Page 54 of Vengeance

Vengeance’s grip tightened on the blanket. “Home?”

“To Huntsville,” Bowie said.

“Dante will be watching,” Vengeance said.

“Let him watch us bury one of ours then,” Bowie growled.

Vengeance looked at Bowie. “Doc wasn’t patched.”

“He didn’t need one to be family.” The words struck deep. Vengeance finally released the blanket, and the brothers carefully placed Doc inside. Chloe climbed into the second SUV, but Vengeance remained outside.

Bowie approached him. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t go to Huntsville,” he whispered.

“I wasn’t taking you there,” Bowie said.

Vengeance frowned. “Dante knows Chloe will want to return to her family. Every road south will be watched.”

“I know,” Bowie said. “I have another safe house. Savage bought it years ago under a shell company that Dante never connected to him.”

“Where is it?” Vengeance asked.

“North Carolina,” Bowie said.

“That’s too close,” he insisted. He knew that Dante wouldn’t stop looking for him, and North Carolina was too close to home.

“It’s not the one you’re thinking about.” Bowie lowered his voice. “It’s along the Tennessee border, buried in the mountains. No neighbors. No cell service. No club connection on paper.”

“You want me to take Chloe there?” Vengeance asked.

“I want both of you to disappear,” Bowie said.

“For how long?”

“As long as it takes me to find the evidence beneath Doc’s clinic and figure out what the Lazarus file is.” Vengeance looked toward Chloe through the SUV window. Her face was pale, and she looked exhausted. She had lost Savage, nearly lost Bowie, and watched Doc die because Vengeance had led Dante to the cabin.

“She should stay with you,” Vengeance insisted. “She’ll be safer with the Royal Bastards.”

“She won’t come home with me,” Bowie said.

“She’s your daughter,” Vengeance reminded. “You can force her to stay with you.”

Bowie barked out his laugh. “No one has forced Chloe to do a damn thing since she was nine years old. And being my daughter doesn’t make her obedient.” Despite everything, Vengeance nearly smiled. Bowie studied him carefully. “She trusts you.”

“She shouldn’t,” Vengeance grumbled.

“Don’t start that shit with me.” Vengeance looked away, but Bowie stepped closer. “You stood between my daughter and Dante when every instinct in you had to be screaming to run.”

“I wasn’t going to let him take her,” Vengeance explained.

“I know,” Bowie said.

“I’ll never let him take her.”

“I know that too.” The weight of Bowie’s trust settled over him. It felt heavier than Savage’s Colt and more frightening than Dante’s threats.

“You love her?” Bowie asked. Vengeance’s eyes returned to the SUV. Chloe was watching them now, and for some reason, he couldn’t lie. It would be safer for everyone if he had.