“Frankie, you’ll be in town. Safe in town,” Bull repeated, in case she didn’t understand what he’d just said.

“No. I’m going with you to the compound.” Frankie settled the vest on her shoulders.

Bull’s gut clenched like he’d eaten a barrel of green apples. Like his woman had just told him she planned to walk into what would likely turn into a fucking firefight. “No. No, you’re not.”

When she rolled her eyes and eyed the handguns, he turned to the one person to whom she might listen. “Gabe. You’re in charge.”

His brother folded his arms over his chest and eyed Frankie. “Convince me.”

“Easy enough.” She set her hands on her hips like Mom had done when squaring off against Dad. Bull’s heart gave a painful twang.

“You guys are huge, even before you add the armor. All in black. Deadly.” Frankie shook her head, frowned, and started to braid her hair back. “You’re forgetting these women have been abused. Why in the world would they go with you? You’re going to come across as even more terrifying than the cult fanatics.”

Bull opened his mouth, closed it. Cleared his throat. “We’ll tell Kit that you sent us.”

“Maybe she would believe you…eventually.” Frankie looked at Gabe. “In that plan of yours, did you build in time to explain matters?”

The sour expression on Gabe’s face said she was right.

She’d be coming with them.

“God-fucking-son-of-a-bitch.” Bull heard the echo off the walls and winced. Hell, that was his raised voice.

Frankie didn’t even flinch, just chuckled. “I love you, too. And I know I’m no soldier, and I’m scared spitless, but I need to be there so Kit trusts you. If she does, maybe the rest will, too.”

She loved him. Said it out loud in front of his brothers. Fuck, but he’d never tire of hearing that no matter how many years they lived.

She was scared…and going along anyway. Her loyalty to a friend left him in awe.

Bull gripped her arms, and the feeling of her tense muscles was its own reassurance. She did know how to fight. Could hold her own. He leaned his forehead against hers. “Jesus, woman.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Hauling in a breath, he fixed her with a hard stare. “You’ll obey orders. From Gabe, me, Caz, Hawk, and JJ. Immediately. No questions or arguments. Immediately.”

She glanced at the weaponry covering the armory walls. Her lips tilted slightly. “Don’t worry, orsacchiotto. I know when I’m at the bottom of the rank and file.”

Chapter Twenty-One

If you are going through hell, keep going. ~ Winston Churchill