Kodiak's lips thinned beneath his beard. He glanced toward the clubhouse entrance, then back at her. "It's not about being tired," he finally said, his voice low. "It's about where I went wrong and how I can fix it. I want Royalla to be home, not only for us, but to each member who wears the patch."
A breeze kicked up, blowing Roma's hair. She ignored the strands clinging to the corner of her mouth. Her focus was on Kodiak.
"What if that's impossible?" she murmured, searching his face.
Kodiak tipped his head and looked up at the dark sky. That alone was enough to make her heart kick. He was never unsure. Never hesitant. He was the strongest, smartest, bravest man she knew.
"Glad you're back, Roma," called out one of the men.
She turned. Royalla members watched from the entrance. A flicker of unease tightened her stomach. She had trusted Nate.She had let her judgment slip. She didn't need to hear it from anyone; she could feel it in the way some of them looked at her.
Nate was their MC brother. They rode under the same patch. The others probably believed she was at fault. Brothers before bitches, wasn't that always what they were telling each other?
Kodiak's grip on her waist tightened. "You need food," he said, steering her toward the clubhouse. "And rest."
Roma swallowed hard. What she needed was answers and the confidence that it was safe on the compound.
She had spent hours in captivity, replaying every detail of what had happened. Including the choices that had led her there. The trust that had shattered with every breath she took in the dark. And now, she wanted to know what came next.
"How bad is it?" she asked, voice lower now.
"He fucking touched you." Kodiak's gaze narrowed. "He betrayed me, the club, and every member who swore their life to the patch."
She could guess what the punishment was for turning on Royalla. Kodiak took her hand and led her into the clubhouse. The air was thick with unease as if the members had not quit moving since hearing about Nate's crimes against the club. She wasn't stepping back into the same world she had left.
Kodiak led her toward the back, where the quieter corners of the clubhouse provided space to breathe. He pulled out a chair, motioning for her to sit.
"You should have told me he was still out there." She crossed her arms and met his gaze. "I've distracted you."
Kodiak leaned against the table, planting his hands on the surface. "It was more important to get home where it's safe."
"Is it safe, though?" She looked at him, needing reassurance. "Not knowing where he's at makes everything seem worse." She pressed a hand to her chest. "I don't want him to try to kidnapme again. I thought this was over, and now Nate's involved." She shook her head. "I don't get it."
His gaze flickered to her. "He will never get another chance to put his hands on you. I promise you that."
Roma held his stare. Exhaustion hit her hard. She lowered herself into the chair. An ache lingered from the magnitude of what was happening. Royalla, although not blood-related, was the only family she had ever known.
Kodiak watched her a beat longer, then sat across from her.
She wanted to cry for what she'd gone through and what Kodiak still had to face. It felt like she was living in a bad dream and couldn't wake up.
He reached for the whiskey bottle on the table, poured a glass, then pushed it toward her.
"Kodiak," she said, softer now.
He'd always gone out of his way to make sure she wasn't able to drink or smoke because of her age.
His hand stilled on the bottle. He tried to comfort her in the only way he knew to comfort himself. Tonight had shown him there was a hole in Royalla. He almost lost her. His men were at risk.
Kodiak's thumb caressed the bottle without lifting it. It was rare to see him hesitate, even rarer to see him struggle for answers on how to fix the club now that Nate had penetrated the security Kodiak had built.
His gaze lingered on her, searching for answers. Maybe he was measuring how much information she could handle. Maybe he was assessing his regrets.
She inhaled slowly. "You don't have to shield me from this."
"I'm not shielding you," he said, voice lower now, rough at the edges. "I'm handling it."
Roma pressed her lips together. He couldn't let go of taking care of her. Hadn't she shown him that they were moving beyond that to a relationship where he could lean on her, too?
