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The breath rushed out of Jazz as she hit the ground. It took her a few moments to realize Wolf had tackled her and rolled to place her body underneath his. The deafening rat-tat-tat-tat of automatic rifles made her heart skip a few beats.

“Stay down,” he ordered in a harsh growl.

Jazz didn’t move. Her ears rang from the gunfire, and she barely made out the muffled sound of shouts and screeching tires.

“Fuck!” Wolf barked before shouting to the other people around them. “Cam, report!”

“I’m good. Got the sister with me. She’s okay.”

“Denny?”

“Check.” The gravelly voice sounded like it floated up from a deep well. “What kind of shit show have the Knights gotten into?”

“Club war. Slaggers MC.”

Denny tsked as he got off the ground where he crouched. “You’re kidding me. The Slaggers aren’t a club. That one is an out-and-out gang.”

Wolf grunted. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Jazz cleared her throat. “Um… this is fun, but I’d really like to breathe now.”

Wolf’s eyes came down to hers, and he lifted himself off her just enough to take his own weight. “Did you get hit?”

Jazz inhaled and took a quick mental inventory of herself. Her back and elbow hurt where she struck the ground, but nothing severe. Then again, she’d never been shot before, so how would she know? “I don’t feel any major pain, so I’m gonna say no.”

More voices pierced the air, mostly male.

“What the hell’s goin’ on out here?”

“I thought I heard a gun.”

“Someone get shot?”

Wolf stood up and extended his hand to Jazz. “Real smart. Bullets flying and everyone comes out to see.”

She accepted the offer and rose on wobbling legs.

Thoughts raced through her brain at warp speed, and she felt her body start shaking.

I hope Liz is okay. If she dies, would the children go into the foster system?

Would they come live with me? Why did we get shot at?

What would Madge and Bill do without me?

Do bullets hurt? Her synapses misfired and overloaded.

The muted roar in her ears took over, and shutdown was imminent.

Wolf cupped her chin and pulled it gently up to make her face him. She noticed his hand was warm against her cold skin. It helped her focus and brought her back to the present. “Stay with me, babe. Keep it together for a little while longer, yeah?”

She nodded against his grip, her eyes boring into his.

“That’s my girl.”

Officer Denny took over. “Nothing to see here folks, just some kids with Daddy’s guns firing into the air to make trouble.

Go back to your business or go home.” To Wolf, he gave a pointed look and stated, “You realize I’m gonna hafta report this.

Get statements and shit. You still want me to arrest the banshee? ”

Wolf inhaled through his nose at the nuisance. “No, I’ll let her off the hook this time. Mind talking to the ladies tomorrow? I want to get them home.”

The uniformed man gave a sharp nod. “I can do that.”

Some men grumbled and went back into the club. Others started walking down the street to cars or the few blocks to residences. Officer Denny detained a few and took out his pen and paper to get a few statements while the incident was fresh.

Cam joined Wolf and Jazz, dragging a white-faced, subdued Liz with him. “We can’t let this go anymore. This was a direct challenge. We gotta answer back before something else goes down and someone really gets hurt.”

Wolf’s mouth turned down. “Scrap will call a church meeting ’bout this, probably tomorrow. I wanna know where that Leo fucker is right now.”

Cam kept his voice low, but Jazz still heard him. “Took off down the street like a fucking coward. Left everyone in the dust.”

Jazz’s shaking got worse, and she felt cold inside.

She noticed when Wolf placed his arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side.

His heat was welcoming, and she burrowed into him, seeking whatever shelter he offered as he continued to converse with Camshaft.

“Show’s over for tonight. Everyone goes home.

Now. Get Crossman out here and take Liz home. ”

“What about Candie?”

“I’ll deal with her later.”

He turned to Jazz. “I need some time to get everyone out and lock up. You’re staying with me.”

It wasn’t a request or an order. It was a statement of fact, or at least that’s the way she heard it. He brought her into the club and sat her down on a barstool with a questionable sticky coating.

I’m gonna need a shower.

She watched as Wolf made all the people leave. Only a few protested, but one glance at Wolf’s stony face was enough to convince them not to argue.

A tall, voluptuous, near-naked blonde tottered up on glittering heels.

“Hey, Wolf. You okay?”

He gave her such an angry glare that Jazz was sure the woman would be burned. “What the fuck, Candie? You fucking know better than to bring clients or boyfriends into the club.”

Her head reared back. “What’s the big deal? It’s a private room and a private dance.”

“Not that private. You want to do a side gig, that’s your business, but you take it to the hourly motel down the street. You don’t give out blow jobs here in the club.”

Candie fluffed her hair indignantly. “Why should I rent a room? He’s my new man, so he doesn’t have to pay for a room too.”

“There are rules for a reason, Candie. If you fuck up the business, we get problems. We don’t want problems.”

The adrenaline that had kept Jazz up so far was waning, and her whole body was losing momentum. Sleep beckoned, and she hoped this night would be over soon. Her eyes blinked, unfocused, at the arguers, and it was getting harder to keep them open.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to go home now,” she said.

“Just a few more minutes, babe,” Wolf replied, then turned back to the blonde. “Candie, get your ass dressed and get out.”

“What about my tips?”

“You’ll cash out tomorrow. Now go!”

Candie made a throaty protest sound and strolled through the back of the club.

Wolf hurried to Jazz. “Think you can stay on my bike long enough to get home?”

She nodded sleepily. “I’ll try.”

The ride was eerily quiet as they made their way over the bridge and through the streets to Jazz’s neighborhood.

Perhaps she would remember and appreciate the significance of being on the back of his bike one day, but at the moment, she was too damn tired.

The helmet prevented her from resting completely against his body, but he insisted she put the heavy thing on.

Wolf put on safety glasses but went bareheaded, as he only had the one with him tonight.

Pennsylvania laws allowed for that with his experience and age.

Freya greeted them at the door with mews and demands for cuddles and treats. Jazz picked her up and took her downstairs into the kitchen area to dump dry food into a bowl. She dragged herself back upstairs to find Wolf had taken off his jacket and boots.

“You’ve been avoiding me all week. Why?” His voice didn’t rise in pitch or volume, but there was a command behind it that meant he wouldn’t give up without an answer.

She took a breath . I don’t want to be trouble. I like you. I don’t know how you feel about me. I’m scared. “I like trouble.” Dammit! “I scare you.” Just shut up, Jazz, before you make it worse!

“I’m staying the night,” he announced.

Jazz’s stomach went all squishy, and she wrapped her arms around herself to keep it together. “Okay.”

He frowned. “I don’t think you understand, babe. I’m not leaving. I’m gonna be in your bed. With you. For the rest of the night. Is that a problem?”

Realization dawned on her. “Oh. Um… no… I’m okay with you here?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Babe, I can’t answer that question for you.”

“I’m okay with you here.”

It took only three strides for him to reach her. His hands came up to seize either side of her face, and a second later, his mouth slammed down on hers.

The kiss was wild. Jazz’s senses pushed into overdrive as she opened to him.

His tongue swept in possessively, and her brain short-circuited with all the electricity that shot through her like a Tesla coil.

Her world tilted, and she realized Wolf had just lifted her against him.

Her legs came up to wrap around his waist, and before she could think, they were in her bedroom, and she was on the bed with Wolf standing over her, ripping his shirt over his head.

She got a glimpse of all his tattooed glory before he leaned down and kissed her again.

His hands moved to rid her of her T-shirt.

She hadn’t put on a bra before taking off to the club, and her small breasts were bared to his gaze.

He cupped one and squeezed it as he lifted it to his mouth.

Jazz watched in fascination as he sucked the tip between his lips.

The sensation rushed like a waterfall from her nipple down between her legs and flooded her with heat.

He wasn’t gentle with her, but it wasn’t painful. It was stunning.

He switched sides, treating her other breast with as much attention. His hand moved to pluck and tease so both nipples were stimulated. Jazz heard moaning and realized the sounds were coming from her.

“Wolf,” she started to say, then stopped as she didn’t have words to describe what she was thinking or feeling.

“I got you, babe.”

He didn’t hesitate as he pulled the galaxy-patterned leggings from her body and parted her thighs. Jazz had a brief moment of panic when she remembered she hadn’t shaved her legs in days, but that didn’t last as his mouth came down on her and zeroed in on her clit.

She remembered as a kid taking a dare with Hugo to put a nine-volt battery against their tongues.

They took turns and laughed at the shocks.

Multiply that by ten and that might come close to what she experienced under Wolf.

She jumped at the electric jolt between her legs.

How did he know how to do that? She arched at the unfamiliar sensation, and he grabbed her hips to hold her still.