The road was less than a foot away when Jackal spotted a break in the crowd big enough to get his bike through. He rode his bike through the opening in the rows of motorcycles that were at a standstill. The assholes were too fucking busy watching the gun fight to get out of danger.

His bike hit pavement, and he gunned his motor, following the line of red taillights leading toward town.

Penni loosened the tight hold she had on his waist, and Jackal released a sigh of relief that she was safe.

As they neared town, police cars and ambulances sped past them with lights flashing. He hoped Hennessy wasn’t one of the bikers who would need a ride to the local hospital.

Jackal parked his bike in front, rushing her into the hotel room then locking the door behind them. Looking out the window, he saw several bikers parking, but none of them seemed interested in them. Jackal bet most of them would just get their things and head out of town before the cops came back.

“Are we okay now?”

Jackal turned from the window at her shaky question.

“Yeah.” He pulled out his cell phone, pushing Hennessy’s number. When he didn’t answer, Jackal called Ice. The phone went to his messages. Shit. He was going to have to wait for one of them to call him.

Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his sweat and smoke-filled hair. “I need a shower.”

“Go ahead. If anyone knocks, I’ll let you know.”

Jackal stopped as he was about to go into the bathroom. Penni had taken a chair, staring at the door. She had handled what had happened better than most recruits would have. She had almost been killed; none of the bikers had given a shit that a woman was in their line of fire. Most recruits had returned to the clubhouse to get drunk or fuck any woman who spread their legs when shit had gone down badly. Hell, his own body was so filled with adrenaline he wanted to bust someone up or fuck. Penni looked as unruffled as if she had just been dealing with the hordes of teenagers she dealt with at concerts.

Shrugging out of his jacket, he was about to lay it down across from Penni when he noticed the bulging pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out her bra and useless cell phone, handing them to her.

“No one will knock.” Jackal told her in case she was worried despite her cool-headed appearance. “Hennessy or Ice will call when they can.”

Penni bit her bottom lip, bringing blood rushing to the tip of his cock. “Why not call someone else, like Max or Colton?”

Jackal took off his shirt, laying his gun and knife on the small table in front of her. “I don’t want to distract them and get them killed. They’ll call when they can.”

“Okay.”

He began walking to the bathroom, unbuckling his belt.

“Jackal?”

He didn’t stop, but he did turn his head.

“Can we go home now?”

Jackal gripped the doorknob as he was about to close it. “Yeah, you can go home.”

Closing the door before she could see his face, he thought about how Penni had a place to call home, and unfortunately, it wasn’t with him. When she returned to Queen City, he would only see her when she passed him in the city or when Grace had one of her parties, giving him the cold shoulder as he passed her.

It was a three-day ride to Queen City. He would drag it to four. He didn’t want to let her go. He was dreading it.

16

Groggily, Penni opened her eyes, confused by the terror flooding her body. Reality rushed through her as she awakened in the dark room. Had she died back at the bonfire and hadn’t known it?

When she opened her mouth to scream, she wasn’t able to make a sound. Mysteriously, the hard arms lifting her from the bed were gentle. They were restraining her so she couldn’t move, but she didn’t feel pain.

As the man carried her across the floor, Penni saw the doorway of the hotel had two shadowy figures. She kicked out, trying to throw herself free, and the hand holding her tightened as they went through the open door.

Penni looked at the men under the light outside, and relief poured through her body. Lucky and Rider motioned for her to be quiet as they moved to a black SUV, which Cash slid out off, opening the back door.

The man carrying her slackened his hold, sliding her into the backseat.

“Shade, I’m so happy to see you I could cry.” Penni wrapped her arms around her brother.

“You okay?”

“Yes, now that you’re here.”

“Cash and Razer are going to drive you to Treepoint. I’ll see you there.” Shade stepped back, shutting the door.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

Shade wasn’t getting on his bike parked next to the SUV. He had turned back to the hotel room.

“I have some business I need to take care of with Jackal.”

Penni easily recognized the cold, ominous gaze turned on her.

“Jackal didn’t do anything. He tried to save me. It was the Road Kingz who held me prisoner.”

“Penni, I know exactly what happened.” Shade didn’t try to explain how he knew, and Penni was sure she didn’t want to know. Her brother had an uncanny ability to find out information.

“Are they alive?” Penni was startled that she cared. She had begun to like Jackal, despite him being a butthole.

“I’ll handle it. Go. Lily’s worried.”

Penni reluctantly nodded. Shade was done talking.

She leaned back against the leather seats, knowing Shade would do the right thing. He always did.

Penni watched as Cash backed up and slowly drove to the exit, seeing the men standing by their motorcycles. Most of the men she recognized. Viper gave a small wave, and the grim faces of The Last Riders lightened when they saw the movement.

As the SUV passed each of The Last Riders, they hit the roof, letting her know they were glad she was safe.

“They missed you,” Cash spoke over his shoulder.

“I’ve missed them, too.”

The last one they passed was the one she had waited for anxiously. His black-blue hair gleamed under the street lamp. When he hit the top of the SUV, Penni held her breath, hoping he would gesture for Cash to stop. He didn’t. Train’s attention was locked on the hotel where Jackal was.

Why should it be any different this time? He was glad Shade’s sister was safe, and that was it. In the years she had known him, Train had never given Penni any indication that he felt anything for her.

She was twenty-four years old; how long was she going to wait before she realized it wasn’t going to happen? She was an idiot.

“How’s Rachel?” Cash’s wife was expecting their first baby.

“Getting used to being a mom.”

“She had the baby?” Penny was excited for them.

“A week ago.”

“Congratulations. What did you name him or her?”

“She wants to name the baby Mag. I told her over my dead body.”

“I don’t want him hurt.”

“Rachel?” Cash’s voice sounded angry. “I wouldn’t hurt Rachel because of what she wanted to name our baby—”

“Not Rachel. Jackal. I don’t want him hurt.”

Razer twisted in his seat to look back at her. “You heard Shade say he would handle it. Jackal should have called the minute you went missing. Jackal and the Predators deserve some questions, and Shade is going to want the answers to be good.”