Why didn’t I think this far ahead? Of course the MC would threaten her family. And threaten her. Maybe even hurt her or worse. It’s what we do. It’s what we’ve always done. What would be any different this time around?

Fuck.

The stakes in this game just got much higher. I’m not only playing for her, I’m playing to keep her alive and safe, too.

“Wait!” I say. “We don’t need to go in that direction yet. Give me time to do it my way. I’m seeing her again tonight. Things are going well. We don’t need to panic and do something rash.”

“We have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” Jesse says. “We can’t be caught with our asses hanging out on this. She has to be stopped no matter what. You need to understand that if you can’t take care of this, we’ll be forced to handle it our way. There always has to be a Plan B.”

“Club first,” Flint says.

“Club first,” the men say one by one around the table.

Everyone but me.

“Sam?” Jesse says, waiting for my answer.

I nod in agreement.

“Club first.”

Chapter Sixteen

Sam

––––––––

“You’re early,” Lila says when I arrive at her house. “I’ve been out for a run and I’m all sweaty. Don’t look at me until I take a shower.”

“No complaints from me about how you look,” I say, pulling her in for a quick kiss. The tight sports bra and running shorts show off her curves perfectly.

“I’m serious,” she says. “I have to take a shower first before dinner. If you want a snack, there is butter pecan ice cream in the freezer and chocolate syrup on the counter. I’ll hurry.”

“Take your time,” I say. “I’ll eat a bowl of ice cream or two.”

“Don’t spoil your appetite,” she calls out from the hallway.

I wait until I hear the sound of the shower running before glancing around for her phone. It’s not on the kitchen table, so I quietly sneak into the bedroom where I spot it on the dresser. With any luck, I’ll be able to see how often she’s checking in with the ATF.

I flip open the phone and immediately the screen prompts me for a four-digit code.

Shit!

This is hopeless, and I’m not even going to attempt it. I put the phone back where I found it and go back to the kitchen. Grabbing a bowl out of the cabinet, I add two scoops of ice cream and a generous helping of chocolate syrup.

I’m halfway through my second bowl of ice cream when Lila stomps into the kitchen with a pissed off look on her face. She holds up her cell phone.