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Crash flagged down the Prospect manning the bar. “Get the lady a cold bottle of water. If there isn’t any at the bar, go to the kitchen and pull one from the fridge.”

The Prospect eyed Willow in curiosity, but left to do as he’d been told.

It didn’t take long before he returned with a bottle of water that was icy to the touch.

Crash twisted off the lid and handed it to Willow, watching as she gulped it down.

He wasn’t sure how much of her thirst was from the fire and how much was from being held prisoner.

Had they fed her, given her something to drink?

Burn appeared at his shoulder and nodded toward the boardroom.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Crash said. “It’s time to tell your story.”

She curled her hand around his bicep and let him lead her through the clubhouse.

When they reached the boardroom, she seemed to tremble by his side.

He wanted to reassure her that everything would okay, but truthfully, he wasn’t sure it would be.

Just because he wanted to claim her as his mate, didn’t mean Blitz would let him.

The Pres sat at the head of the table, looking impressive with his full-sleeve tattoos on display and wearing his cut proudly.

He motioned for them to enter and take a seat closer to him than their usual places.

Crash took the seat next to Blitz, then sat Willow beside him, with Burn on her other side.

He wanted her protected, and it seemed his twin felt the same.

“So I hear you’re the reason some of the Double Deuces escaped,” Blitz said, staring her down.

Crash felt her tremble again and placed a hand on her knee. “It’s all right, Willow. Just tell him how you came to be with them.”

She licked her lips and looked at the President with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. Crash gave her leg a squeeze, hoping it would prompt her to start talking. He wasn’t sure what kind of mood Blitz was in, but he didn’t want to take a chance on the Pres kicking her out of the clubhouse.

“I was sold to the Double Deuces a few months ago. To sweeten a narcotics deal between the Black Daggers and them.”

The blood in Crash’s veins turned to ice. The Black Daggers were bad news, especially for women. If she’d been with them, then he was almost certain she’d been abused, and the thought sickened him.

“So the Black Daggers owned you?” Blitz asked. “For how long?”

“Their V.P., Slash, snatched me off the streets when I was about five. He kept me as a sort of pet until I turned eighteen. Then he told me that everything I’d learned would pay off.

He had planned to either use me as a prostitute to earn extra cash inside the club, or he was going to sell me to the highest bidder.

I managed to escape that fate for almost two years, then the Double Deuces came along and their Sergeant-at-Arms took a liking to me.

But he didn’t want me just one time, he wanted to own me. ”

Crash fought back the bile rising in his throat.

“You set fire to their clubhouse before he ever got around to doing much more than humiliating me. He’d make me crawl on all fours like a dog, kept me chained near his table and bed, and fed me from a bowl on the floor.

But he never touched me intimately. I don’t know if he was just working up to it, or if he had other plans for me.

In all that time, I never once saw him with a woman, so maybe he didn’t swing that way. ”

Burn stared at her with a hunger that startled Crash. “Are you telling us you’re still a virgin?”

Her face flushed, but she nodded.

“I don’t know how the hell you remained untouched after living with both the Black Daggers and the Double Deuces, but you are one damn lucky young lady,” Blitz said.

“I’m still pissed that some of them escaped because you had to be saved, but I suppose that isn’t entirely your fault.

It isn’t like you were there of your own free will. ”

“No, sir.”

Blitz smiled at the “sir” comment, then turned his gaze to Crash and Burn.

“So, boys. The question remains what are you going to do with her? She’s a liability, so I can’t have her running around out there, with knowledge of who set that fire.

But she isn’t going to fit in around here as a party girl either. ”

Burn growled.

“I agree with my brother. She definitely isn’t going to be a party girl.”

Blitz’s eyebrows shot up. “Then what will she be?”

“Our mate,” Burn said.

“Mate?” Willow asked. “What’s that?”

Blitz laughed, a full belly laugh. “Honey, they want you to be their wife.”

“Their?” she squeaked. “As in both of them?”

Blitz nodded. “Crash and Burn are tiger twins, who share absolutely everything. They’ve been mouthing off for years about how, when they found their mate, they were going to share the same woman.

Now, I’m not going to force you to mate with them, but you have my blessing if that’s a road you wish to travel.

You know the M.C. lifestyle, and you’re obviously tough as nails to have survived what you did.

And you will live with the Steel Riders.

As what remains to be determined. If I were you, I’d take them up on their offer. ”

Willow looked a little shocked as she glanced back and forth between Crash and Burn. “You don’t know me. Why would you want to claim me as your wife?”

Crash leaned in close and sniffed her, now that the smell of smoke was gone. She still smelled a little smoky, but there was underlying floral scent that teased his nose. A purr rumbled out of him and he kissed her softly on the cheek.

“Are you familiar with shifters?” Crash asked.

She shook her head. “Until you turned from tiger to man, I didn’t know they existed.”

“Shifter lore states that every shifter has a destined mate out in the world somewhere. We’re told we’ll recognize this mate by touch or scent, or maybe both.

I recognized you by touch because my nose was fucked up from the smoke, but now that I can smell again, you smell like you’re mine,” Crash said.

Burn leaned in to sniff along her neck before pulling back.

“I have to agree with Crash. I felt the pull when I helped you at the Double Deuces’ clubhouse, but now you smell right too.

I would imagine after a bath, you’d smell even more like ours.

There’s still a hint of smoke clinging to your skin right now. ”

“And this mating is a forever kind of thing?” she asked. “You aren’t going to claim me today then pass me off to someone else next month?”

Crash growled. “We’ll kill any male who touches you.”

She nodded. “May I have a little time to get used to the idea?”

“Fine,” Blitz said. “But you sleep with them. What you do in that bed is entirely up to you, but I have nowhere else to put you right now. I’m considering this matter closed, but if you decide not to mate with them, I’ll need to know so we can figure out something else.

I can’t have you wandering around and getting into things.

Besides, if Crash and Burn don’t claim you, the other club members are going to think you’re free for entertainment purposes. ”

She blanched again, but nodded. “Is a shower and change of clothes possible?”

Crash scratched his jaw. “A shower is doable, and you can wear something of ours for now, but we’ll have to work on getting you some clothes that fit.

If you’ll give us your sizes from the skin out, shoes too, then we’ll see you have a few things to get you by until you can shop for your own things. ”

Willow stood. “Then by all means, show me to the shower. The Double Deuces hadn’t let me shower for the last two days so I would imagine I stink under the smoke smell. The smoke is definitely an improvement.”

Crash didn’t agree with that assessment, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

With a nod to Blitz, he led Willow to their room, with Burn following close behind.

Their room wasn’t much to look at, just a large California King bed, dresser, and a small desk and chair.

There was a TV on the dresser, but as Crash looked around the place, he realized that with them claiming a mate, they were going to need more space.

Time to go house hunting! Well, if they could convince Willow to be theirs.

Burn grabbed some paper and a pen while Crash dug through the dresser for shorts and a tee. Burn motioned for Willow to sit on the bed, but she shook her head.

“I’ll make the bedding smell like smoke. It’s best if I stand until I’ve had a shower.”

“Tell me your sizes, or…” Burn held out the paper and pen. “You can write them down. Your handwriting is probably more legible than mine anyway.”

Willow wrote everything down for them and then handed the paper back to Burn who pocketed it. Crash handed her a tee and some shorts with a drawstring waist. He knew they would swallow her, but maybe she’d be comfortable until Burn returned with some clothing for her own.

“You shower,” Burn said. “And I’ll go get some things for you. Doubt I’ll be back before you’re done though. Our clothes are going to swallow you, but they’ll have to do for about an hour. I should be back by then.”

“Uh, Burn…maybe you should ask Blaze if his mate can go with you? I have a feeling what we like on a woman, and what a woman likes to wear, are probably two different things.” Crash smiled. “Might as well make sure she’s comfortable.”

“Right.” Burn looked at Willow. “Would that make you feel better? If I had a female’s help? Blaze is newly mated, but Luna is sweet. She’s the town librarian.”

“Librarian? I have a feeling she dresses different from what I’m used to. You have to remember, I was raised by bikers. Just get me some jeans, tanks, and boots. I can pick out the rest later. You did say I could go shopping?”

Burn nodded. “We’ll both take you either tomorrow or day after, depending on what’s going on around here.”

“Then yeah, two tanks, the kind with a built in bra, and some jeans. Also, I’ll just need undies and I can wait on bras until I can try them on.”

Burn nodded, gave Crash a salute, and headed out, closing the door behind him. Crash walked over to the bathroom, flipped on the light and pulled a towel off the shelf on the wall. He realized belatedly that their soaps would be too harsh for her.

“Wait just one minute and I’ll be right back.”

Crash ran into the hall, hoping he could catch Blaze before the grizzly went home to his mate. He caught the bear just as he was walking out the door.

“Blaze, I need a favor.”

“What is it? I want to get home to Luna.”

“Did Luna leave any bath products in your shower? Maybe some shampoo and shower gel?”

Blaze frowned. “I think there’s a little left in there. What do you need with it?”

“Willow. I was about to let her take a shower and realized we only had manly smelling things in the shower. I thought, if you didn’t think Luna would mind, that maybe we could have what was in your bathroom and we’d replace it tomorrow when we take Willow shopping.”

Blaze nodded. “All right. Let’s get it so I can go home. And you don’t have to replace it. I’m sure Luna would love an excuse to shop.”

Blaze opened his room, got the shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel out of the bathroom and handed it all off to Crash.

The tiger thanked him once more before running back to his room with his meager offering to Willow.

When she saw what he held, a smile blossomed across her face. She eagerly reached for the items.

“I haven’t had feminine things… Well, ever.”

“There’s not much left in them, but we’ll let you buy some bath products, and whatever else you need, when we take you shopping tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Crash.” Her eyes teared, but before he could say anything, she snatched the clothes off the bed and locked herself in the bathroom.