Page 35 of Silver Fox Daddies

“I made an oath not to say.” I take her hand. “Bishop and Diesel have more power over me. Diesel ranks the highest out of all of us.”

Melissa frowns. “What is it he does again? Nobody said before.”

I recount an earlier conversation, everything falling silent when Melissa asked what Diesel does here. “He’s just high up. Works with Grizzly a lot. Anyway, it’s best that you keep away. Things are dangerous here, but I want you to know we were telling the truth last night. There’s no other women in the picture, at least for me, anyway.”

A tired smile appears on her face. “Thanks, Cash.”

I squeeze her hand before I start walking away.

The sound of shattering glass suddenly fills my ears.

I don’t register what’s going on until I read Diesel’s expression. He lunges forward just as I notice a knife about to cut through my skin, knocking the man holding it to the floor.

“Get Melissa away,” he orders me.

That’s when it hits me—we’re under attack again.

A dozen bikers jump in through two smashed windows, holding guns and hot iron rods, and other weapons I don’t want anywhere near Melissa.

She gets herself up, fear edged across her face. “What’s going on?”

“This way.” I grab her arm, tugging her back into the corridor as Reaper Sons club members spill out into the main room, spreading out.

Bishop appears from behind a curtain, gun poised in his hand. “Let’s take this outside, shall we?” he says, still keeping his cocky composure as he heads over to the exit. “Oh! What’s this? A door? What an incredible invention. Let’s use it.”

“Shut it,” snaps one of the opposing club members. They all wear black, the bottom part of their faces masked up like it’s covid all over again.

I tighten my grip on Melissa, turning a corner in the corridor as Venom Vultures club members run down.

“What the fuck is an outsider doing here?” one of them says, taking no time to stop and get an answer from me.

It’s like we’re traveling against the stream, club members surging down the corridor heading from the main room, roused from sleep.

A bullet bangs into the wall near us.

Melissa jumps out of her skin. I bring her behind me, single-filing it as I maneuver us to safety. I kick open the door when we make it back to the room she was staying in last night.

“In here.” I practically grab her arm and shove her in.

“What’s going on?” she says as I close the door behind us, breath in her throat. “Who are those people? Why are they attacking?”

“We’ll speak about this later.”

“No.” She tugs on my jacket. I could push away and get out of her grasp, but I choose to lean into it, letting her pull me back. “I don’t understand.”

Our eyes meet. Her eyes look like two blue marbles made of glass, and it reminds me just how innocent she is to this world. I’m new, so I’m still figuring things out myself, but it’s different for me. I wanted to be part of this.

And she can never.

“Stay here. Lock the door behind you.”

“I don’t understand what’s?—”

“It’s too dangerous!” It’s the first time I’ve raised my voice at her. “Stay here. This is an order.”

She nods, terrified.

“Get under the bed,” I instruct her, pointing as I make my way to the exit. “They probably won’t find you in here, but do it just in case. Yes?”