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Phoenix

T he party is in full swing as Mason pulls me against him on the couch. He’s been extra affectionate ever since the Desert Bastards’ warehouse burned down. It was a big win for the MC.

Everyone seems more relaxed since then. Well, everyone but Dad and Bear. They still seem tense every time I see them, but I guess that’s one of the burdens of heading a powerful MC like this one. For them, there are no days off, no moments to kick back and relax, not if they want to keep everyone safe.

Mason’s hand curls around my waist, pulling me back to the present. When I look over at him, he’s smiling, and I can see an ember of desire still roiling beneath his surface. We just satisfied that craving, but it seems like he’s up for another round.

I bite my lip as a wave of arousal shoots straight to my core. No one has ever made me this worked up before. Sure, I enjoyed sex as much as anyone, but with Mason, everything is elevated. I can’t staunch my desire for him. As soon as we finish, I’m already craving my next fix.

I never thought I’d face addiction in my personal life like this, but I can’t fight it. I’m addicted to him, and I don’t ever want to give him up.

As if sensing my growing need, he leans closer, melting our lips together as his hands wander my curves. One warm hand drifts up to my neck, holding me in place as he worships my mouth. His free hand trails down my side, exploring the shape of my leg before traveling to the globe of my ass.

He squeezes firmly, making me moan as I grind against him. I can feel his hard cock poking me through his jeans. I want him so badly, and I’m close to dragging him back upstairs. As I move to do so, the front door bursts open, and one of the club’s girls rushes inside, wailing at the top of her lungs. The whole house goes still as she fumbles over her words.

No one can understand what she’s saying through her tears. One of the others goes over to her, trying to get her to calm down. When she’s coherent enough to speak, her words send a chill down my spine.

“Misty’s dead! They found her body near the storage yard. She had the letters S-O-S carved into her stomach.”

The girl falls to the floor in the arms of her friend as they both start sobbing. Every member of the MC is on their feet. Misty's dead? I’m still in shock. I wasn't her biggest fan, but I didn’t want her dead. Dread washes over me as the news sinks in.

The guys are talking now, eyeing the girl who delivered the news. When Mason’s phone rings, he answers it immediately with a grim expression. I already know who’s on the line and what the orders will be.

When he hangs up, his eyes are glued to me. He kisses my temple and turns to face the guys, keeping me glued to his side. “Kitchen, now,” he barks, directing the MC.

The guys shoo away any lingering guests, telling them to wait in the living room. No one argues. When all the guys are inside, the only non-members in the room are me and Lace. She’s huddled close to Stitch, wearing a terrified expression. No one saw this coming.

As Mason passes along the orders from my dad, the mood in the house shifts. Gone are the relaxed faces of men who won a huge fight. In their places are looks of somber determination. Misty wasn’t a member, she wasn’t even a club sweetbutt by the end, but the message was clear. They were watching, and they knew who had ties to the club. Our enemies wouldn’t shy away from hurting any of us, man or woman, if it meant gaining retribution for what happened to their warehouse.

Dad wanted a group to check out the storage yard and learn what happened to Misty. He also wanted small teams to guard the bar, the auto shop, and the new warehouse. Everyone had their job, including me and Lace.

Under no circumstances were we to leave the clubhouse for any reason. Our safety was the priority—me, Raven, and Lace. Fuck.

Raven.

I turn to Mason, panic written all over my face. “Raven. She’s still at the house with Reaper. They have no idea what’s going on.”

He nods, pulling out his phone. “Call your sister. I’ll call Reaper and tell them to get the hell back here.”

Jesse and the others hear our conversation. I look at each of them and see they’re all wearing similar masks of worry. I tell myself everything will be okay as I hit the call button. With every ring, my stomach drops. Come on, Rae. Answer.

By the third ring, I notice a familiar sound coming from the living room. I scrunch my brows as I follow the noise. Mason, Jes, Lace, and the others are close behind me.

“Damn it,” Mason curses, glaring at his phone. “Fucking pick up, you son of a bitch.”

He can’t reach Reaper, and with every step closer to the sound, I’m more and more certain I won’t be able to reach Raven either. The call keeps ringing as I approach the familiar ringtone. One of the sweetbutts looks up in confusion. There's a sleek black object in her hand that’s making noise. When she looks at me, her eyes widen. Without a word, she hands the phone over to me, and my heart stops.

It’s Raven’s. It must have fallen out of her pocket earlier before she left. Without it, our only hope of reaching them lies with Reaper. I look back at Mason, who looks both pissed and terrified. I know the news isn’t good. He pulls his phone away from his face, angrily punching the screen again.

“He’s not picking up,” he says, darting his gaze from me to Jesse.

No one wants to say it, but we’re all thinking it.

Something has happened to them.