As he stood at his pulling on his gloves, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Shy.

“You good?” Shy asked.

“I’m good,” Joker answered.

“Fucked up way to go, brother, sorry,” Shy said.

Joker had no response to that because what Shy said was true.

“Listen to Lucas,” Snapper, whose bike was next to Joker’s said. “That’s not on you.”

He knew it wasn’t. Time had passed. She was gone. Safe. Nightingale would find her, but he’d find her nowhere near Denver.

Valenzuela found her too. Dragged her back and laid her out for his message.

“Say it one last time,” Joker said to Snapper but did it quiet, not pissed. “I’m good.”

“Mount up,” Hop called, already astride his bike.

Those around him moved away and Joker swung his leg over his bike.

They started up, backed out…

Then as one, Chaos rolled.

* * *

Carissa sat in the bed, legs crossed in front of her under the covers, wearing his tee, lights on, and she stared at him.

Not surprisingly, she’d waited up for him.

Not surprisingly, when he got back, she asked if everything was okay.

Not surprisingly, she looked way fucking worried.

So sooner than he wanted to share at a time so deep in the morning he just wanted to go to sleep, he shared.

Everything.

Or everything he knew his brothers gave to their old ladies. There were no lies, but that didn’t mean old ladies weren’t kept safe from some truths.

Some brothers shared more than others.

Needless to say, Joker didn’t include the fact he’d just been to a crime scene where there was a murdered woman with his and his Club’s names carved into her skin.

But she knew about Chaos history and their mission, their turf and patrol.

She also knew some history about Valenzuela.

Now it was after five in the morning, and she had all she was going to get.

“Butterfly, it’s late. You got a shift in a couple of hours and I got a deadline. I just laid out a lot for you, and I don’t wanna push, but I need you to talk to me so I know where you’re at.”

“So…” she started, stopped, started again, “You’re…” again with the stop and then the start, “Essentially…” Her head tipped to the side. “Vigilantes?”

There really wasn’t anything essentially about it.

“Essentially,” he stated.

“And there’s a bad guy who’s mad at you because you saved Tabby’s friend, who’s a junkie, from being in a porno movie?”

He never in his life wanted to be discussing porn flicks with his good girl, Carissa, unless she got a wild hair and had a hankering to be seriously naughty and watch one with him.

He didn’t get into that.

He just said, “Yeah.”

“Are you in danger?”