Sam chuckled, nodded his understanding, and stepped out of the bar with Alan a step behind him.

* * *

Two Weeks Earlier…

‘So, this is her, huh?’

Wyatt cast a seemingly unimpressed eye over Alex, his voice tinged with confusion. Alex nervously looked around the bar, intimidated at how real The Pit felt in contrast to the clearly fabricated aesthetic of the High Five. Wyatt wasn’t as tall or as broad as Sykes, but he carried himself with such authority that he was twice as intimidating. With his bandana wrapped around his head and his strong jaw lined with a greying beard, Wyatt looked her dead in the eye.

‘Why are you here?’ The question caught Alex by surprise, and she shot a glance over Wyatt’s shoulder to Sykes. ‘Don’t look at him, look at me.’

Wyatt’s tone hardened, and Sykes spoke up.

‘Jesus, Trent. Give the girl a break.’

Wyatt raised his hand in the air, silencing Sykes without even looking at him. His eyes were locked on Alex, who felt a bead of sweat trickle down her neck.

She now realised how dangerous the game she was playing actually was. It had been easy up until this point.

Sinclair, the DEA agent who had recruited her to infiltrate the Riders, had waxed lyrical about the risk involved, but up until this point, it had been easy. Mason, the man who ran the High Five was a cuddly bear in truth, despite a clear history of violence. The other Riders were harmless enough, unless one of the wannabe bikers got too friendly or aggressive with the bar staff.

Growing up in the Bronx, making her own way through life to keep food on her family’s table had hardened Alex.

The trials with Sam in Italy, the bullet wound she’d suffered.

All of it had toughened her. Moulded her.

But stood before Wyatt with his unbreakable gaze Alex felt terrified to her very core.

‘I wanted a job,’ she eventually mumbled.

‘You had a job,’ Wyatt stated firmly. ‘A pretty easy gig at the Five. Nice customers. Plus, close to home for you. So, tell me again, why the fuck would you leave New York to come and work in this shit-hole bar in this back road town?’

‘Because Sykes asked me to.’

‘So, you’re here for him?’ Wyatt threw a thumb in Sykes’s direction. His right-hand man had gnawed his ear off about Alex Stone for a few weeks, and Wyatt had assumed he was attracted to her. Perhaps this was just a move for him to take her to bed.

It was a lot of effort, but Wyatt didn’t care. He hadn’t sat on the throne for so long by being courteous, or by letting his groin rule his head.

‘No.’ Alex smiled. ‘I needed a fresh start. I had some trouble with the feds, and I needed to get away. Figured you boys might be a good start.’