door for her to come out, and when she did, he bent down to kiss her cheek. Her lips were painted a bright candy red. It suited her, but he felt like pouting at the fact he couldn’t kiss her properly.

Maybe she sensed his disappointment because she grinned. “It’s locked in place. Won’t stain.”

“Really?” he asked, doubtfully. “Last thing I need is to walk into a room full of Shifters with bright red lips. I’d never here the end of it. They’d probably stop calling me Spyder and start calling me Hot Lips or some shit like that.”

She giggled, and the sound was so young and so carefree, it made the weight and the worries on his shoulders fly free a second. “Silly, as if I’d let you go through that. Heck, I’d have to live through the teasing as well.”

He snorted. “So it’s for your sake more than mine?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She winked at him, then leaned up on tip toes as she pressed into him. Her hands went to his waist before they slid up to his chest. He felt her fingers dig into his pecs as she reached up and connected their mouths.

She was surprisingly aggressive. Although, why that came as a surprise when the other half of her nature was a Bear, he wasn’t altogether sure. Still, he was new to the whole Shifter thing. As far as he was aware, he’d never come across another Shifter in his life so this was pretty much all new to him.

Hell, everyone knew Shifters existed. It wasn’t like that came as a surprise. But they led such solitary lives, and blended so well with the rest of the world that they managed to hide in plain sight.

A fact which was great for them, but not so great for the unsuspecting humans who roamed among them.

Her lips were like velvet against his, and he loved how she pushed her tongue into his mouth, unafraid to claim him, to state without words that he was hers.

“How is it I was your first?” he mumbled against her cheek as she pulled back.

It was a tactless question and he almost expected her to pout at him and rail at him for being insensitive. Instead, as she always seemed to, she surprised the hell out of him by laughing. This woman of his kept on shocking him.

“You’re not the first guy I’ve kissed, Devon,” she told him, uttering his name so softly it was almost noiseless.

“I don’t really want to know about other guys,” he said on a rueful grimace as he grabbed a hold of her ass and jerked her against his body, not stopping until her hands were on his chest once more. “I just like knowing I’m your first in everything else.”

She cocked a knowing brow at him. “And I thought human males would be different.”

“Yeah? You didn’t realize we can be possessive pieces of shit too?”

A chuckle escaped her as she reached up to cup his chin. “Yeah, that was really short-sighted of me, wasn’t it?”

He rolled his eyes. “Just a bit.”

She sighed as she pressed their lips together again. As they supped at each other mouths, he moaned as she pulled back and nipped his bottom lip. It would mark, and he knew it, but for some weird ass reason, he didn’t particularly care.

Jessie had been sheltered at the clubhouse. That was a fact he was immensely grateful for, but he could sense she’d been lonely. Some people were not born to be alone, and Jessie was one of those people. Saying that, he guessed by nature only that no Shifter was supposed to be alone. They were born to find a mate, and they were born into an extended family by way of their Clan.

As a complaint, being lonely wasn’t the shittiest way to spend a childhood. He’d prefer her to have that than have endured his crappy time as a kid, after all.

Still, her past had made the woman she was today. He’d be a fool to forget that over the coming years.

They breathed against each other’s mouths for a few seconds, letting their foreheads brush as they soaked in each other.

It was a heady time.

In a sense, it reminded him of those first glorious experiences he’d had when he’d lost his own virginity. Heady as only a kid could experience. But this was a thousand times stronger.

It was almost like he’d been drugged so powerful was his response to her.

He’d have been freaked if he hadn’t known she was equally as absorbed in him.

“Do you feel any different?” she asked softly.

He studied her face, but could read little as her eyes were closed.

“In what way?”

“Your gift. From the Goddess,” she clarified. “A talent that makes you a little more prepared for this new world you’re in. I wondered if you could sense what it was.”

He blinked. “You think I’ll get one?”

“All the female mates get one. Why shouldn’t you?” Her eyes popped open in umbrage. “If you don’t, that’s totally unfair.”

He laughed. “Who are you going to complain to?”

She pouted. “I don’t know. I’ll find someone.”

“I believe you.” He did.

She peered at him in suspicion, then when she realized he meant it, she nodded in satisfaction. “Good.”

“Not sure if you complaining would make a difference, mind you, but I know you’d try.”

“You should have a gift. It’s for your protection.”

“Protection against you?”

“No. Against the world.”

He blinked at that. “I’ve lived in a shitty part of the world, babe, and managed to survive. I think I can cope without a gift.”

“Survive... what kind of life is that?” She shook her head. “And no, it isn’t to protect yourself from me. I’m not into mate beating.”

He let out a sigh and pressed his forehead deeper into hers. “It’s funny you should say that.”

“What? About the mate beating?” She frowned. “I don’t know what people have been telling you round here. I mean, I know I have tantrums and stuff but they’re not really tantrums. My folks just get me so mad sometimes, but I’m not...”

He pressed a finger to her lips to stop her rambling. “I didn’t mean that. I don’t think you’re violent.”

“Oh,” she whispered. “What did you mean then?”

“I’m not sure you’d believe me,” he said with a laugh.

“No lies between us,” she murmured. “That’s how we want it, right?”

“More than you know.”

“Well, then. Tell me. I have to believe you because I know you’re not lying to me.”

“I don’t know if the hallway is the best place to discuss this.”

“Then let’s go back into my room. The conversation with my dad isn’t going anywhere. Unfortunately,” she tacked on ruefully.

He pondered that a second, then nodded, realizing she was right and he needed to talk about this. Needed to discuss what had happened when she’d Claimed him.

He’d have pushed it aside, but her talk of this gift from the Goddess put him on edge. If he didn’t develop one, she’d wonder why. And maybe the Goddess wouldn’t give him one because being lucky enough to have a mate was his gift. Period.

Not that that wasn’t enough. Hell, it was more than enough for him, but Jessie would think it was weird.

“Come on, Devon,” she said gently, clasping her hand in his and tugging him back into her room.

She led him over to the sofa that sat opposite the bed. He collapsed onto it and patted his lap, inviting her to sit on his knee.

He knew she loved that from the way her features lit up. He had to hide a smile as she scrambled onto his knee and nestled into him.

She was incredibly tactile. With any other woman, he hated that. But with her, Jesus, he needed it just as much. Her affection was a part of her, and he needed all of her and everything she had to give.

“Come on, tell me what’s wrong,” she murmured against his jaw.

He curled his arms tighter against her. The feel of her in his arms set him alight while simultaneously calming him down. It was amazing what she did for his peace of mind. Simply being around her made him happy in a way he’d never been before. In a way that made her words hit home… surviving was no way to lead a life.

“You’ll think I’m crazy, but when you Claimed me, something happened.”

“The world moved?” Her laugh was wicked. “I know. I was there.”

He shared her grin but shook his head. “No. I-I spoke to someone.”

She reared back. “You spoke to someone? While we were...?” Her cheeks flushed. “Who were you talking to?” She pressed her hand to his forehead. “Are you coming down with a fever?”

“No, Jessie,” he chided her, pushing her hand away. “And no, I’m not schizophrenic either.” Just the notion had him chuckling. “At least, I don’t think I am. I’ve never had conversation with a Goddess before, so I’m not sure.”

At his irreverence, she froze. Then, after a second’s gawking at him, whispered, “You spoke with the Goddess? What did she say?”

“That I needed to start making better life choices.” He pulled a face. “I can’t exactly argue with her, can I? Hell, look at where Sammy is.”

She shook her head. “That isn’t your fault,” she defended. “Martinez used you to get to The Nomads.”

“Yeah, but he knew to use me and my family because I’m Prez of a shitty MC, too.”

She bit her lip. “Don’t you like being Prez of Spider’s Venom?”

He let out a sigh and reached out to cup the back of her head. Pressing his mouth to hers, he kissed her softly, then as he pulled back, said, “Before you, before this situation with Sammy, I loved it. I felt like I’d been born to the role. But now? Now, I know it’s not worth it.”

“Sammy didn’t deserve this, and you don’t deserve to be dragged into that crappy world either.”

She blinked. “Whatever you want to do, I’m with you.”

His smile was slow. “Thanks, babe.”

Jessie pressed her hand to his chest, and through his shirt, knew she could feel his heart beating. “You still didn’t tell me everything the Goddess said.”

“That wasn’t enough?” he said ruefully, tilting his head back against the cushions. Trust her to be intuitive enough to know he was holding something back.

“No. I can tell. Something else is bothering you.”

He pulled a face. “If I tell you, you have to promise not to cry or to get upset. It’s all in the past.”

She frowned. “I promise to try not to cry,” she stated. “I can’t say that I won’t. It depends how bad whatever you say is.”

“It’s kind of bad.”

“Okay, well, I really promise to try.”

“My mom used to hit me when I was a kid.” He cleared his throat. “Hit me badly. Not just slaps, but punches. She tried to cut me a few times. Managed a couple, but then my dad realized and threw her out.”

She was still on his lap, frozen. Aside from the hand that was on his chest—she’d curled her fingers into her claws that dug into the padded muscle of his pec.

Surprised at her reaction, he looked into her eyes and then wasn’t so surprised. He should have known she wouldn’t just get upset. Should have known she’d get angry.

It was all the tales of her he’d heard. The notorious puller of tantrums. She had a reputation in this clubhouse, and he was learning exactly how wrong that rep was. This was no childish storm of emotion. This was a soul of deep rage. It burned deeply, it burned hotly, and God help anyone caught in the flash of its fire.

“It’s okay, Jessie,” he comforted softly, but it didn’t stop the flames burning in her eye. When she remained silent, and uncertain as to whether he was throwing fuel onto the fire, he continued, “The Goddess referenced that.”

“Why did she?” Her voice was a hoarse rasp. “How did your dad realize? Did he see the bruises?”

He lifted a hand and rubbed at his forehead. “She hit me so badly she gave me concussion. I didn’t know and passed out at school. I didn’t play football or anything at the time so they wanted to know how a healthy kid got a concussion. I wouldn’t say. What could I say? I was embarrassed. Jesus, I was an eight year old boy being beaten by his mom. My dad was the big man of the MC. He had a rep. I…I didn’t want to humiliate him.”

A soft sound escaped her, but it was tight and choked like her throat was closing up and not allowing sounds out but she managed to whisper, “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

On a shaky sigh, he nodded. “I almost died.”

“Tell me your father dealt with her,” she pleaded. The note in her voice was begging, and he knew then that she really hoped her father had doled out punishment.

“He let the police deal with her.”

“That’s not enough,” she roared. “I’ll kill her,” she seethed. “I’ll fucking kill her.”

When she started to shift on his lap, almost like she was going to go and beat his mom up now, he grabbed hold of her and tugged her back onto his knees. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to go and rip her throat out.”

She said it so calmly, he had to laugh. “There’s no need, babe. She’s dead.”

A growl escaped her. “She needs to be punished.”

“She was. She went to jail.”

“That’s not enough.”

He sighed. “My dad agreed.”

“He avenged you?”

“Sort of. He didn’t hurt her but he made it known to anyone in the area that if they helped her, he’d know and they’d pay. She was alone for a very long time.”

Jessie narrowed her eyes at him. “Please don’t tell me you feel sorry for her.”

“She was my mom, Jessie. I just wanted things to be normal.”

Before he could say another word, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hauled herself into his embrace, and nearly squeezed him to death in the process.

“I swear to you now, any cubs we have, I will defend them with my life.”

“Hey,” he chided, letting his hand fall on the curve of her back. Slowly stroking up and down, he murmured, “I never thought anything else.”

“I don’t know what the dickwads in this place have told you. I know I keep surprising you. And you’ve seen Ava now, and you know what she can do... Yes, that’s in me, but our cubs would never be in any danger from the Sow.”

“I never thought they would be,” he tried to soothe, astonished that the conversation had led onto this—their hypothetical children not being beaten by her. “I swear, Jessie, it never even crossed my mind.”

He could hear her swallow as she nodded, a little feverishly, against him. “That’s okay then.” Her breath was warm against his throat, but he didn’t move her. He knew she needed comforting as much as he did.

“I-I didn’t really remember it. Not until the Goddess mentioned it. But when I... I almost died, I fell into her arms. She was there to guide me back. I’d completely pushed it from my mind because it wasn’t like I could talk to anyone about that. Nobody would have understood, and everything was in chaos after I got out of hospital, anyway. What with Mom in jail and Dad on this guilt trip.” He shook his head at how crazy those days had been. “Anyway, she reminded me then. Reminded me of that time.”

“What happened? Was there a bright light? Or something as dopey as what the movies make out?”

He thought about that a second. “No. No bright light. Even then, after you bit me, it wasn’t light. If anything, it’s dark. There’s the faintest glow where she is. It’s so dark it’s oppressive. Like there’s been an earthquake and you’re caught in the rubble but you can move, and you can breathe, but you’re trapped.” He shuddered. “There’s a peace there but it’s not my style.”

“Did she talk to you when you were a little boy?”

“I think so. I don’t really remember,” he murmured, thinking back to those hazy moments he’d convinced himself were nothing. “If she did, it was hardly anything. She said, during the Claiming, that I called to her and that it had never happened before. That I should never have been in that situation, and she brought me back as an apology.” He wriggled his shoulders uneasily. “It was creepy as fuck.”

“Do you know how many Shifters would kill to converse with the Goddess just like you did?”

There was a teasing tone to her voice. “Well, they’re weird. It’s bad enough being chastised by your parents or the law. A Goddess? That’s a whole other load of batshit weird.”

“True. Did she say anything else?”

He hesitated. This was where his concern stemmed from after all. “She said that when you were born, you were my gift from her.”

“And you think that she won’t give you another one? One like what the female mates get?” she asked, the words mumbled against his throat as she tightened her arms around his waist. She wasn’t letting up, wasn’t letting him go.

And God help him, he didn’t want her to.

“I think it’s a possibility,” he explained. “I mean, if you throw in the other stuff she said about needing to make better life choices... it’s not like I deserve anything else.”

She nodded against him. “I understand. But don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t it? Won’t people wonder why I don’t have one?” He hesitated. “I don’t want people to know about my past, Jessie. It’s bad enough that the older guys in Spider’s Venom know. I wish they didn’t. But they were there at the time.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” she told him. “Honestly. They don’t share shit about mates. Why should we be any different? The only reason the MC knows about my mom’s gift is because when she was pregnant with my brothers, she had insane morning sickness because of her insane sense of smell. I figured out what Annette’s is, but only because I know her well, and I know a lot of the guys don’t realize what her talent is. As for the rest, it’s rude to ask and unnecessary to share.

“Our parents don’t even share it with their kids. Not openly. If we pick up on it, that’s one thing, but we never have an open conversation about it.” She hummed under her breath. “That’s weird, I guess, but it’s just custom. It’s something that’s unique to each mate bond and is as intimate as sex.”

He released a relieved breath. “So, nobody has to know.”

“No, nobody.”

“I’m really glad to hear that,” he admitted.

“This is our secret,” she told him softly, pulling away from his shoulder to stare him square in the eye. “I promise, I’ll never tell anyone.”

“I know you won’t,” he said, smiling at her as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She nuzzled her cheek into his palm.

“I’m sorry for what your Mom did, Devon. I’d make her pay if I could.”

He couldn’t help it, he grinned. “My bloodthirsty wench.” It shouldn’t have amused him, but it did. He loved her fire, loved that it only warmed him when it would give anyone else third degree burns.

“Only for you.” She winced. “And our cubs.”

“The cubs we haven’t made yet?”

“Yeah, those.”

He snorted at her sheepishness. “How did my life get so crazily good?”

Her eyes brightened at that. “You must have done something great in a past life.”

“That’s it,” he said, clicking his fingers in a ‘Eureka’ moment. “I was definitely Gandhi.”

Laughter pealed from her, and he knew he’d broken the tension and was glad for it. He reached up to kiss her laughing mouth and said, “Come on, let’s go and face your dad.”

“Do we have to?” she half-whined.

“You know we do,” he chastised but softened it with a grin. “All will be well.”

“It had better be,” she said grumpily as she got to her feet. When he patted her on the ass, she whooped with laughter and ran around the back of the sofa to escape him.

Her amusement had replaced the licking flames of fury from her eyes, and he was glad for that. He wanted to protect her, he realized, but at the same time he needed her to be his partner, needed to share with her the things he’d always kept hidden.

With her, he felt he could do that, and the difficult decisions he had ahead of him, ones that appertained to his future, what they’d be doing with themselves once the situation with Sammy was resolved—because resolved it would be—would be easy to make because she was there.

Brightening his day.

Easing his load.

Filling his heart to bursting.

With wide eyes, Jessie peered around the Council room. She’d only been here a few times in her whole life. Which was crazy. A room in her ‘home’ that she’d hardly been in? When she’d been nearly glued to this fucking place?

It was a reality in need of rectifying.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had her wide eyes focusing on the person in question.

She scowled at Kiko when he asked, “What’s Jessie doing here?”

“I want her here,” Spyder said softly, his hand tightly enfolded around hers. He led her around the table, pulled out a chair, and guided her into it. She sat down with a plunk, loving that the she had the right—well, kind of—to be here.

Kiko’s scowl deepened at the sight of her in the chair, and it only grew darker when her father huffed out a resigned sigh.

“Mars ain’t gonna like this,” Kiko chided, folding his arms across his chest.

“Well, Jessie’s my mate and I want her to be a part of this. If she’s in danger now because of me, then it’s only fair she knows what we’re doing.”

“You agree with this, Mundo?” Kiko asked.

“He doesn’t have a say anymore,” Jessie chimed in.

“Just because you’re mated, girl, doesn’t mean I didn’t whelp you,” Mundo retorted, but he looked amused rather than hurt. She grinned at him, and grinned wider when he shook his head at her cheeky ways. “Dear Goddess, what did I do to deserve such an ungrateful brat for a daughter?”

“I don’t know, Dad,” she retorted. “Maybe gone to jail a time or two? Done some things you shouldn’t have.”

He narrowed his eyes. “See what I mean?” he asked no one in particular. “Ungrateful.”

“Nah, ungrateful would be to stop loving you for all the naughty things you’ve done. But love doesn’t work like that, does it?” she cajoled.

He grunted, but his eyes carried on sparkling. If there was anyone who understood her sense of humor, it was her father because, Goddess help them both, she’d inherited his.

“If Spyder’s okay with her having nightmares, then I’m okay with it too,” was all he said, but he said it smugly and sank back into his chair until it rocked, that same smarmy look on his face.

She snorted. “When was the last time I had a nightmare?”

Jarvis scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “About six years ago.”

She could feel Spyder stiffen at her back. “I used to get bad nightmares,” she confessed.

“Bad?” Mundo hooted. “Used to wake the whole goddamn clubhouse up with her screaming and wailing.”

Jarvis grimaced. “I can attest to that. I’m on the other side of the damn clubhouse and I used to hear her.”

“You all have sensitive hearing,” she snapped, feeling her cheeks turn red. “You’d have heard me yelling even if I’d barely made a peep of a sound. And anyway, I only had a bad dream because someone, a dude called Mundo, decided it was the right time to introduce me to Pennywise.”

Mundo chuckled. “Damn, your mother sulked with me for a week over that.”

“So she should have done too,” Annette answered for Jessie, sauntering into the Council room.

The men eyed her, and then eyed Ava when she came in too.

“Is it just me, or are there getting to be lots of X chromosomes in this room?” Major asked.

“I don’t know, Major, you’re the healer. You’d know,” Jessie retorted.

“That tongue of yours is like a knife, girl,” Mundo chastised.

“That’s because I was raised by you, Daddy.”

“She’s got you there, Mundo. By the short and curlies.” Annette clapped him on the shoulder as she carried onto the Prez’s chair. She took a seat. “Mars will be along in a minute.”

Jessie smiled at Ava as she took a seat and Chris stood behind her.

The meeting had been called, urgently, this morning. She knew Spyder was hoping for good news.

He’d told her about the package and what Martinez had wanted to do with it. He’d also told her that her mom had ascertained there were drugs and weapons inside, which they were destroying and getting rid of.

As Spyder hadn’t complied with Martinez’s request, he’d been on tenterhooks these last two days. Sammy was in the worst possible place to be on the receiving end of retribution, and every moment that passed she knew he’d been terrified on his brother’s behalf.

How could she not understand?

Spyder was an abused child. The last thing he’d want is his baby brother to be suffering something similar. And only the Goddess knew what Sammy was enduring in jail.

Her daddy, with one of his questionable contacts, had managed to wangle it so Sammy was in solitary, but not even that was infallible. Not where a man like Martinez was concerned.

Hell, hadn’t he bribed the Assistant District Attorney to try and convict Sammy on a case with fabricated evidence?

What wasn’t the man capable of?

She shuddered at the thought and kept her eyes trained on the door, waiting for Mars to appear.

She was nervous on her mate’s behalf, and had been teasing her daddy to break some of that tension—her being hyped up was the last thing Spyder needed.

His hands were on her shoulders and he was kneading them, not for her sake, but for his. She could only imagine what that nervous energy was doing to him.

“Where is Dad?” Ava asked as she eyed Spyder and apparently sensed his nerves. “Can’t we get on with this?”

Annette shook her head. “You know he’ll sulk.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “Dear Goddess.”

Chris snorted. “I swear, ever since I mated you my Prez is looking less and less fallible.”

“That’s what happens when women get involved,” Mundo said mournfully. “A man’s reputation takes some heavy hits.”

Annette hooted out a laugh. “Like you had much of a reputation before you met Christie.”

He put on a puppy dog face. “See, gentlemen? See the abuse I get?”

A chorus of laughter went up around the table, and when Mars stepped in, it didn’t really die down.

“What’s the joke?” he asked as he rounded the table and bent down to kiss Annette’s forehead. The gesture was absentminded. Not in a bad way, but in a ‘I suck air in, then blow it out’ kind of way.

Kissing Annette, connecting with his mate, it was like breathing to Mars. Just like it was with her daddy and momma, and the rest of the males who were mated on the Council.

Just like it would come to be that way with her and Spyder.

She loved the idea of that.

“Sorry about the delay. But I just got off the phone with Senator Jamieson.”

Ava sat up. “You have?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What did he say?”

Mars cocked a brow at his daughter. “I’m about to tell you if you’d just hold on.”

Annette pinched him. “Don’t tease. Poor Spyder looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.”

“Sammy is going to be released within the next forty-eight hours.”

Relief pummeled Jessie on her mate’s behalf. She leapt up and with a squeal, threw herself into Spyder’s arms. They clamped around her so tightly, it hurt, but she knew he needed the release of emotion in a way that wouldn’t lessen him in the other males’ eyes—she’d been around Bear Shifters long enough to know how men worked. He burrowed his face into her throat and she felt wetness gather there as she hugged him back. His back was to the Council, thanks to the way she hugged him, and he quickly swiped at his eyes as he kissed her cheek. “Thank you,” he breathed into her ear as he pulled away, and she knew he was thanking her for giving him the cover to let loose some of his relief and happiness. “Ava, Mars, I can’t thank either one of you enough,” he told them both roughly.

“You got that in the right order, son,” Mars said approvingly, and he beamed at his daughter. “You did it, sweet pea.”

Ava looked pleased with herself, and Jessie couldn’t blame her. She’d worked a goddamn miracle so she could look as smug as she damn well chose.

“I don’t really know how you managed to get that Senator on board, Ava, but I’m incredibly grateful,” she told the women who was kind of like a sister to her. Hell, Ava was. They sure as shit fought like siblings.

The other woman grinned. “It’s all about leverage. But unlike Spyder, I used it correctly.” He winced at that, making her and the rest of the Council chuckle. “He’s set his sights on the White House.” She shrugged. “I promised him a nice wad of cash to help him out.”

Mars scowled. “I hope we can afford it.”

She sniffed. “What do you think? Leave the math to me, Dad.”

“I can’t believe it,” Spyder said softly. “This entire thing has been like a fucking nightmare, and it’s over? Just like that?”

Mars grimaced. “Well, it kind of is. Sammy’s out, which is great. But that’s separate to the issue with Martinez. He’s still out to target us, and now we’ve outmaneuvered him and Sammy is going to be home free, well, that’s not going to make him like you any.”

Annette piped up, “For that reason, we welcome you and Sammy and any of your family into the clubhouse. We’d invite your riders, but that’s not going to happen, is it?”

“No, they’re glued to the clubhouse. But Sammy is the only family I have left, and on his behalf, we’ll accept your generous invitation. Thank you so much. All of you. I know he’d still be stuck in there if it wasn’t for you.”

Mars grimaced. “Same could be said that he wouldn’t be in there if it wasn’t for us too. We pay our dues.”

Spyder lowered his head, and Jessie felt the relief vibrating through him as he went back to cupping her shoulders as he stood behind her chair.

“That brings us to the next topic. What we’re actually going to do about Martinez?”

“Shame we can’t treat him to his own medicine,” Ava said with a huff.

“We got out of that business a long time ago,” Kiko replied. “Not that it wouldn’t be a fitting end to the SOB.”

“It certainly seems like he’s a bad penny. To wait all this time to try to get revenge? And to do it the way he did? Involving innocents in his craziness?” Annette shuddered. “The man’s a lunatic.”

“Are you sure he hasn’t planned more for us?” Jessie asked, and watched as eyes all turned to her and not with pleasure. She shrugged. “That package... is that how hard he’s going to hit us?”

“That could have done our reputation a lot of damage, Jessie,” Mars chided. “Cost us a lot in fines, too. And Goddess, if those guns had been used to commit a murder, say, then we could have been implicated in those investigations. Martinez has already proved that he can manipulate the legal system. The Goddess only knows what he could do with that.”

“Yeah, it could have caused a real shit storm. But you wouldn’t have gone to jail, would you? And it wouldn’t have hurt you. Not personally because though the guns might have implicated someone in a crime, there’d be no DNA or fingerprints or whatever to tie that person to the case.

“It would have hit the company, took away some of our gloss, but at the same time, our rep is built on being an MC. Heck, it might have added to our mystery.” She wrinkled her nose. “It just seems like a lot of trouble to go to, to imprison an innocent man just to get Spyder to get us to transport a package. A package that could cause a bit of chaos, but is that enough punishment? Is that enough for him to feel like he’s pulled one over on us?”

Silence fell at her words, then Annette grimly stated, “I hate to agree because I don’t like what she’s saying, but she’s right.”

Mars hissed out a breath. “You know we all agreed a long time ago that none of the cubs were ever right.”

Ava grunted. “Ain’t that the truth.” She shot Jessie a look, and they rolled their eyes at how spot on Mars’s gruff teasing had been.

Annette reached for Mars’s hand. “For Martinez, this has to be personal, surely? Why bother if it isn’t?”

Mars shot a look at Spyder. “Have you never heard of Martinez?”

Behind her, Spyder tensed. “No. Well, I’ve heard of him. But do you really mean has my MC been involved with him? As far as I’m aware, no. I carried on with what my dad started. Stealing cars and redistributing them.”

Jessie winced at that. She’d grown up around a bunch of outlaws in title only because these outlaws had all been following the law for longer than she could remember. It made for an interesting paradigm; one she hoped to continue.

The last thing she wanted was to find her mate and then lose him to jailed months or years later.

Perhaps he sensed her discomfort with his words because Spyder squeezed her shoulder. More to Mundo than to her, though, he murmured, “I’ll be relinquishing my position as Prez of Spider’s Venom once this situation is resolved.” His statement had the men in the room nodding their agreement, but Jessie gasped in surprise.

“You don’t have to do that,” she told him, whirling around to look at him. She didn’t want him to go to jail, but that didn’t mean he had to give up his rightful place in the MC.

“I do. Things have changed, Jessie,” he told her softly, and his smile was gentle. Reassuring.

She shook her head. “No. It isn’t necessary.”

“It damn well is,” her father grumbled. “You want him going off to jail every few months when the cops figure out what stunts he’s pulling with those cars?”

“No, of course not. But there’s no need to give up the MC. Mars changed the MC’s MO. Why can’t Spyder?”

“Because before the fact that we’re riders and brothers, we’re Bears, Jessie,” Mars commented. “And even then, a lot of people weren’t happy. I had to fight a lot of Challenges to make sure the men understood that things were changing and that my word was law.

“Spider’s Venom is a different kind of matter, entirely. Spider’s Prez out of respect to his father’s memory, but also because he’s leading the MC down the route they want to take.”

Spyder nodded his agreement with Mars’s surmise. “The Nomads had the manpower and the funds to go on the straight and narrow, Jess. Spider’s Venom is smaller. Money’s tight. And it’s not like we could diversify the way you guys have done anyway. For some of the men in the MC, they have no other skills.”

“They can tear cars apart and redistribute them,” she argued. “Why can’t you open garages and or dealerships.”

Major, Jarvis, and Kiko snickered, but at a quick glower from Annette, they stopped. “She isn’t wrong,” she declared.

“No, she isn’t,” Mars replied patiently. “They would have the skillset for that, but Jessie, they had that skillset all along and still chose to go down the illegal route. That tells you something.”

Jessie’s frown was loaded with concern. “I don’t want you giving up something you love for me.”

He snorted. “Babe, I don’t love the MC.” When their eyes caught and held, her heart began pumping double time. She sensed his silent message: he loved her. Gulping at that, she felt her gaze turn misty and quickly nodded, attempting to transmit the same message back to him.

It might have seemed crazy, but that was a mate bond. It took over everything. Consumed and overwhelmed. If it wasn’t a construct of good, it could be seen to be cancerous. Overpowering everything until nothing was left.

She shuddered at the thought and turned back to the table. Mars studied her, lowered his head to hide a smile she noticed anyway.

“So, as you pointed out, Jessie, this whole situation with Martinez does seem pretty motivated. Anyone have any ideas?”

Kiko piped up, “He’s nowhere near release, is he?”

It was Ava’s turn to have her say. “No. He should have been, but ten years ago he got involved in a fight that added to his time because he killed the opponent.”

Mundo grimaced. “That’s the fucking thing about jail. You get in there, and once they have hold of you, it’s damn hard getting back out.”

Annette retorted, “Just don’t do anything wrong and you’ll get out.”

Mundo cocked a brow. “You been to jail?” He knew she hadn’t so when she didn’t say anything, stated, “I have as you all know. Too many times. You can’t always stick to the right side of shit. People get you involved in their crap. You can’t avoid it sometimes.” He shrugged. “You can’t go it alone because someone will always single you out. But when you buddy up, you take on their shit too. It’s a fucking slippery slope. I don’t feel sorry for him, but I kinda feel sorry for the bastard. If you get my meaning.”

Justiss clapped him on the back. “I know what you mean.”

Mundo grimaced. “Glad somebody does.”

Chris chuckled. “You feeling sorry for yourself?”

“As a matter of fact, yeah, I am. My baby girl’s mated. Emphasis on baby. I’m pouting.”

Snickers went around the table and even Jessie’s lips twitched in good humor. He’d taken the surprised mating quite well actually. When they’d gone to speak to him shortly after the Claiming, his disappointment had been evident, and his concern too, but more than anything he and her momma had been supportive. Kind of. Offering to help out where and when they could, that is.

Mars rolled his eyes when Mundo wrinkled his nose at the Council’s amusement. “Is there any chance of staying on topic today? Or are we all going to keep jumping from shit to shit?”

Justiss pointed out, “There’s no way of knowing what Martinez’s next step is. Or even if there is a next step.”

Mundo narrowed his eyes. “Does anyone know if he has a cell mate?”

Ava nodded. “He does.”

“Know his name? Affiliation?”

She scowled at him. “Why? Does it matter?”

“Just tell me.”

“As far as I can tell, his cell mate has no affiliation.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, his crime wasn’t gang related.”

“What did he do?”

“Killed his baby momma.”

Annette gasped. “What?”

Ava wrinkled her nose. “Hate to say it, but she kind of deserved it. The woman knew her boyfriend was abusing the guy’s daughter.”

Jessie winced. “Bitch.”

“Yeah,” Ava agreed. “Hard to agree with someone having their head caved in with a mallet, but shit.”

Mundo clicked his fingers. “I’ve got it.”

Mars frowned. “You do? Since when do you ‘got’ anything?”

Mundo flipped him the bird and on a roll, said, “You know where his baby girl is?”

Ava huffed out a breath. “We only have this information because I’m anal about shit like this.”

“I know. That’s why I’m asking,” Mundo retorted.

“She’s in foster care.”

“Good foster care?”

“Now that’s going above and beyond. I can look into it though. I highly doubt it’s ‘good.’ When is it?” she stated rhetorically.

Mundo rubbed his jaw. “We can get to Martinez through his cellmate if we hold the cards on his daughter.”

Annette hissed. “You want to use an innocent girl as a pawn in this shit? An innocent girl who’s already been abused?”

Mundo scowled at her. “Just how big a piece of shit do you think I am? No, of course I don’t. I’m saying, let’s get her out of foster care and into a good home. No daddy wants to think of his kid in foster care. Not with all the fucking perverts out there, especially when she’s already been targeted and hurt, and he’s willingly killed to protect and avenge her. We tell him we’ll get her into a good home if he helps us.”

Annette firmed her jaw. “If we go through with any of this insane plan, we get her into a good home regardless of whether he agrees to help or not.” She reached for her mate’s hand, jerked it. “Do you understand me?”

The Prez and First Lady shared a look. Mars nodded. “Agreed.”

Jessie frowned. “This is all well and good, but what are we going to ask the cellmate to do? I thought we weren’t in the business of murdering off enemies who are a pain in our ass?”

“We’re not,” Mars remarked. “But Martinez doesn’t have to know that, does he?”

She frowned. “I guess not, but there are so many holes in this, you want to make sure they’re plugged before we go anywhere near the girl.”

“Of course,” Mars said easily.

“What’s the cellmate’s name?” Spyder asked Ava. “I know a few guys in Sammy’s jail,” he explained when Mundo looked at him askance.

“Joseph Randolph.”

Spyder blew out a breath. “Jesus. I know Joe.”

“That’s perfect. You’re our in.”

“I’m not sure if I can go to him with that offer. I know him, knew what he did. It’s too close, man. His girlfriend just sat back and let the abuse happen. She deserved what she got and the motherfucker earned every blow after what he did to Savannah... that’s Joe’s kid. I’m not sure I can offer her up to him as leverage.”

Leverage. Wasn’t that just the word of the moment?

Jessie cleared her throat. “I can.”

For a second, there was an explosive silence, then Mundo roared, “You ain’t going anywhere near a prison.”

“Why not? I can help. I know Spyder, so Joe might talk to me. I can explain the situation.”

Annette blinked. “It might come better from a woman.”

“You can’t agree with this?” Mundo demanded.

“If she thinks she can help, then we should give her a shot,” Annette retorted.

“Look. Spyder can get in touch with the jail, make the first steps to getting a visitation. When it happens, we go together, but I do the talking. It’s not like I’m going to get attacked in there, Dad. If anything, I’ll be safe as Larry.”

“Safe as Larry,” Mundo seethed. “In a jail.” He closed his eyes. “What did I ever do to the Goddess to deserve a daughter who wants to kill me?”

She snorted. “Stop being so melodramatic.”

His eyes popped open. “Melodramatic? Melodramatic?” His voice was hoarse. “You think this is me overreacting? Sugar, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”