Page 14 of Gage

Elena stayed where she was. Javier crossed the last of the distance, caught her by the upper arm and pulled.

I knocked his grip loose with the heel of my hand, drove my shoulder into his chest and put him facedown over the SUV hood. Metal boomed beneath his weight. Before his men moved, I had his right arm folded behind him and my forearm across the back of his neck.

Smoke's pistol was already out, pointed low at the man nearest the pickup. Havoc held the gate. Preacher hadn't shifted from Elena's side.

Javier tried to lift his head. I increased the pressure until his cheek ground against hot metal.

“She gave you the answer,” I said. “Make her say it again, and you leave here without teeth.”

I drove one fist into Javier's ribs.

“Gage. That’s enough.”

The warning was enough, and I let him go. Javier slid off the hood coughing, one hand pressed to his side. Killing him would have felt better. Letting him carry the humiliation back to Deming did more for the club.

Vega's face had gone flat. “This will have consequences.”

“Meeting's over,” Preacher said.

Javier straightened slowly. The look he gave Elena held none of the polished patience he'd arrived with, but when he took a step toward her, I moved between them. He stopped.

That was the first useful decision he'd made.

The four men returned to their vehicles. Havoc opened the gate and shut it behind them, while I watched until both sets of taillights disappeared beyond the turn.

Elena waited until the vehicles were outside before she released the breath she'd been holding. When I stepped close, she lifted her chin.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Inside the closed room, Preacher stayed standing. Smoke leaned against the wall near the door.

“You put Mora down because he touched Elena.”

“Yeah, I did.”

Preacher held my gaze. “Not going to pretend that was club business first.”

“It wasn’t.”

“At least you stopped when I told you to.”

Smoke folded his arms. “Mostly.”

I looked at him. “Mora was still breathing, wasn’t he?”

“Generous of you, but we can’t have a sergeant who is compromised. Are you? I need your head to be straight, Gage.”

“It is, club first. But I’m not going to let a man put his hands on her again.”

Preacher’s stare ended the exchange. “Fine. That’s all I needed to know. This is personal for you now. Fine. Just don’t let personal make you stupid when they come back.”

“It won’t,” I replied.

“They won’t ask politely again. I want the compound tight without making it look empty everywhere else.”

I took over because that part belonged to me. “Havoc stays mobile on the rear road. Shade takes garage side. Two men at the gate, one inside the clubhouse at all times. Nobody comes through in a vehicle until I've checked it.”