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“I know. I had already decided last night I wasn’t going to let Travis walk away from the club.”

“You mean I dredged all this shit up for nothing?” His voice rose, but there wasn’t any heat in his words. Nor were there any in mine when I said, “Fuck off, Danny.”

He smiled at my snarky comment and then sobered. “You gotta talk to Gunner.”

“Ugh. I know.” Closing my eyes, I let out a loud exaggerated sigh, and Danny chuckled. Opening one eye, I peered at him. Maybe we could be friends.

You know, for Dani and Dante.

“You want me to get him?” he asked.

“Now?”

“No time like the present,” he said, rising from his chair. He didn’t wait for my answer, just strolled to the door and opened it.

“Gunner!”

Oh God, I wasn’t ready for this. But when my brother stepped into the room, I knew the hurt and pain I saw on his face mirrored mine. Getting out of my chair, I launched myself at him.

“Are you ok? No one called me yesterday and Haizley wouldn’t let me go find you last night.”

“I’m ok. Danny protected me. And Winchester.”

“I’m sorry, Mellie. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Stepping back, I smacked his chest. “I’m so mad at you.”

“I know. You have every reason to be. I really was trying to protect you. I didn’t want you involved in club shit and...” Gunner looked away as if he was ashamed.

“And what?”

“I got locked up after I dropped you off. I knew I was getting picked up and I didn’t want you involved.”

My brother went to jail. And I didn’t know.

“What for? How long were you in?”

“Three months. I beat the shit out of some guy at a bar. He was harassing a woman, wouldn’t take no for an answer. Matlock is good at what he does. But the prick’s mother was on the town council or some shit. So, I had to do some time.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. It was so fucking ironic it was painful.

“You think it’s funny I got locked up?”

“Yes. I’ve been furious with you for ten years for leaving me in the name of protecting me and I find out you did time for protecting someone else.”

Gunner just shrugged. His protective nature was the reason he was the Sergeant at Arms.

“Why didn’t you tell me when you moved? If this chapter isn’t an outlaw club, why stay away?”

He tugged me over to sit at the table. “I knew you hated me for what I did. So, I left you alone. I didn’t feel like I deserved to have you back.”

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Yea, Haizley pretty much told me the same thing.”

Haizley. My brother’s old lady.

Fucking fate couldn’t be denied.