And that was exactly the confidence she needed. "Ride safe."
"Always," he murmured against her lips before slapping her ass on his way out the door.
The clubhouse emptied fast once Kodiak started his Harley. Roma stood in the doorway, arms crossed, and watched the taillights ride through the open gate.
"Step back inside, Roma," said Baker.
Closing the door, she sighed heavily. She hated this part—the waiting.
Roma paced once, twice, then settled into the corner of the worn couch. Baker put a mug of hot coffee in her hand. Curling her feet under her, she placed her phone on her thigh, face up.
She stared at it, willing it to light up with a text message from Kodiak telling her he was on his way home.
The odds of him calling if he managed to catch Nate were slim, but that hadn't stopped her from looking and waiting and hoping.
In the quiet, her mind slipped back to her conversation with Baker. He had a wife no one knew about, and a child, who was now an adult, that he had never met. A life he was given and had never taken, because he chose to protect someone from his choices in life.
That was a beautiful heartache that she hoped never to face.
Roma leaned back, gazing at the ceiling, letting the ache settle somewhere deep in her chest. She couldn't imagine turning away from the life that had nearly broken her. She wouldn't trade the sorrow. Not for safety. Not even for peace.
She loved her dad more than anything. He raised her when it would've been easier for him to walk away or give her away, but he'd stayed and loved her. It wasn't his choice to get murdered and leave her.
Maybe a small part of her refused to leave Royalla because she could feel her dad here. It probably sounded crazy to anyone else, but that's how she felt.
Then, there was Kodiak, who stepped up to fulfill that father role. He'd taken responsibility for her and made sure she lacked nothing.
There were times when she let her anxiety win, and she wondered if Kodiak was with her because he promised her dad. She held her breath, letting it out slowly. Her dad and Kodiak were close. Closer than brothers. She remembered the bond they had, not only within the club but also the respect they had for each other.
Had that bond caused her to be an obligation to Kodiak? Would he still love her if her dad were still alive and he hadn't stepped up to care for her?
Her hand closed around her phone again. Still nothing.
She worried about what Nate's betrayal would do to Kodiak. He expected the men who wore a patch to remain loyal to Royalla. As far as she knew, Nate was the first one who'd gone against the club from the inside. Kodiak took responsibility for Nate's actions as if he'd kidnapped Roma herself.
Most of all, she feared losing him because the club would always come first.
Chapter 35
The old grist mill, long abandoned and harboring secrets of previous Royalla crimes, reeked of decay. Kodiak's adrenaline spiked. The hunt for Nate was over. It was only fitting they tracked him here.
He motioned for Cruz to stay with the others and stepped out of the shadows, boots scraping gravel.
As soon as he rounded the corner where Nate had parked his motorcycle, he slowed his step. The door was open.
He moved quietly, slipping inside, letting his eyes adjust to the dimness. Moving forward, he scanned the room, finding Nate sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.
Nate raised his head, his gaze darted side to side, looking for a way to escape. But his run had ended. Kodiak and the other riders had him surrounded.
"You fucked up." Kodiak widened his stance. "You betrayed the club and took my woman. It's almost like you had a death wish."
Nate held up his hands. "I had no choice. I owed Deception. They were turning my ass over to the Feds and framing me for killing Tusany. Th-they told me if I gave them Roma, I'd walk free."
"Who told you that?" Kodiak growled.
"Curt Morgan and PJ, th-the one I gave Roma to."
Unknown to Nate, both of those men were now dead, and Roma was safe. But even when they were alive, they were half-baked with not enough brain cells between the two of them. Nate could've gotten rid of them and stopped the threat against his life. Instead, he played right into their hands.
