Talon takes a step closer. His eyes search mine with an intensity that makes me quiver.“I understand your concern, but you need protection, and I’m offering it. You’re in danger, whether you saw anyone outside or not. That letter proves it. I didn’t make that. I’d never terrorize a woman. Weak men do shit like that, and I’m not a coward.”
My intuition tells me Talon is being honest, but fear has its grip on me. The thought of staying with him, a man I hardly know, is terrifying. But what choice do I have?
“I don’t think he’s part of this,” Sienna says, breaking the silence.“You should go with him. He clearly got his ass kicked by someone, so I believe him. Besides, he called the voodoo priest, right? Maybe that guy will call back and give you a clue about who’s behind this.”
With a deep breath, I decide to take the leap and trust Talon, praying that my instincts are right.“Okay. I’ll go with you. But if anything happens, I’m out of there.”
“Understood,” Talon nods, relief flooding his features.“You won’t regret it.”
“She’d better not. My father’s a Russian diplomat. I’ll have him poison your ass if you hurt her. You’ll never see it coming.” Sienna gives him a pointed look.
“Jesus.” He holds up his hands in surrender.“Don’t worry, Ms. Mafia. I’ll keep your friend safe.”
“Good. You’d better. If I don’t hear from her by noon tomorrow, I’m telling my dad about you,” Sienna says.
“I’ll contact you before then,” I reassure her. She may be my bestie, but she gets downright scary sometimes. I have no doubt she’d send the entire mob after the club if Talon did anything to hurt me.
“What about Loki?” Sienna asks.
“Can he come, too?” I glance down at my dog, who hasn’t left Talon’s side since he arrived.
“If you’re that worried about Loki, there are twenty-four-hour doggie daycares around,” Sienna suggests.
“No, I can’t just leave him with people I don’t know,” I reply, shaking my head. The thought of leaving my beloved dog with strangers is unbearable, especially considering everything else that’s happening. As if sensing my distress, Loki trots over and nuzzles his head against my leg, looking up at me with those big, trusting eyes.
“Hey, buddy. You want to come home with me?” Talon asks, squatting down and holding out his hand for Loki to sniff. Loki doesn’t hesitate. He eagerly sniffs Talon’s hand before licking it affectionately. Talon scratches behind Loki’s ears, and a smile spreads across his face as my dog leans into the touch.
“He seems to really like you,” I say, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. Loki has always been a good judge of character and seeing him so comfortable with Talon makes me question my hesitation. If Talon weren’t a good guy, Loki would know. My dog has warned me in the past when someone wasn’t trustworthy. I’m confident he’s a good judge of character. Dogs have instincts we don’t understand, but that doesn’t make them wrong.
“Animals have a way of knowing who they can trust,” Talon says, as if he can read my thoughts.“If it helps you feel better, I promise to look after him, too.”
Watching them interact, I can’t deny the connection between Talon and Loki. It’s clear my dog trusts him, and maybe that’s enough for me to do the same. After all, if I’m going to stay with Talon for my protection, I should try to believe in him.
“Okay,” I say quietly.“I’ll trust you … for now.”
“Good. That’s settled.”
“Where are we going? Where do you live?”
“In the MC’s clubhouse. Don’t worry, you’ll have your own room there.”
“Who else lives there?” I ask, trying to picture what kind of people I might be surrounded by. Are they all as protective as Talon, or will they see me as an unwanted guest?
“Reaper has a room there, too. He’s the club’s Enforcer,” he says, as if that should mean something to me.“We also have some prospects staying there.”
“What’s an Enforcer do?” I ask.
“He makes sure everyone in the club follows the rules.”
“You have rules?”
“Absolutely. Without them, we’d have chaos, which is something we can’t stand.”
“That’s interesting. And the Prospects, who are they?” The term is unfamiliar, but I can guess what it means. They’re probably recruiting new members or something like that.
“New guys hoping to earn their place in the club,” he explains.“They have to prove themselves, do whatever tasks are asked of them by the full members. If they’re dedicated and loyal, they’ll eventually be voted in as a full member. Once they find out what’s going on, they’ll work to protect you, too. We’re a brotherhood, and if one of us is in trouble, we all band together to make shit right.”
Us. The word resonates in my chest. They sound like a family, which is something I really miss. Ever since my mom died, I haven’t felt as close to my dad. I think it’s because of his new relationship, but I couldn’t expect him to stay single forever. Getting remarried was inevitable. Still, I feel like we’ve lost something in the process, something I really want to recapture.
