"It wasn't the Jacks," I told her. We'd have to talk about "us" later. I needed time to think, and I wanted her a.s.s off the street. For once, I agreed with Hayes. "Please, Em. Let me talk to him."

She shook her head slowly, but she handed over the phone and I hit the callback b.u.t.ton.

"Baby, we don't have time to argue," Picnic said.

"It's Hunter."

Silence.

"What are you doing with my daughter?" he demanded, his voice like ice. He didn't give anything away, but he had to be scared for his children. Last time we'd talked like this, I'd threatened to kill her. h.e.l.l, I completely understood why he hated me after that. Sometimes I hated me, too.

"I'm trying to take her somewhere safe," I said, my voice steady. Unthreatening, but not showing any weakness, either. "I think the best place-at least for tonight-is with the Reapers, but I need more information. We've got two men dead. If that wasn't you, now would be a good time to tell me. My brothers will want blood."

More silence. Then he spoke.

"It wasn't us. We've got our own casualties. One dead, two in the ER. Someone took potshots at four clubhouses, including Portland. Care to tell me what you and your brothers were doin' earlier tonight?"

Your daughter, up against a wall in a dirty alley.

Yeah, probably best not to mention that.

"The Jacks aren't behind this. It's the cartel. Has to be. Unless you know another crew we've both p.i.s.sed off? Because someone executed our national president tonight, and fingers are already pointing your direction."

"f.u.c.k me ..." Picnic said slowly. Silence fell between us as we processed the situation. "You playin' games with me?"

"I wish to h.e.l.l this was a game," I said. I reached out and pulled Em into my side, eyes sweeping the street for danger. I wanted her behind walls. "I want to take her home, Pic. Only way that happens is if you give me safe pa.s.sage. No f.u.c.kin' way I'm letting her go to a hotel without protection, so if I can't take her to her people, she'll be staying with me."

"She with you voluntarily?"

"Yup," I replied.

"s.h.i.t," he muttered. Then he sighed. "Daughters are a curse. The other one isn't even answering her phone ... At least Em's safe right now, although I hate to give you credit for that. Can't say the same about Kit."

"We're in the open here," I told him, losing patience. "No reason they'd know where I am, but I'm not comfortable just standing on the street. Tell me where to take her."

"Bring her to Cookie," Picnic said. "I'll call Deke, he'll make sure you get in and back out without trouble."

About f.u.c.kin' time.

"Hunter?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for protecting her. You get her home safe, I'll consider it a personal favor."

I felt a grim smile steal across my face. He wouldn't thank me if he had any clue what I'd been doing to his baby girl fifteen minutes ago ... Or what I had every intention of doing to her again as soon as I got her alone in a room with a bed. Little Emmy had a trip around the world in her future.

I shook my head, trying to clear the mental image. d.a.m.n.

"I don't need your favors," I told Picnic. "Tell me about Kit. You can't get hold of her?"

"She's not answering her phone," he muttered. "Em says she took off with some guy, but she doesn't know what he looks like. f.u.c.k, Kit drives me crazy. Odds are good this p.r.i.c.k's got nothin' to do with our situation, but I'm not gonna breathe easy until we find her."

"My sister saw the guy," I said. "Want me to have her call you?"

"I'd appreciate that."

I hung up and handed the phone back to Em. Her eyes were haunted.

"How'd it go?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Hard to tell. Not as bad as it could've-he says it's safe to take you home, and I believe him. He wants you behind walls more than he wants me dead. Let's go."

I swung a leg over my bike and she hopped up behind me. A true child of the MC, she didn't think twice about climbing on in her little skirt. I kicked the scoot to life and we took off.

EM.

Cookie's small front yard was full of motorcycles. Like, full of motorcycles. Half the Portland brothers must've been there, which wasn't a good sign.

Hunter still insisted on walking me to the door, despite the fact that two prospects stood in the yard eyeing him. In theory this was safe. Dad should've called ahead, made sure they knew he was coming ... But walking into a Reaper stronghold with a Devil's Jack felt like tempting fate.

Deke himself opened the door. He and Hunter were about the same height, although Deke's build was heavier. Seeing them together, I was struck by how similar they were. Not in appearance ... No, more in the way they held themselves, casually poised for violence, faces blank. I'd heard rumors about Deke over the years. They said he made people who caused trouble for the club go away. I glanced at Hunter with new eyes, realizing he'd never actually told me what he did for the Jacks.

Did he make people go away, too?

"Thanks for bringing her home," Deke said, reaching for my arm. Hunter met his gaze, then took my chin and turned my head toward him. He leaned over and kissed me, slow and deliberate.

That kiss had nothing to do with s.e.x. Nope, this was all about marking territory.

Dad's head was going to explode.

"She's here because you'll keep her safe," Hunter said. "Don't know if Picnic told you, but we have our own problems tonight. I'm a.s.suming we all got hit by the same crew."

"Maybe," Deke said, his eyes cold. "I find out you're behind this, I won't kill you fast, boy."

Holy s.h.i.t. Deke was scary.

"Night, Em," Hunter said, ignoring the Portland president's threat. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "I'll call you later. Might not be right away, but don't worry."

Then he turned his back on us and walked back down to his bike. There was something almost c.o.c.ky about the way he moved. Like he was taunting Deke. The Portland president pulled me into the house, shutting the door behind us. I tried to pa.s.s through to the kitchen, but he blocked me.

"Your dad know you're f.u.c.kin' the enemy?"

I swallowed, but I held firm.

"I'm an adult, Deke. What I do is my business."

He crossed his arms and eyed me, something almost like disgust in his face.

"You're a spoiled brat," he said bluntly. "You and your sister both. I've never given a s.h.i.t about that because you're not my kid and you're not my old lady."

I gasped.

"Here's the thing, though," he continued. "You do anything-anything at all-that puts Cookie and Silvie in danger, I'll kill you myself. We clear?"

I'd never had anyone talk to me like that. I knew my eyes must be wide and I had no idea what the h.e.l.l I should say to him.

"Em!" Cookie called, running into the living room. Her face was red, like she'd been crying. She pushed past Deke to catch me in her arms, hugging me tight. "I can't believe what's happening. When Picnic called because he couldn't get hold of you ... I was terrified."

"It's all right," I said, watching Deke over her shoulder. His face was still blank. Had I imagined what just happened? "I'm safe now. No word from Kit, though."

Cookie pulled away.

"s.h.i.t," she muttered. "I hoped she'd be in touch by now. You know anything about the guy she took off with? Your dad is nervous. He's thinking it might be one of them ... whoever they are. The shooters. .h.i.t a pipe at the clubhouse, flooded the whole place. That's why the guys are all here tonight."

"It wasn't the Devil's Jacks," I said firmly, and I believed it. The look of shock on Hunter's face had been too real.

"We don't know who it was," Deke said. "And you don't need to worry about that right now, anyway. Jumping to conclusions gets people killed. We'll figure it out and then we'll take care of business. Em, you keep trying to get hold of your sister, okay? Cookie, you might as well go to bed. Doesn't matter how much drama we have tonight, Silvie'll still be up at the crack of dawn and she'll need her mama."

"What about work?" Cookie asked him. "I'm supposed to open the shop tomorrow morning. I have a sitter coming over."

Deke shook his head slowly.

"Either call someone in to cover for you or I'll have one of the boys put a note on the door."

Cookie got a funny look on her face.

"I'm a business owner, Deke," she said. "I can't just close up for the day."

"You can tomorrow," he said. "Until I know what's goin' on, you're staying where it's safe and I can have my guys watching you."

Cookie crossed her arms, her face growing wary.

"I'm not an old lady anymore," she said slowly. "In fact, I'm not attached to the club at all. Just because you guys check in on me doesn't mean I'm a target. Or I wasn't, until everyone parked their bikes on my lawn and made this your new headquarters."

"Listen to me very carefully," Deke said softly. "You're one of ours, and you always will be. But I can't afford to keep too many men on you. That means I need you and Silvie in one place, where I know you're safe, so I can focus on what needs to be done. Either find someone to cover for you or the shop stays closed. Your call."

He turned and walked away, leaving both of us staring at him.

"f.u.c.ked-up night," Cookie muttered.

"No s.h.i.t," I answered, my voice subdued. "I think I'll try calling Kit again. You going to do what he says?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful.

"For now. They shot Swinger in Boise. He was a friend of Bagger's, you know. Best man at our wedding."

I looked over to find her twisting her wedding ring around her finger absently.

"I'm going to bed," she said suddenly. "But come and get me if you hear from Kit, okay?"

"Okay."

HUNTER.

The ride down to Salem the next morning was f.u.c.king cold. It'd started raining right on the edge of Portland. Not bad. Just enough to make the trip utterly miserable. Some a.s.shole in a Hummer nearly took out Skid on the freeway, which almost got ugly, seeing as we were both trigger happy and paranoid as h.e.l.l.

d.i.c.kwad came d.a.m.ned close to getting shot.

When we pulled up to the Salem clubhouse, I saw a good fifty bikes parked outside. I'd known officers would be coming, but this was a bigger turnout than I'd expected.

Guess war will do that.

Skid and I backed our bikes into the line. He glanced over at the prospects standing guard, then gestured at me to wait before going in.

"Kelsey says you were with Em last night?" he asked. I bristled.

"I put Kelsey on a plane at six this morning. Picked her up at her place, and she won't land for another hour. When the f.u.c.k did you talk to her?"

He just looked at me, and I clenched my teeth.

"I knew it," I muttered. "She deserves better than you."

"It's none of your business," he said.

"What I do with Em is none of your business, either."

"Different situation. f.u.c.kin' Kelsey doesn't put anyone in danger but me, and I'm pretty sure you won't kill me outright unless I knock her up or something ... But this s.h.i.t with Em hurts the whole club, bro. You need to go in there and tell Burke."

"Don't lecture me, a.s.shole. I know that. Or are you saying I can't handle myself?"

"So long as you put the club first," Skid said. "Burke needs us. Remember that."