Page 145 of Rags's Awakening
Her stomach grumbled and they both laughed, breaking the intensity of the moment.
“Pizza with extra cheese, sausage, and mushrooms?” he asked.
“And onions. Why the hell not?”
He pulled her close, his arm tight around her, like he had no intention of letting go. Rags knew everything now. And he was still here. Not back at the clubhouse. JT was behind her. Right where he belonged.
And for the first time in a long time, Casey felt safe.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Threads of coolair filtered into the office. Rags looked away from his monitor, a faint smile tugging at his lips as Hawk wiped a dusting of snow from his leather jacket.
“Hey,” Rags said.
“Hey.” Hawk sank into the chair. “You guys busy?”
Rags nodded. “Yeah. How’re Neo and Isa doing?”
“Better, thanks. We thought it was just a cold, but it’s a respiratory virus.” He frowned. “Scares the fuck outta you when your kids are sick.”
“I bet. The others didn’t get it?”
“No, just them.” He exhaled. “Cara’s been solid through it all.” A warm smile curled his lips.
“She’s a tough woman,” Rags said.
“Yeah.” Hawk’s blue eyes sparked.
Rags leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “You find out who owns that car?”
“Not yet. If you’d given one more letter or number, I’d already have the asshole’s name, but it’s taking longer than I thought. It didn’t help with Isa and Neo being sick.”
“I get it.”
“It shouldn’t be much longer. There’s a shitload of Ford Focuses in this state, but I’ll get it.”
“I appreciate it.”
“You heard there’s been another one, right?” His gaze flicked away for a second. “They found her yesterday. Same MO. Young, curvy, and dark hair. Strangled in her home.”
Rags’s heart slammed against his ribs. A frantic, uneven beat he hated.Fear. It tasted like copper in the back of his throat. The urge to bolt out the door, to ride until he could wrap his arms around Casey and make sure she was breathing, hit hard.
Then, he crushed it.
Rags’s face went stone-cold. He stared past Hawk, forcing his lungs to expand, slow and steady. He clamped down on the panic until it stopped clawing at him. The fear didn’t disappear; it fermented. It turned into a hot, thrumming vibration beneath his skin. He took the thought of losing Casey and shoved it into a dark corner of his mind. His jaw ticked. His hands curled into fists until his knuckles blanched.
“You okay?” Hawk asked.
“Yeah,” Rags said, voice low and controlled. “I’m gonna kill this sonofabitch.”
Hawk nodded.
“Whatcha doin’ here?” Throttle said, stepping into Rags’s office.
“I was in the area and figured I’d see what you two goof-offs were up to,” Hawk said.
Throttle guffawed and glanced at Rags. “What up, dude? Somethin’ happen?”
