Page 33 of Claimed By the Bikers

“That I’ll kill anyone who tries to hurt what’s mine. Anyone. FBI, rival clubs, doesn’t matter. You’re ours now, Natalie. Which means you’re under our protection. But it also means you’re our responsibility.”

She’s quiet for several minutes, processing this. When she speaks again, her voice is softer. “They died because of the life you chose.”

“They died because evil exists in the world. Because some men have no honor, no code, no line they won’t cross.” I return to my chair, leaning forward to meet her eyes. “I can’t change what happened to them. But I can make sure it never happens to you.”

“By keeping me prisoner?”

“By keeping you safe.”

“Those aren’t the same thing.”

“In our world, they are.”

Atlas clears his throat. “We should get moving.”

“Right.” Silas stands, stretching. “Give us two hours. We’ll bring back everything from her room, make sure there’s no trace left behind.”

They head upstairs to get dressed, leaving me alone with Natalie. She’s staring at the table, lost in thought, and I take the opportunity to really look at her. Even bound and defeated, she’s beautiful. But it’s more than that. There’s strength in the line of her shoulders, intelligence in her eyes, fire that no amount of captivity will extinguish.

Sarah was gentle, soft-spoken, content to build a quiet life within the protection of the club. Natalie is none of those things. She’sdangerous, complicated, and probably going to fight us every step of the way.

I’m looking forward to it.

“Can I ask you something?” she says without looking up.

“Go ahead.”

“Do you really think this can work? Keeping me here, making me part of your lives? I’m not some stray you can domesticate.”

“No,” I agree. “You’re FBI. You’re trained to survive, to adapt, to find ways out of impossible situations. Which is exactly why this might work.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Sarah couldn’t protect herself. When danger came, she was helpless.” The old guilt rises, familiar and sharp. “But you? You can fight. You can handle yourself. You’re not fragile.”

“So you want me because I’m not easy to break?”

“I want you because breaking you would be a waste.” I reach over to brush a strand of hair from her face, noting how she doesn’t flinch away. “We don’t want to break you, Natalie. We want to keep you exactly as fierce as you are.”

“While keeping me tied up?”

“The zip ties are temporary. Until you accept that running isn’t an option.”

“And if I never accept that?”

I smile, and she shivers at whatever she sees in my expression. “Then I guess we’ll find out just how stubborn we both are.”

10

EMBER

Two weeksof playing house have settled into a routine I never expected to crave.

I wake up in Garrett’s arms, shower while he makes coffee, help Atlas with morning paperwork, and work my shifts at Wolf’s Den like the obedient girlfriend they’ve convinced the town I am.

Every morning, I tell myself I’m just surviving. Every night, I fall asleep a little deeper into the lie.

This morning starts like all the others. Garrett’s hand traces lazy circles on my bare shoulder as sunlight filters through his bedroom windows. His breathing is even, peaceful, nothing like the tortured sleep he had those first few nights when nightmares of Sarah and Katie would wake us both.