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“Was your old man anything like Scar?” I ask.

“Hardheaded and too stubborn for his own good? Hell yeah.” She laughs. “They aren’t easy to love, and believe me, I tried not to fall for him, but it was impossible. From the moment we met, it was electric. I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, and that feeling never went away, even after he died.”

“Did you ever try to find another man to love?” I ask.

“No one could ever hold a candle to him. I went on a few dates, but when you’re in love with a dead man, it’s hard to see anyone else as anything but second best. Besides, it felt like cheating when I’d go out with another guy. I hated it, so I stopped.” Tears brim in her eyes, but she sniffs them as she kicks back another swig of her drink. With a shaky hand, she refills her glass. “Want more?”

“Maybe after I finish this. I’m still not much of a drinker.”

“That’s a good thing. I keep trying to get Nitro to stop, but that man is hellbent on being one reckless son of a bitch.”

“Why?”

“Same reasons Scar has for how he is. When we first started rescuing kids, I read up on trauma and how to help them. But you can’t really do anything other than supporting them. No one else can heal them. They have to do it for themselves. It’s hard to do. We’ll never understand what those kids went through. I still think of them as kids, even all these years later, because, in a way, they stopped growing the minute they started being abused. It takes a hell of a lot of work and love to get past that.”

“I wish I could help him.”

“The only thing you can do is love him. Scar’s a survivor. He’s been to hell and back, but he’s still here fighting to save other kids. He deserves all the love we can give him. The way I love him is different from how you do, of course. I’ve taken care of him as much as I can, but now it’s up to you to take over and give him what I can’t.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Patience. Compassion. The kind of love that’s shared between partners. You have to have faith that what you share is worth fighting for. I see how you look at each other. It’s real. There’s nothing fake about your connection. If I didn’t think you had a shot at making it work, I would have gotten rid of you a long time ago.” She goes into a fierce, momma bear stance with her arms over her chest. “You’re the one for him. Never doubt that.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” I say. “But I couldn’t even keep him from running off tonight.”

“He had to. I know it’s hard to sit back while the guys take care of club business—”

“But this isn’t club business,” I protest.

“The minute they took you and Max in, everything about you became club business. Catching Max’s father is one of the most important priorities of the club right now.”

“And the other one is Blackstone,” I say numbly because even if they capture the sheriff, Scar still won’t be mine. He’ll still want to kill the man who broke him.

“They won’t rest until Blackstone’s dead. However, I don’t think that will stop any of the guys from finding love. But here’s the thing you have to understand, they won’t give up that fight. They’ve been tracking that bastard for years. If they could have taken him out already, they would have. He’s a slippery monster who’s almost impossible to pin down. He’s got friends at every level of government and other predators who are more than happy to cover up his crimes. He’s the head of the snake, but there’s a whole team standing behind him just waiting to clean up his mess. Taking him down won’t be easy.”

“Is it even possible?” I ask.

“Yes. But the timing will have to be perfect.”

A sudden, explosive crash sounds from somewhere outside. I duck under the island as Nina crouches. She meets my frightened gaze.

“What the fuck was that?” I ask.

“Armored personnel carrier,” Reaper says.

“Jesus!” I jump as his boots and legs appear next to me. The counter is blocking the rest of his massive body.

“I got Max in the safe room. Matrix texted a second ago, but I didn’t have time to get you, too. You’ve got to get in there with Max.” He squats to fix me with a piercing gaze. I shudder and look away.

“Okay.” I’m shocked when he holds out a hand to help me up. I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, he’s one of Scar’s club brothers. But I expected him to feel like death, and he doesn’t. He’s warm and friendly, and not what I anticipated. I silently chide myself for judging him before getting to know him. Scar wouldn’t have left Reaper behind if he didn’t trust the man to keep us safe. If Scar trusts him, then so do I.

“Nina, you, too,” Reaper says in a tone that leaves no room for negotiation.

“Yeah,” she says.

Reaper puts one palm on my back and the other on Nina’s as he rushes us toward the safe room. When we get to the door, he tries to open it with his fingerprint. Nothing happens, so he uses his password. It’s still locked.

“Why isn’t the sensor working?” I ask.