Chapter One
Grinder
When people have taken pleasure in watching you bleed, it changes you. Turns you into the savage you swore you'd never become. After a while, you’re not sure you’ll make it back to who you used to be. So if you find a woman who soothes your inner beast and defrosts your frozen soul, allowing them to slip away isn't an option.
Sometimes, running away to protect what you love most can be the bravest act. I understand that. Respect it, even.
Doesn’t mean I won’t search every corner of this Earth until I find my woman.
“I’ll drive.” Z follows me down the hallway.
“You’re not coming with me,” I grumble over my shoulder. “My life’s not a soap opera for your entertainment.” But fuck if it’s not starting to feel that way.
Z thunders down the stairs behind me. “Hey.” He taps my shoulder when we reach the packed clubhouse living room.
I spin around to confront him in a low voice. “What?”
“I’m not looking to be entertained, brother.” Z’s as solemn as I’ve ever seen him. No dimples in sight. “I just wanna make sure you’re okay. And that she’s all right.”
“Fine.” I blow out an annoyed breath. My gaze darts around the room again, confirming no one’s listening to us. “Don’t say anything to anyone, though. Please. I don’t need everyone knowing my business before I even know what’s up.”
“Promise.” He holds up one hand. “Won’t breathe a word to anyone until you’re ready.”
“Thank you.”
Outside, the crisp night air slaps me in the face. Bright light spills out of the garage. The gravel crunches under our boots as we cross the lot. I catch a figure banging around inside and move faster.
“Dex,” I call out.
“I thought you didn’t want anyone else to know?” Z mutters.
Ignoring Z, I hurry to meet Dex outside the garage door. “You busy?”
“Always, but what’s up?”
“You’ve been by Emily’s place, right?”
“A few times. Keeping an eye on things. Haven’t seen anything or anyone sneaking around.”
“You mind stopping by and asking if Serena’s there?”
Dex widens his eyes. “You actually want me to knock on her door and let her know the club’s been watching over her?” He continues with the incredulous stare. “How do you want me to explain that?”
“Don’t.”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I can’t get a hold of Serena and I’m worried about her.” I try to dial down the agitation in my voice. “Z and I are gonna run by her place. Emily’s is like an hour in the opposite direction, so—”
“Yeah. Sure, brother. I got you.” He slaps my shoulder. “I’ll head out right now.”
“If she’s there, just ask her to call me and send me a text to let me know.”
“You got it.”
I give him a description of Serena’s car and the license plate. He squints but doesn’t question me further.
“Let’s go.” Z slaps my chest.
“Do that again and you’re going to pull back a bloody stump,” I warn.
“Easy, Grinder.”
I turn toward my truck but Z stops me. “I’ll drive. That way, I can take off if she’s there. Leave you two alone.”
“Super,” I grumble, sweeping my arm ahead of me in a lead-the-way gesture.
Z shakes his head, muttering under his breath about my grumpiness.
“You wanted to come with me,” I remind him. “Deal with it.”
There isn’t much to talk about as he drives us into Empire. At least there shouldn’t be. Z seems to have a different idea.
“Where’s your head at, G?” he asks.
“I want to make sure she’s okay.” My hands curl into fists in my lap. “Don’t want to get my hopes up,” I admit in a lower voice.
“What are you going to do…if she’s…you know?”
“Let her know I’m going to take care of her and our kid.” I snort and close my eyes for a second. “I already used some of that cash from Quill to order a fucking engagement ring after our meeting today.”
Z chuckles. “That’s some irony.”
“Yeah, I’m laughing my ass off over here.”
His hands tighten around the steering wheel and I move my gaze to his face. Jaw clenched, eyes staring straight ahead.
“I really wish we’d killed Shadow slower,” he says, voice tight with anger. “She wouldn’t be so fucking scared that she felt like she had to run if—”
“Had the same thought.” It stings that Serena doesn’t trust me or my club. But I can’t blame her, either.
A cloud of disapproval hangs in the cab as we venture farther into downtown Empire. Z steers his truck onto Serena’s small street and scowls.
“How can you let her live here?” he finally asks.
“I offered to move her into a nicer place. She wasn’t having it.”
He lines the truck up next to a smaller car and smoothly parallel parks it against the curb. “Life’s not as much fun without a good woman frustrating the fuck outta ya.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
His gaze scans the pavement in front of us. “Where does she usually park?”