Page 19

Pirate

“Are you nervous?”

I looked over at Saylor, where she sat on the edge of the bed, slipping on one of her boots. Her brows were raised, and she looked way too calm for someone who’d just asked that question.

I shook my head. “No.”

She scoffed and tugged on her other boot. “You’re crazy. I’m not even going to be in the meeting, and I’m nervous as hell.”

I chuckled and slipped my arms into my cut. “Then it’s a good thing I’ll be there, and you can just hang out with the girls.”

She stood and crossed the room. Her fingers lightly brushed my stomach before sliding around my back. “I am more than good with that.” She tilted her head up to look at me. “You can give me the rundown when it’s over. Just don’t forget any details.”

I wrapped my arms around her and leaned down to press a slow kiss to her lips. She melted into me with that soft little sigh I was starting to crave every morning.

“Let’s get some coffee in you,” I murmured against her lips.

She grinned. “Now that sounds like a plan.”

We stepped out into the hallway, and I could already hear voices and clinking dishes from the common room. The clubhouse was awake—fully awake.

We’d been waiting for this day for months.

And for the first time in a long time, there was hope in the air.

Everyone was in the common room, either milling around or eating.

Adalee was doing the dishes by the kitchen window when Fallon moved past her with a bowl of scrambled eggs and set it gently on the counter next to the French toast, sausage patties, eggs, and blueberry muffins.

Saylor glanced up at me. “You want coffee or food first?”

“Coffee,” I said immediately. I had told her I wasn’t nervous, but as the minutes ticked by, the more my nerves were on edge.

“Coming right up.”

She slipped toward the kitchen, and I watched her go. My hand lingered in the air where hers had been. She didn’t move like she was nervous, but I could see it in the way she kept touching her hair, her necklace, and rubbing her thumb across her palm as she waited for the coffee maker to be done with the next pot.

Everyone was feeling it.

I stepped toward Yarder. “How long?” As if I didn’t know.

He checked his watch. “It’s just after nine. They’ll be here by eleven. Maybe sooner. They said they’d text when they hit the county line.”

I nodded.

“You ready?” he asked.

I didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah.”

He gave me a short, satisfied nod. “Good. Because once this meeting starts, there’s no walking anything back. This is the last play we’ve got.”

I knew that.

We all knew that.

Saylor came back with two mugs and handed me one with a soft smile. “Made it how you like it.”

“Black?” I chuckled and lifted my coffee to my lips.

Saylor gave me a smug little smile. “Exactly.”

Yarder went back to his plate of breakfast with a small smile on his lips.

I took another sip of coffee—bitter, hot, and strong enough to slap me in the face. Just how I liked it.

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

The entire room froze.

You could’ve heard a pin drop.

We all glanced at the clock.

9:15.

Almost two hours early.

Yarder had been clear—Leo and Brynn were going to call when they were near. No one was supposed to just show up unannounced. Not them. Not anyone.

Every single guy in the room went on alert.

Dice stood slowly from the stool he’d been perched on. Cue Ball’s hand dropped to his side instinctively. Smoke rose from his seat like a shadow, silent and steady. Compass’s entire stance shifted—like the gears in his head had already started spinning through backup plans. Throttle moved to the window and tilted the curtain just enough to peek out.

I didn’t even need to speak—my body was already moving. One step in front of Saylor, just in case.

The knock hadn’t come fast. It had been deliberate.

Confident.

That somehow made it worse.

Yarder set his fork down with a quiet clink, grabbed a napkin, and wiped his mouth. He didn’t rush. He didn’t speak. Just stood, pushed in his chair, and made his way toward the door.

Each step he took had the tension ratcheting up higher and higher. His boots thudded against the hardwood like a countdown.

Saylor hadn’t moved behind me, but I could feel her energy. She was smart enough to know this wasn’t the time to mess around.

When Yarder reached the door, he didn’t open it right away.

He placed his hand on the handle and turned to look at us—just once. His eyes moved across each of us, wordlessly asking: You ready?

We all were.

I could feel it in my spine.

Then Yarder turned back, twisted the knob, and opened the door.

Standing on the porch was an older man dressed like he was coming from a power lunch in downtown Manhattan—gray slacks, a crisp white button-down, and a bold red tie. His shoes gleamed. His silver hair was combed back neatly. Sharp eyes sat beneath heavy brows, calculating the room from the outside before even stepping in.

Next to him stood a woman in a red dress that fit her like it was made just for her. Her heels were black. Her sunglasses massive and hid most of her face. But her presence? That was impossible to hide. She was composed. Poised. She could’ve been walking into a gala or a battlefield, and you wouldn’t know which one she preferred.

The man stepped forward and extended his hand to Yarder.

“Leo Banachi,” he said, his voice smooth but edged with steel. “Here to save your ass.”

Saylor

I heard the man’s voice before I saw him.

I blinked and peeked around Pirate’s shoulder.

Wowza.

I mean, wowza.

The man standing on the front porch looked like he walked straight out of an old-school mafia film—but better dressed. He wore gray slacks with sharp creases, a blindingly white button-down, and a red tie that somehow made him look more dangerous, not less. His silver hair was slicked back with precision, and not a strand out of place. And his expression?

Total confidence. Like he owned the building, the street, and the town beyond it.

And standing next to him?

Brynn.

I instantly forgot how to breathe.

That red dress? Silky. Perfectly fitted to her curves and hugged her like it was made from power itself. Her legs went on forever in black stilettos that screamed high fashion and high threat. Giant black sunglasses shielded her eyes, but I could feel her gaze behind them—cool, calm, calculated.

They looked like they were here to issue demands, hand out verdicts, or take over the damn world.

Yarder stepped forward and shook Leo’s hand. “Good to meet you.”

Brynn smacked Leo on the chest. “You’ve been hanging out with Slider and the guys too much.”

Leo rubbed the spot with a scowl. “What did I do?”

She rolled her eyes and slid her sunglasses off, revealing sharp green eyes lined with confidence and zero patience. Then she turned and held her hand out to Yarder.

“I’m Brynn Maranga.”

“Banachi,” Leo growled under his breath.

Brynn smirked, “It is Banachi, but he pissed me off this morning, so I decided to piss him off with Maranga.”

I blinked. Then grinned.

I liked her already.

Yarder chuckled, and the tension in his shoulders eased a little. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. Come in.”

Brynn and Leo stepped inside like they were walking into a boardroom they already owned. Two men followed behind them—both in black suits, earpieces in, eyes constantly scanning. Definitely bodyguards. They stood just inside the door, shoulder to shoulder, all quiet control and clean muscle.

Yarder shut the door behind them.

“Sorry we’re early,” Brynn said, looking around the room. “I told Leo to text you when we were close, but he got distracted.” She shot him a side-eye.

Leo shrugged. “Brynn was out of town all last week on business. I took advantage of the car ride to get reacquainted.”

Her eyes narrowed, but her cheeks flushed pink.

Interesting.

“Uh, do you guys need a drink or anything?” Yarder offered, suddenly looking a lot more like a nervous host than a club president.

“Water would be nice,” Brynn smiled sweetly.

“I’ve got water or tap!” Adalee called from the kitchen.

Brynn paused, and her brows pulled together.

“I mean bottled or tap,” Adalee corrected and laughed at herself.

Brynn laughed with her, and just like that, the air softened. “Bottled is more than fine,” she said.

Adalee was only a few seconds before she appeared and handed Brynn and Leo a bottle each. “I’m Adalee, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Brynn replied.

Yarder cleared his throat and stepped into the center of the room. “Let me just give you a quick rundown of who’s here.”

He pointed out everyone and finally…

“Pirate and Saylor.”

Brynn tipped her head toward me. “The one who was just attacked?”

Pirate didn’t even hesitate. He reached down and threaded his fingers through mine.

“Uh, yup,” I said and tried to keep my voice light. “That’d be me.”

Brynn’s eyes dropped to our hands, and her brows lifted slightly. “I thought you didn’t have a connection to the Iron Fiends?”

Pirate cleared his throat. “Uh… she didn’t. At the time.”

I grinned and looked up at him. “He was my knight in worn leather.”

Brynn let out a warm laugh. “You bikers really do move fast.”

Leo didn’t miss a beat. “You only say that because it took you over twenty years to find your way back to me, love.” He scanned the room. “Pretty sure these guys are just like the Devil’s Knights.”

Brynn laughed again. “By the looks of all the ol’ ladies, I’d say you’re right.” She tilted her head. “I wonder which one of them is like Meg…”

“Is Meg like Alice?” Sloane asked curiously.

Both of the men in suits standing near the door said in unison, “Yes.”

That sent the girls into a round of laughter.

“Then that would be Sloane or Dove,” Poppy said confidently. “Though honestly, we all have a little Alice and Meg in us.”

Brynn gave a soft smile. “Meg’s my favorite. That’s definitely a good thing.”

Suddenly, Leo’s phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket, checked it, and his whole expression shifted. “Let’s get this meeting going,” he muttered, tucking it away.

Brynn’s brows drew together. “Everything okay?”

Leo nodded once, short and tight.

Yarder took the cue. “All right, let’s head to church. We’ll discuss everything there.”

The guys started filing down the hallway. Pirate turned to me and brushed a kiss across my lips. “Be good while I’m gone.”

“Always,” I promised.

He gave my hand one last squeeze, then headed down the hall with the others.

Brynn passed by me with a soft smile. “These bikers love fast,” she said quietly, “but from what I’ve seen—they’re never wrong.”

Leo and Brynn followed Yarder and disappeared down the hallway.

And then… silence.

Just the girls left in the common room.

We didn’t say anything at first. Just stared at the hallway like it was going to explode.

Then—

“Did you see her dress?” Dove gasped.

“Her hair!” Fallon added.

“Those shoes…” Sloane practically moaned. “They were like badass royalty!”

“I believe,” Sloane said as she flopped dramatically onto the couch, “they are one hundred percent going to save us.”

“How could they not?” I laughed, still a little breathless. “It was like they stepped out of a movie.”

They really were incredible. I’d seen a lot working in television—executives, celebrities, people who thought they were powerful. But Leo and Brynn? That was a whole different level. They didn’t have power. They were power.

Mac came up beside me and bumped my shoulder. “Didn’t take long for that biker to claim you in front of everyone.”

“I mean…” I stammered.

She pulled me into a quick hug. “I’m so happy for you,” she whispered. “I knew you two were a thing, but for him to do that? In front of them? That’s huge.”

I smiled and felt my cheeks warm. “It felt… real.”

“Because it is.”

“Okay,” Adalee called with her hands on her hips. “Everyone, come eat because I need to clear out the kitchen and start lunch.”

“It’s not even ten,” Dove laughed.

Adalee raised her brows. “You want breakfast or not?”

Dove held up her hands in surrender. “I’m coming,” she grinned.

We all filed into the kitchen, grabbed plates, and loaded up with whatever was left—French toast, sausage patties, scrambled eggs, and those perfect blueberry muffins.

Plates full, we headed back to the couches and camped out in front of the TV. Dove flipped to some movie none of us were actually watching.

But it didn’t matter.

Leo and Brynn were here.

And everything was about to change.