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I tense. I’m trusting this scary beast of a man with my life, with Max’s life. I don’t even know him. He could be leading us into an even worse situation. Maybe this was a huge mistake. My judgment is usually pretty good, but today, I’ve been totally irrational. I could lose everything because of the decisions I’ve made. My career, my reputation, and maybe even my life.

Before I can descend into a complete meltdown, Scar stops the bike outside a large, lemon-yellow farmhouse. I don’t know what I expected, but this looks like someone’s grandmother’s house. Flower boxes hang from the wrap-around porch. Cascading bunches of magenta petunias dangle from them, brushing the ground. Hanging baskets of wildflowers in every color of the rainbow sway in the breeze. Six white Adirondack chairs rock gently in the breeze. It’s the kind of porch you could spend an afternoon on, sipping tea and watching the clouds float by.

The front door swings open, and a woman steps out. My jaw drops. This can’t possibly be Scar’s grandmother. She’s petite but carries herself as if she were ten feet tall. Jet black hair with streaks of gray hangs down to her waist. Her black leather boots lace up to her knees. She’s wearing black yoga pants that show off her killer figure. Her black and red floral t-shirt seems out of place under her fitted, black leather jacket, which is buttoned once at the waist to further highlight her hourglass shape. Her six-inch-long turquoise and silver cross necklace also doesn’t fit the image of a grandmother, at least none I’ve ever known. Her smile is more of a smirk as she comes to greet us.

“Hey, honey.” She holds her arms wide. Scar lets her fold him into an embrace. “Are you hungry? I’ve got all your favorites.”

“I didn’t get to finish my bowl of Sugar Bear earlier.” Scar steps back. “I’d like you to meet Julia and Max.”

“Yes, the nurse and,” Nina bends down, so she’s eye-level with Max, “an adorable kid. Are you hungry, Max?”

“I just gave him a grilled cheese,” Scar says.

“Growing boys need to eat,” she admonishes. “Come inside. I’ll show you the snack pantry.”

“Snack pantry?” I whisper while casting a sideways glance at Scar.

“Wait until you see it. It’s every kid’s idea of heaven.” Scar’s smile lights up his face and makes him look ten years younger. I’m guessing he’s around thirty years old, slightly older than my twenty-seven years. However, right now, he looks much younger. Seeing this child-like side of him makes me relax slightly. A true monster would never smile like that.

As I step into the ranch house, I’m instantly transported into a state of total relaxation. I feel completely safe. I don’t know if it’s the pale gray overstuffed chairs and sofa, the stone fireplace, or the silver mist blue color of the walls. It’s as if everything in the living room has been designed to bring peace and comfort. All I want to do is lay on the sofa and take a long nap with Nina’s white, fringed chenille throw draped over my body.

“Can I get you anything to eat?” Nina asks me as she continues toward the kitchen.

“No. Thank you.” I try not to gawk at her butt, but she’s got to be hardcore into yoga or something for it to be that firm at her age. I’m not jealous. I’m inspired.

“I’ll fix afternoon tea,” Nina says.

“It’s almost dinner time,” Scar points out.

“There’s always time for tea.” Nina raises a perfectly arched brow. “Show Max the snack pantry.”

“Come on. It’s awesome,” Scar says to Max. He takes Max’s little hand in his, and they head for a door marked “Pantry.”

I tense slightly. They’ll only be out of sight for a minute. Can I trust Scar with him? I search my gut and realize I can. I don’t really understand why, but I know he’s not going to hurt Max. Besides, I’m only a few feet away. If Max is in trouble, he can scream and run back into the kitchen.

“Grab a seat, hon,” Nina says.

She walks around the biggest kitchen island I’ve ever seen. There are four stools on each of the three sides. The fourth side faces the gas stove and contains a farmhouse sink. A vase filled with pink wildflowers adds color to the otherwise white space.

I sit on a barstool across the island from where Nina’s working, adding water to a copper teakettle and setting it on the stove. After riffling through a cupboard, she chooses several wooden boxes filled with tea bags and presents them as if she’s offering the selection to a queen.

“Chamomile, please.” I pluck a packet out and hand it to her.

“Talon caught me up on what’s been happening.” She grabs two white mugs from another cupboard and sets them on the counter. She drops the teabag into one before choosing peppermint for her cup. “This is a brave thing you’re doing.”

“I don’t know about that. It’s totally illegal. I basically kidnapped him.”

“Laws are only good if they’re used to protect innocent people. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.”

“True.”

When she hands me a steaming mug, I take it and set it on a cork coaster in front of me. The scent of chamomile curls into my nose, and my body releases any remaining tension. I can see why Scar brought us here. It’s far more inviting than being in his clubhouse. Not that his house wasn’t nice. It just didn’t have any feminine touches, so while it felt comfortable, it didn’t have the same softness as Nina’s place.

“Don’t worry too much. We’ll figure something out.” She sits in a chair diagonally from where I’m seated.

“How long have you known Scar?” I ask.

“Sixteen years. Since he was fifteen.” She takes a sip of her tea, leaving behind a smudge of red lip gloss.