Page 7 of Loki’s Spellbinder (Hunters Creek Archangel’s Warriors MC #14)

God, my whole body hurt, and I didn’t know if I was coming or going. I left Tennessee a week ago… had it only been a week? It felt much longer. I had no clue what awaited me when I arrived home. I thought it would be a short trip and done for both of us.

Chaos had insisted on accompanying me despite my protests.

He rode straight to Marietta with me rather than Lake Oconee, a hundred miles away.

I’d caught a few hours of sleep when I got home since it was the middle of the night.

Chaos stayed the night in my guestroom. Bright and early Sunday morning, I went to the office to meet with Eli Dillon, the DA.

He explained what was happening, and I was on a flight out of Georgia hours later.

Time was of the essence, and I had to stop what was being attempted.

No way was that evil man getting out of prison if I could help it.

It was a happy day when I got a guilty verdict on Cedric Alves.

If anyone deserved to be in prison, it was him.

My only regret was that it wasn’t for the rest of his life.

We knew he’d done more than we could prove.

He’d been there for less than a year. And like most inmates, he’d filed an appeal.

What he was claiming as a reason to grant him a new trial or to have his first one dismissed as a mistrial was ridiculous.

I’d flown to Charleston, South Carolina, with Eli.

We spent until earlier today there. We’d tried our best to convince Ivy Martin not to recant and not to allow Alves’s people to intimidate her into changing her story.

We understood her fear. Cedric was a monster.

He would do anything to ensure he went free and no one interfered with his businesses.

I’d known as I sat in court day after day with him that the man was an unfeeling devil.

His icy gaze dispassionately stared at everyone.

While he tried to dress respectably in an expensive suit, it couldn’t disguise that he was a lowlife thug.

His men had sat in the court and tried to intimidate witnesses and me.

I walked by them time after time with my head held high and ignored their ugly and crude comments about what they wanted to do to me.

They wanted me to be afraid and to refuse to stay on the case.

They didn’t get their wish. Despite that, I think Cedric still believed he’d be found not guilty.

His shock when he was declared guilty had been worth it.

I had to fight not to smirk when he shot daggers at me with his icy eyes.

I knew if he’d been able to get his hands on me, he would’ve gladly strangled me with his bare hands.

I hadn’t told Mom or the club about it. There was a reason I didn’t want them involved.

They still had no idea I’d worked the case.

It had hit a bit too close to home for me.

It had been nine months since he was sentenced and taken to the Georgia Department of Corrections’ nearest male prison.

Too bad they didn’t send him to prison thousands of miles from his people, but no such luck.

And it wasn’t as if he wouldn’t have had connections nearby even if they had. He was too well-connected.

Eli and I spent days going back to talk to Ms. Martin.

She was terrified. She said she’d been confused when she swore out her statements against Cedric, and it was all a horrible mistake.

After calming down, she was convinced he hadn’t been the man she saw, nor was anyone else who worked for him.

His people somehow had gotten to her. I wondered what threat was used this time that hadn’t been used last time. Whatever it was, she was spooked.

When we weren’t with her, we reviewed the case documents to see if we had missed something that would be our secret weapon this time.

While we were there, another report came in stating that the hearing to decide whether they had enough to let Cedric have a new trial or declare it a mistrial and set him free was set to happen in a month. It didn’t give us a lot of time.

Eli and I had flown home a while ago. I’d been desperate to get home and lie in my bed.

I’d been so busy, I hadn’t had time to talk to Mom about her trip and how the rest of the event went in Tennessee.

We exchanged multiple simple texts checking on each other.

I was careful not to tell her why work had called me back. The details didn’t matter.

I did have to push away thoughts of Loki repeatedly.

It did no good to dwell on him. But it was hard not to, and Chaos didn’t make it easier.

He hadn’t accompanied me to Charleston, though he thought I should have an escort.

When I told him I was going with Eli, Chaos hadn’t been impressed.

He said I needed a real man to ensure my safety.

I ignored his comment and, in the end, went without him.

He’d returned to Lake Oconee, but he kept in contact.

I never thought of myself becoming close friends with a guy, especially a biker, but somehow, it had happened with Chaos.

We seemed to just get each other, and he made me laugh.

In a way, it was too bad we weren’t sexually into each other.

If we were, I wouldn’t be in this predicament—lusting after a man who didn’t know you’re alive was humiliating.

And no matter what Chaos said, there was no way Loki wanted me.

Chaos had reminded me more than once that our game was still underway. I’d told him to get ready to lose. There was no reason to have contact with the Warriors in Hunters Creek. It could be months or more before I might see Loki.

I forced myself to unpack. If I didn’t, it would irritate me.

My routine was to immediately unpack my suitcase, whether at a hotel or home.

Dirty clothes went in the hamper, anything still clean was hung up, and my toiletries were put back.

If not, I would be aggravated until I did it.

I thought of skipping it until tomorrow because I was exhausted, but I knew it wouldn’t allow me to rest, so I did it.

After that was out of the way, I stripped and took an extra-long soak in a tub of hot water loaded with a fragrant bath balm.

The bath balm made my skin incredibly soft and moisturized.

I wished my bathtub were larger so I could get it up to my chin, but it did okay.

Some of the knots had eased. I dressed in my comfy clothes and dropped on the couch when I was through.

I was hungry, but it was too much effort to see if I had anything to fix.

I’d have to clean out my fridge tomorrow.

No doubt there was stuff long expired in it.

Debating to go back to my room and crawl into bed, I was startled when my doorbell rang.

It was eight o’clock at night on a Saturday.

Who in the hell would be at my door? I wasn’t expecting anyone.

Only a few people even knew I was home. I leaned over and found the handgun in the drawer of the end table next to me.

I kept a few hidden, just in case. My job could turn dangerous, though I downplayed it for Mom.

Rising, I went to the door. I quickly looked out the peephole, and my body relaxed. What was he doing here?

Tucking my gun away in my waistband under my shirt, I unlocked the door and swung it open.

He smiled at me. I was about to ask what he was thinking about coming here when the scent of deliciousness hit my nose.

My stomach growled in approval. I noticed the large bag he was carrying.

I latched onto him and yanked him into my apartment.

He laughed while I closed and locked the door behind him.

“I take it you’re happy to see me,” he teased.

“No, I’m thrilled to see the food. You’re just the means of conveyance. What did you bring me?” I asked anxiously.

I was already headed to my tiny kitchen. Chaos was on my heels. He set the bag on my small table while I rummaged in the drawers and cabinets for utensils and plates. When I glanced over at him, he was smirking.

“I should take this right out the door. What shit is that? I’m the conveyance only. You know you adore me, woman. For that smartass remark, I might stay and eat it in front of you.”

“And if you do either of those, I will shoot your ass,” I threatened. I turned and lifted the hem of my loose shirt so he could see the gun. All amusement left his face.

“Braelyn, why are you carrying a fucking gun, especially in your home? What didn’t you tell me?”

I knew I’d made a mistake in showing it to him. I tried to think of a way to backtrack. “Chaos, I’m a woman alone. My doorbell rings at night when I’m not expecting anyone. Of course, I have a gun and would have it ready, just in case.”

He studied me for several long moments before he responded. “And I think it’s smart for you to have it, but there’s more to it than that. I can feel it. Brae, talk to me.”

“Chaos, there’s nothing to talk about,” I lied.

I’d been increasingly nervous and felt I was being watched the entire week in Charleston. Being back home, I hoped it would stop, but I was still edgy. It made me feel more cautious, although I didn't tell him that.

He took out his cell phone. My stomach dropped. “Who are you texting?”

“The club. They need to know you’re hiding something and you’re in danger. You won’t talk to me. See if you can withstand the whole club. Look Rage and your mom in the face and tell them it’s nothing. Or try it with Wrath,” he challenged.

I stomped over and attempted to take the phone out of his hand. He held it easily out of reach. I glared at him. “There’s no need to get the club involved and riled up. It’s fine. As my friend, you should have my back.”

“I do have your back, which means I’ll ensure you’re safe. Either talk to me, or I send the text,” Chaos threatened.

I saw that he wasn’t kidding. I sighed. “Can we get out the food and something to drink first? I am starving. I can’t think on an empty stomach.” I half-pleaded.

“Okay, but don’t think you’re wiggling out of telling me, Brae. I will find out one way or another,” he warned.

“I know. Let’s get this food organized.”

Within a couple of minutes, all the food was unpacked and opened. The plates were ready for the portions, and we had drinks for ourselves. It was Thai food, one of my weaknesses. He’d gotten several of my favorites. It was something we had in common—our love of this food.

Chaos had brought Pad Kra Pao Moo, a minced pork stir-fry with chili and Thai basil.

Khao Pad was a lovely fried rice. The Poh Pia Tod was commonly called Thai spring rolls.

He’d found a place that served Sai Ooah, a northern Thai sausage.

As if that wasn’t enough, he’d added Thai coconut cake.

It had a slightly crunchy top and a soft and moist center.

It wasn’t overly sweet, and it had an incredible coconut flavor.

The whipped frosting and toasted coconut flakes on top made it even better. I groaned wearily.

“What’s wrong? You like Thai,” he remarked.

“I love it, but you brought too much, and I’ll gain ten pounds, you bastard,” I grumbled.

“You won’t, but who cares if you do.”

“I care because I don’t need more on my ass, thighs, or elsewhere to try and lose.”

“Brae, you don’t need to lose weight, no matter how much you gain.

And before you complain that it makes you unattractive.

No, it doesn’t. Most real guys don’t care about that superficial shit.

And the ones who do, you don’t want anyway.

Dig in.” He pointed his chopsticks at my plate.

I picked mine up and took that first bite. I moaned.

We ate in relative silence, other than occasional sounds of appreciation.

I was relaxed and into my meal when Chaos broke it several minutes later, saying.

“Tell me why you have the gun, sweetness.” He said it in a low, calm voice, but the demand remained.

I’d run out of time. I didn’t attempt to lie to him.

“I help put dangerous people in prison, Chaos. Sometimes, they’re upset, and even if they’re inside, they have friends, associates, and such who remain free.

They’re a threat sometimes, though not often.

” I hastened to clarify that. “Plus, like I said, I’m alone and a woman.

It’s smart to have one, and yes, I know how to use it. ”

“Is the reason you were called back to Georgia for your work connected to someone wanting to hurt you? Is that why you’re carrying it right now?”

“I have no definitive proof that someone is. However, someone I put away less than a year ago is working to get out of prison. If he does, a very murderous monster will be free. He’s got connections and isn’t afraid to use them.

It’s highly likely he blames me for his conviction.

There’s a possibility I’m one of the ones on his list.”

“A list? What list?” he growled.

“One of the people he wants to see dead,” I said softly.

Chaos’s meaty fist came down on the table, causing the food to rattle.

“You’re on a goddamn hit list?” he roared.

I flinched. How did I salvage this and not have him bring the entire club here?

Oh God, what the hell was wrong with me?

I should’ve kept my mouth shut about the gun.

Now, I had a protective male ready to surround me with a human wall of security.

I had to make him see why we couldn’t do that.

He wasn’t about to be happy about that, either.