“Yeah,” I nod. “Unless...you don’t want me to?”

He meets my gaze. “Didn’t know you knew how to cook?”

I shrug, reaching in to help him pull the items out. “I love cooking.”

“Well, you won’t hear me complaining.”

I chuckle. “Most men don’t.”

He grins at me, and my heart stutters. God, he’s beautiful, there’s just no other way of putting it. He’s pure, masculine beauty. We both look away quickly, and I feel my heart continuing on with its stupid little flip flops.

Why do I keep feeling like this around Jackson?

I have no right. Not when I’m betraying him the way I am.

CHAPTER 6

SERENITY

The small warehouse my father is hiding out in, is less than desirable. It’s old, crappy, hot, and it smells really bad. I walk through the main gates a week later, well past the date I was meant to come back. I know Hogan will be mad, but I had to find the right time to get out, and today was the only time I could do that. It took a lot for me to even find the courage to come back here, and if it wasn’t for my friend, I probably would have attempted to run.

I get deeper inside the warehouse, and groan at the heat. Yuck. I notice Janine right away on the bar. We’ve been friends for a long time; she’s the Old Lady to one of the well-known members, Derek. Her little daughter, Ebony, is the only reason I come back to this place. The poor girl would have no hope without her momma and me. We try to keep her away from as much as we possibly can.

“Sea!” she cries, rushing around the bar and over to me.

We leap into each other’s arms, and cling. I feel tears burn under my eyelids, but I hold them back. I could never let anything happen to this woman, or her baby. I lean back, and grip her short, red locks.

“You cut your hair!”

“This morning,” she smiles. “You like?”

“Love.”

She frowns, reaching out to touch the fading bruises on my face. “He’s a fucking pig.”

I smile weakly. “Yeah, I know.”

“One day honey, we’re going to get out of this god forsaken place.”

“We are,” I assure her. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“For now though,” she groans. “That no good son of a bitch is the only thing keeping Eb’s and I on our toes.”

She’s referring to Ebony’s dad, and I can’t blame her really. All of Hogan’s guys are scumbags. Each and every one of them. I’m sure he went around the world and picked every jerk, pig, rapist and woman basher he could and created an MC club.

“Where is Eb’s?”

“With her grandma.”

I nod. “My father?”

She jabs her thumb towards a door in the far left corner. “In there, and he’s in a mood.”

I feel my heart thud, but I still give her a smile. “Isn’t he always?”

She nods, and we hug once more before I head to Hogan’s office. When I get in, he’s sitting in his chair, staring out the window. Taking a deep breath, I clear my throat. He spins in his chair, and his eyes grow wild. I know how angry he is that I’m late, but I had to make up some excuse about going into town to buy some fresh clothes. Addi wanted to come, but I was lucky that Cade growled and said it was his afternoon with her.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Hogan bellows.

“I...I couldn’t get out.”

He slides his chair back, and stands, storming over and gripping my hair. I cry out. My eye burns as the ripping pain cascades through my body.

“Don’t, please, I’m sorry.”

“Waste of fuckin’ time you are, always fuckin’ wastin’ time. I gave you a specific order, and you didn’t fuckin’ follow it!”

His fist drives into my ribs, and I scream. I twist and turn, struggling to get out of his grips.

“Waste of fuckin’ air.”

He hits me again, and I’m sure I hear one of my ribs snap. I scream again, and my legs buckle as the pain becomes too much.

“I said you better have something, I gave you a fuckin’ week, but you’re fuckin’ useless.”

“I have something,” I scream between tears.

He drops me to the floor, and I wince and roll.

“Speak,” he bellows. “God help me, I’ll fuckin’ kill you.”

“T-t-t-they think you’re dead.”

A loud, booming laugh escapes his throat. I lift my head to look up at him through my tears. What the hell is so funny about that?

“Stupid fuckers! What else?”

“T-t-t-that’s all I got. They think you’re dead, they think they’re safe.”

“Fuckin’ perfect!” he laughs again. “Now get up, get out, and get me something else. Find out about security, find out about their rides, schedules, anything I need to work in an attack.”

“Please, just let it go. They have families and...”

His foot hits my ribs. I make a gurgled, screaming sound, and roll away from him.

“Don’t you fuckin’ question me! You know what I’ll fuckin’ do. Now get up, go and get what I need, and report back in a few weeks. You get every fuckin’ thing I tell you. If you don’t, that baby you love goes swimming.”

I nod, and tears stream down my face as I get to my knees and push myself up. I wobble towards the door, not looking back. I get out into the bar, and Janine rushes over, wrapping her arms around me. I wince in pain, and more tears flow.