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Charley gave Penny the entire rundown of what happened with Zeke. She barely took a breath, and her nerves were in overdrive retelling the events.

“He cornered me in the parking lot at the shop. He thinks I have his package of drugs, but I don’t, Penny. I swear.” She choked on the last words and wiped her eyes as they started to well. “And then he punched me in the face, and…”

“He hit you?” There was a bite in her tone.

“And then…”

“I’m going to send someone to get you, okay? But until then, I need you stay in the house. Don’t turn on any lights and stay away from the windows. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” Charley whispered.

“Keep your phone close.” Then the line went dead.

Charley glanced around the room and slowly walked to the corner chair.

It didn’t have any windows near it. It was probably the safest spot.

She sat and grasped the phone between her clasped hands.

It could’ve turned out so much worse. Charley dragged her hand across her forehead, swiping away the beads of sweat.

She was probably seconds away from a panic attack.

Charley tried calling Nash but it went straight to voicemail twice. She contemplated leaving a message but how could she explain it all on a recording? Hopefully, he would see her number and call her back. Until then she’d wait for Penny.

She dropped her face into her hands, muttering. “I should’ve done what Keely said and told Nash.”

After about fifteen minutes, her phone rang, and she felt relief when she saw Penny’s name.

“Hello?”

“They’re about five minutes away.” Penny sighed. “Ironically, they’re looking for Zeke, so this couldn’t have worked out better.”

Who was looking for Zeke? Charley nibbled on the corner of her cuticle and cocked her head.

“Who?”

“Killcreek. The MC.”

Charley had an instant reaction. Her muscles tightened, and her heart dropped to her stomach. She could feel the blood draining from her face.

“You sent Killcreek for me?”

“Yeah, they’ll come get you and take you back to the apartment.”

Another fear flashed in her mind. Zeke’s words replaying in her head.

“You’re sending me to Inez?”

This was a setup. Was Penny helping them?

“Charley?”

She clamped her lips.

“Talk to me, Charley”

“Zeke said he told them about the missing product, and how I have it at the apartment, and I’m somehow involved. Penny, I swear I don’t know anything. But he said my brother is some informant, and they’re going to think I knew about it. I don’t know anything, Penny.” She gulped.

The line was silent.

“Your brother is an informant?”

She dragged her hand through her hair. “I don’t know for sure, but that’s what Zeke said. He said my brother’s been calling him to meet up to give him the drugs. Cody hasn’t called me at all because the officer said he didn’t have phone privileges in rehab.”

“Wait, what officer?”

“The ones from the night my brother attacked me. They showed up, offered him rehab instead of jail. One of them checked in on me but said I can’t talk to Cody just yet.”

“Aw fuck, Charley,” Penny muttered.

She heard the rumbling of engines and jerked her head. “I hear them pulling up.”

“Don’t answer. Fuck!” Penny snapped. “Make sure the door is locked and do not fucking make a sound. Put your phone on vibrate and wait for me to call you back.” Seconds before the line went dead, she heard Penny snap. “Shit.”

Charley immediately silenced her phone. She tiptoed to the door but knocked her knee into the edge of the coffee table.

She gasped then clamped her lips closed.

She bent down rubbing her knee, soothing the ache.

She didn’t have her bearings of Penny’s house, and in the dark, it was hard to maneuver around.

Charley made it to the door and reached for the lock. She slid the curtain to the side. Her intention was to see where they were. As her luck would have it, she was met with Gent staring back at her with a menacing smile.

“Hey, darlin’.”

Oh shit.

She jumped back, dropped the curtain, clutched her chest, and pressed her back to the wall. There was only a door separating them. All the panic she’d had with Zeke didn’t even compare to the fear ripping through her body.

“Ah Charley, not happy to see me?” His tone was taunting, and she was feeling it to her core. “C’mon darlin, don’t be like that. This is my chance to play Prince Charming and save your sweet ass.”

Masculine snickers sounded.

“Hey Charley,” Gent said, and she could tell he’d moved closer to the door. “Playing hard to get? You’re feeding my beast, darlin’. I love a good chase.”

Her stomach sank, and she cupped her mouth.

She darted her eyes around the room but kept her body still.

She was looking for an escape route. She’d only been to Penny’s house once and hadn’t exactly gotten a tour.

She had no idea of the layout in the back of the house.

There was usually a back door. If she could just get there and hope they didn’t have anyone watching it.

“Hypothetically, how long do you think it would take for the cops to get here? Five minutes maybe?” Gent chuckled. “I think we can get in before they even get in their cars.”

Charley couldn’t argue with that.

“One more thing, darlin’.” His tone was taunting. “Are you sure Penny locked all the doors and windows in the house? Hmmm…. I find most people forget about at least one.”

Oh my God. It may not have been the smartest move, but she bolted across the room and up the stairs.

At this point, she had no doubt they had the house surrounded.

Being on the second floor isolated her but it was the only room in the house with access to the porch roof.

If it came down to it, she’d at least have one way out.

She slammed the door behind her and grabbed the chair from the desk, hiking it under the knob.

At least it was something. She grabbed her phone from her back pocket.

Her first thought was to call the police, but Gent’s words played over in her head.

Gent and the MC would definitely make it inside before the police arrived.

There was only one person who could possibly help. With her hand shaking, she pulled up his name and hit send. The phone rang twice.

“I was in a meeting and just saw you called. How…”

“Nash.” She gasped. “I need your help. People are trying to break into the house, and…”

“Where are you?” His voice was calm but she heard the urgency in his tone.

“My friend’s house.” She dragged her hand through her hair. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to involve you, but I’m scared.”

“Tell me what’s happening.”

“I wasn’t completely honest about my brother. His dealer has been harassing me, and tonight he cornered me in the parking lot of the store. I managed to get away, but now Killcreek is here. It’s Gent, and he’s got other bikers with him. Zeke said they’ll kill me, Nash, but I don’t know anything.”

“Gent is at the door right now?”

“Yeah. Zeke said he told them I’m holding the missing drugs and when they find out my brother is an informant, they’ll kill me.” She gasped trying to catch her breath.

“Do not open the door,” Nash snapped.

“What do I do?”

“Don’t hang up,” Nash said, and the line went silent.

“Nash?”

No response. Her heart was racing so hard she could feel it in her eardrums. She paced around the room and inched closer toward the front window. She peeked through the blinds but couldn’t see anyone. About four houses down, she saw five motorcycles lined up at the curb. Shit!

“Nash!” she whispered, but again, no response. She peered down at her phone. The minutes were playing meaning he hadn’t hung up. Where is he?

“Yeah?”

She jerked her gaze to the roof of the porch. It was Gent’s voice she heard, but it had been muffled. She unlatched the window cracking it open an inch and leaned closer.

“Brother,” Gent chuckled. “Are you shitting me? This has got nothing to do with you.”

Charley leaned closer. She didn’t hear anyone else, so he must’ve been talking on the phone.

“Our business brother, not yours so…”

More silence. Charley pressed the phone to her ear, waiting.

“Alright, then you can expect to hear from Ace.” Gent scoffed. “Ah, fuck.”

She glanced down at the walkway in front of the house. Two men with cuts were walking to the sidewalk.

“Baby girl!” Gent shouted, and she dropped to the floor under the window. “Looks like you got some friends in high places.”

Do I?

****

Nash slammed the second phone down on the desk. His mind was racing with a million thoughts. Informant? Killcreek at her door? A drug dealer going after her? Two days ago, none of it would’ve made sense. Now with all the information he’d gotten, the pieces of the puzzle were starting to form.

A knock on the door had Nash jerking his head. It opened slightly, and Ridge poked his head in.

“Oz wants to see you.” He lowered his voice. “He’s got Trey and Rogue in his office.”

Fuck!

“Tell him I had an emergency with one of the transports, and I should be back shortly.”

“Do you need me to come along?” Ridge asked.

“No,” he snapped. The least amount of people involved was safer for Charley.

Ridge lowered his chin, closed the door, and Nash lifted the phone to his ear.

“I’m coming to get you now. What’s the address?”

“Twenty-four Beckett court. It’s blue with white shutters, and um, it has a big porch with a swing.”

Nash scribbled down the address. “Hold tight. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Until then you stay exactly where you are. You don’t move. And under no circumstances do you leave. Understand?”

When she didn’t answer, he growled. “Charley!”

“Yes.” Her voice was so small and shaky.

“I’m coming for you, okay?”

“Can you hurry?”

Her voice was laced in fear, and he clenched his fists. It was imperative he stayed calm for the both of them.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

He clicked the screen and rounded his desk. He walked out of his office and almost collided with Ridge and Caine.

“Oz wants you in his office.”

“Did you tell him…”