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“How long have you been a prospect?” I asked.

“A few months.”

“Is there another prospect I can speak to? Maybe one close to being patched in?”

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked toward the building. His indecision was costing me precious time. Dani would wake soon and she didn’t love being in the car so much.

“Pull up to the front. I’ll go inside to get someone.”

He walked back to the little shack he had been sitting in. Reaching through the door, he must have hit a button because the gate began to slide to the right. When it was open enough to drive in, I parked my car by the door where he had disappeared through.

I didn’t wait. As soon as the engine turned off, I opened my door and preceded to unbuckle Dani from her seat. I was going inside whether they allowed me to or not.

Just as I made it to the door, the prospect opened it and allowed me to walk in.

“Missy? What are you doing here?”

I turned when I heard the familiar voice call my name. I gawked at my best friend, trying to understand how I was seeing her in the clubhouse.

“Haizley?”

Dani lifted her head at the voices and looked around.

A pregnant woman behind Haizley gasped and called out, “Danika!”

She rushed over; her arms stretched out as though she thought she would take Dani from me. I pulled her in tight, turning away, shielding the little girl from whoever this woman was. I had an idea, but unless I had confirmation, no one was touching her.

The woman scowled at me and asked, “Who the fuck are you and what are you doing with my niece?”

“What’s your name?”

“I asked you first,” she retorted.

“Ellie, calm down. Let’s hear what’s going on before we cut the bitch,” another woman who was heavily pregnant, threatened.

I knew this would be a mistake. I considered turning around and leaving. The only reason I didn’t was the voice of reason who spoke next.

“Oh my God, both of you, calm down.” Turning back to me, Haizley asked, “Missy, what’s going on?”

“I was asked to find Ellery Thomas. I was told she was connected to my brother’s MC.” I turned to the first woman who spoke to me. “Is that you?”

“Yes. Why do you have her? Where are Dante and Danny?” Her voice changed quickly from angry to concerned when I explained why I was there.

“I don’t know. They brought Dani to me in December. A few weeks later, Dante asked me to take care of her. He said no one could know who or where she was. He said if I didn’t hear from him for forty-eight hours to take her to my brother’s MC to find you. I would have been here sooner, but I didn’t know he had moved from Arkansas.”

“Can I hold her, please?”

I hesitated, but when Dani reached out to Ellie and she snuggled into the woman’s neck, I was confident she was who she said she was.

“Missy, your brother is in this MC?”

“Yea,” I answered absently, my eyes still on Dani, searching for any sign of distress so I could take her back. I fully understood Dante’s feelings of jealousy toward the woman he told me about.

“The prospect said you were looking for Gunner?” She touched my arm, getting my attention.

“Yea. Haizley, what are you doing here? And what happened to your face?”

“Um... well.” She bit her lip, then smiled shyly at me. “I’m your brother’s old lady.”