Page 61 of Twisted Steel

“I assumed.”

“And if you die, I will resurrect you so that I can kill you myself.”

That almost gets a smile out of me.“Understood.”

Footsteps approach.Saint stops several feet away and very pointedly looks at the cracked vending machine instead of us.“We’re ready.”

I pull back slowly, and Harper’s hand falls away.Cold rushes in where she was, and I hate it.

She wraps her arms around herself, armor back in place.“Go do your terrifying biker strategy thing.”

“Stay here,” I reply.

“Don’t die.”She gives me a pointed look.

“Bossy.”

Her mouth twitches.“Yes.”There she is.

I turn before I touch her again.Before I kiss her in front of my President, my brother, and half of County Hospital.Before I make promises neither of us is ready to survive.

Savage waits near the exit.Saint falls in beside me.

“You good?”Saint asks.

“No.”

“Figured.”

We walk through the automatic doors into the hot Vegas night.The vans are waiting with armed men.Engines are running low.The city stretches ahead, neon and shadow, full of places men go to bleed.

Raven is standing in front of Savage, a frown marring her face.She is clearly unhappy with how tonight is playing out, but she won’t make too much of a fuss.

“Reaper is using her because he thinks women are leverage.Men like that always forget women bite.She isn’t some damsel in distress waiting for one of you to rescue her.She can rescue herself.”

Savage sighs.“You’re right.But now isn’t the time for that.”

“Whatever.”She kisses him quickly.“You better come back.”And with that, she sashays away from all of us.

Before I climb into the front passenger seat, I hear running behind me.I turn quickly, only for Harper to run right into my arms.She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down, kissing me with abandon.All sounds around us fall away as I tangle my hand in her hair and angle her head how I want her.I lose myself in her taste for a long moment before she pulls back.

She stares at me with half-lidded eyes.“Just an incentive to come back.”

She walks away without another word, and I fall into the front seat.Savage drives and for a while, neither of us speaks.

Then he says, “You claimed her.”

My jaw tightens.“No, I didn’t.”

“You did.”

I stare through the windshield.“She was the one doing the claiming.”

Savage turns the van onto the highway, heading toward Henderson and whatever trap Reaper thinks he’s laid.

“You’re sure?”he asks.

I think of Harper’s hand on my chest.Her voice cutting through Reaper’s bait.Her eyes when she told me to become precise instead of worse.Her lips on mine as if they belonged.