“It’s nice doing business with you,” Luis says as he stands and offers his hand.
Lynch grips it tightly as they look each other in the eye for a second too long. Warnings, threats, and promises pass between them silently before they release each other.
Immediately after dropping Luis’s hand, Lynch spins around. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
He rolls his copy of the contract, twisting in his hands as we stride to the door. We barely pause to collect our anxious men in the foyer before piling out of the mansion, into the waiting SUVs, and getting the fuck out of Dodge.
No one breathes a sigh of relief until we’ve cleared the iron gates of the compound and they close with a thunderous boom behind us.
“That’s it?” TJ asks, just as shocked as I am as we put distance between us and the most lethal Colombian cartel.
“Looks that way,” Lynch says as he pulls his buzzing cell phone from his pocket and answers it. “Yeah?”
The silence is only broken by the rumble of Boston’s voice on the phone. Concern washes over me when his brow furrows with whatever news our treasurer is delivering. My blood thins as images of an ambush on our compound flash in my head. I’m ten conspiracy scenarios deep about what could’ve happened while we were distracted with Luis Jiménez before Lynch grunts a few words and hangs up.
“What’s going on?” TJ asks, turning in his seat and looking back at his brother.
“Molly disappeared for hours today. He found her working behind the desk at some fucking vet’s office. He said he thinks the doctor there has a thing for her. He said the guy had balls big enough to puff out his chest and question him.”
TJ snorts from the front seat. “She needs a man willing to get his ass kicked over her.”
“Agreed,” Lynch says as he looks out the window, effectively ending the conversation.
I can’t help but feel their words hitting me right in the chest.Chapter 9Molly
Anxiousness fills my blood as I sneak down the stairs. The guys came back late yesterday evening, telling by the squeals coming from Lynch and Zoe’s room.
“Breakfast?” Lynch grunts just as I reach for the doorknob.
“I don’t have time to eat,” I explain without pulling my hand from the door.
“Work requires a backpack?”
“Fuck,” I grumble as my hand drops heavily at my side and I turn around to face my nosey-ass brother.
“I’m cooking,” he says as if seeing him standing at the stove over a skillet with a spatula in his hand didn’t explain without words.
“I’m not hungry.”
“The backpack?”
Never one to be redirected, Lynch turns around to fully face me.
“I have a date,” I hedge, giving minimal information in the hope that he’ll just leave it alone.
“With the vet?”
I could cut Boston right now for meddling in my damn business.
“Correct.”
“Pretty tight-lipped this morning, aren’t you?”
“In a hurry is all.”
I grow nervous under his scrutiny. He has a way about him that makes me want to spill all my dirty secrets. It’s a good thing I’m still able to resist because as much as he wants to know every single detail of my life, there are some things that will tear this club apart, and he’s not ready for that information.
“What do you know about this guy?”
“Less than you, I imagine.”
Unable to escape the inquisition, I drop my backpack near the door and pull out a bar stool. Sitting heavily, I lean in, resting my chin on my closed fists and wait for him to get all of his questions out of his system.
“You don’t have to work.” He pulls the skillet from the burner and turns the stove off.
I don’t respond as he plates the scrambled eggs and begins working on putting bread in the toaster.
He waits me out, remaining silent as I just stare at his back.
Sighing, I give in to the pressure to speak. “I want to work. I’m bored just sitting around here all day every day. At least I’m being productive in my spare time.”
“Working outside of the clubhouse brings certain kinds of danger, Molly. You know that.”
“I refuse to stay trapped here.”
His shoulders stiffen. He’s unaccustomed to others telling him what they are or aren’t going to do in his kingdom. He gives a command and expects everyone to roll over and obey. What he may not be aware of is that I’ll leave this place before I’m sequestered here like Zoe. She loves sticking close and being at his beck and call, but I don’t get to lie on the warm chest of the man I love every night and make plans for our future. I’m alone, between cold sheets, trying to forget my feelings because all they do is cause pain.
“You’re not trapped. I just want you to be safe.”
Grumbling my displeasure, I straighten my legs and begin to stand from the stool.