Page 12 of Locke

“Hi! You must be new. I’m Journey.” A smaller woman with brown hair and caramel-colored eyes interrupted the tension. She held out her hand, and I took it just to get away from the thickness invading the room.

When I got a better look at her, I saw a blue crescent moon on her head. The artistry of the tattoo on her forehead was so beautiful. It was bold to tattoo your face, I had to hand it to her, but it matched the beauty she held.

“Nice to meet you, Journey. It seems I’m not welcome today. Maybe we can chat another time.” I kept my hand held at my gun as I turned toward the exit.

I could feel the stares from others in the room, and I did not need to stir up trouble. Not yet anyway.

“No, you are most definitely welcome.” Journey scowled at Tajah, who was clenching her jaw. “Tajah was just about to apologize.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Excuse me?” A rugged biker joined. He stood behind Journey and put his hand on her shoulder. He had death surrounding him; I could feel it. Tall, imposing and his voice was like timber. This man was dangerous, and I prayed he wasn’t the one I was looking for.

Tajah cleared her throat. “I was telling Journey that Emm isn’t welcome. She’s an outsider, she even wields a gun in our establishment.” She nodded her head toward my hip.

“You all have guns,” I argued back. “Why can’t I, as a female, protect myself?”

Ha, yeah, I pulled the weak female card.

“Grim, it’s perfectly logical that Emm would have a gun. She’s traveling on her own. She needs to protect herself,” Journey sided with me.

Grim’s intense gaze locked with Tajah’s, and a wordless exchange passed between them. Tajah let out a low grunt, the sound filled with frustration, as the woman trailing behind her shot daggers at Grim. With a swift motion, they hurried away, leaving Grim behind.

Journey let out a long sigh until she smiled back at me. “See, no harm done. Come back to the bar, next drink is on me.”

I continued to stare at the fleeting back of Tajah and her guard. I would have to be on the lookout for those two. I’d never had to watch my back much, since my targets were usually easy to find and acquire.

As we sat at the bar, Journey apologized for Tajah and her partner, Beretta. Journey explained that they weren’t keen on outsiders. It was a small town that the club, the Iron Fang, protects and a lot of the town now included transplants.

Transplants meaning people that the Iron Fang rescued from sex trafficking rings, kidnappings and other assorted crimes, who were looking to get back on their feet as Journey explained.

A club that fights for the weak? I guess it isn’t unheard of. I’ve seen clubs fight against drugs and help domestic violence victims. But, whole sex trafficking rings? And... why the hell are they telling me that?

And why did that mean that Tajah had to be so cunty to me?

One thing was for sure. They were apologetic about Tajah and wanted me here. Did they think that me carrying a gun meant I was helpless?

I wasn’t fucking helpless. In fact, if there was truth in anything Journey had told me about the club, I was certainly the bad guy here. Tajah had every right wanting to kick me out of this town.

Shit, just what I needed. A nice biker club that does community service, and a bounty hunter that wants to hunt out a bastard hiding in the town.

I took the water that Anaki had already poured for me and drank a few sips. What if this Locke character was a runaway and was here because he needed help? And I was hunting him down to put him back with his captor?

Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve dealt with some shady shit on the dark web. I’ve had to kick the original poster’s ass, too.

Dammit.

There were too many variables and that was just one scenario. I’d have to keep digging. Which meant more lying to these bikers, who might just have hearts of fucking gold.

“So,” Journey took a sip of a Margherita next to me, “what kind of job did you leave, again?”

Chapter Five

Locke

As our mate drove off in her truck, my wolf was consumed by sheer panic. He snarled fiercely, his claws digging into the earth with a desperate force. I tightly restrained him, feeling his wild energy pulsating against my grasp. The scent of fear hung heavy in the air, mixing with the lingering exhaust fumes. In that moment, I held on, my determination to stay awake overpowering any fatigue. I felt a surge of life coursing through me, a newfound zeal for existence like never before.

She was here, in the flesh.