Page 87 of Ravage

Some had spent years trying to take them down, fighting them tooth and nail, but this was different. This was personal. They’d come after me, one of the club’s women, and that was something that wasn’t supposed to happen. There was an unspoken code where women and children weren’t pawns in the game, but that rule didn’t apply this time.

Men who wanted to hurt other men were one thing. Men who didn’t care about hurting women or children were a different kind of dangerous. The gloves were off, and it was clear they didn’t care who was hurt in the crossfire. That thought hung with me as I gathered my things and made my way outside. Slim took my bags and put them in my car while I locked up the studio.

When I was ready, Nash stepped over and said, “Slim’s going to follow you over to the clubhouse. I’m going to hang out here and keep an eye on the place.”

“Will you feed Angel for me?”

“Sure thing.”

“Thank you. Her food is in the bottom cabinet.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you, Nash.”

“No problem.”

“You ready?” Slim asked.

I nodded, then made my way to my SUV and climbed inside. I didn’t want to leave my studio or my apartment, but I felt better knowing Nash would be keeping an eye on the place. Slim followed me to the clubhouse and helped collect my bags from the back before heading inside.

He opened the front door and waited as I stepped inside. Like always, music was playing from the bar, and I could hear the guys talking and goofing around. A couple others were arguing about some game playing on the TV, which I found all oddly comforting. The clubhouse was a second home to me. I’d spent so many years coming through these doors that I knew every sound the place made.

The laughter. The clink of bottles behind the bar. Pool balls cracking together. The low rumble of men’s voices carrying through the hall. Those sounds usually made me smile, but not tonight.

Tonight, I wasn’t here for fun or to hang out. I was here for protection, and that made this visit feel a bit daunting. The brothers greeted me with smiling faces and said their usual hellos: ‘Yo, Emery! Good to see ya’, ‘Hey there, stranger’, and even a couple, ‘Looking good, kiddo.’

I feigned a smile and waved. “Hey, guys. Good to see ya. I’m going to get settled in.”

That was enough to satisfy most of them, which was good. I didn’t want to answer questions or see their worried expressions. I just wanted to be somewhere quiet, so I could clear my head. I started down the hallway, and I didn’t get very far when I spotted Cole.

He was standing off to himself, and he was watching with a strange look on his face as I walked toward him. I could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the tension in his stance, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I wanted to reach for him, have him hold me close, but I didn’t dare.

I knew how complicated this was. He knew it, too. So, neither of us said a word as I passed him by and made my way into my room. It wasn’t much. It had a full-size bed, a small dresser, a TV mounted on the wall, and an adjoining bathroom. But it was comfortable and far enough from the ruckus that I could actually get a little peace and quiet.

My bags were already on the bed, and the girls had left clean sheets for me. I was about to close the door when Slim popped his head in and asked, “You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Need anything?”

“Not right now.”

“Okay. Just give me a holler when you do.”

“I will… Thanks, Slim.”

He gave me one last look before pulling the door closed behind him. I quickly made the bed, then kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed, pulling the covers over me. For a moment, I just lay there quietly listening to the low hum that seemed to vibrate through the walls.

I hadn’t been lying there long when my exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I drifted off to sleep. I have no idea how long I’d been sleeping when a door slammed down the hall, waking me with a start. The room was pitch black, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust before I could find the lamp on my bedside table.

I turned it on and glanced over at the clock. It was after one in the morning. I’d slept through dinner and all the other chaos of the night, which was fine with me. I needed the sleep, but now I was wide awake, and the bed felt bigger than ever.

Maybe it was because of everything that had happened, or maybe it was the possibility that Cole was just down the hall, spending the night in his room. I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about him and the look on his face when I saw him in the hall.

He looked worried, and I wasn’t sure if it was about me or something else. Once the thought crossed my mind, I started spiraling down the rabbit hole, thinking of all the things that could’ve been wrong.

I needed to know what was going on, so I threw the covers back and pulled myself out of bed. I grabbed a sweatshirt out of my bag, slipped it on, and put on my shoes before quietly opening my door. I peeked out into the hall and was relieved to see that no one was in sight.