Page 101 of Colt

I ran a hand through my hair. “What am I meant to do?”

Kit skewered me with a look. “You shit or get off the pot.”

My heart crumbled in my chest. “I’m not ready yet. I gotta get the club into a strong position before I jet.”

He shook his head, pursing his lips. “My sister needs a man who’ll put her first. You’re too fucked-up to see past your insecurities to be what she deserves. Until you can acknowledge she’s your endgame, stay away from her. Don’t need some weak piece’a shit sniffing around my sister.”

My hands balled into fists. “Watch it, Breaker.”

“What ya gonna do? Punch me?” He barked a laugh. “Takes a man to do that shit, and you’re distinctly lacking a pair of balls right now. We both know you won’t start zilch, seein’ as you have to explain to Dad why, and don’t think I’ll lie for your dumb ass.” He shook his head. “I want Freya’s man to fight tooth and nail for her. Someone who’ll risk everything. Thought it would be you, Colt. It’s a shame I was wrong. I would’ve liked you for her.”

“It’s gonna happen, Break,” I assured him. “She’s mine.”

“She’s not yours until you claim her, and you’re nowhere near ready. If you’re not careful, some lucky bastard will look at my sister and see the same beauty we do. He’ll make her his wife and give her babies, and she’ll love him for seeing everything she is and be so fuckin’ loyal that she’ll never look at another man, including you. That’s when you’ll look back and wish you’d taken a risk for her. Except you’ll also see it was never really a risk. Loving Freya and being loved back would be a privilege.”

The thought of her with somebody else made my blood boil. No fucker would ever love her like I did. “Shut your fuckin’ mouth,” I bit out.

My brother rolled his eyes, turned, and walked back to the door, shaking his head. “Stupid fucker.” He stuck his head out just as the sound of the front door slamming ricocheted through the place. He pulled back into the room, slipped behind the door, and hissed, “Pull your cap down. It’s Stafford. He knows me.”

I did as I was told and shoved my equipment back inside before going over to the router and quickly unscrewing the back panel, fingers tremoring with the rush of adrenalin coursing through me.

The tapping of footsteps echoed from the hallway, getting louder as Stafford got closer, and I couldn’t help but swallow down an anxious gulp.

Stafford didn’t know me, but if he got too close, there was a chance he could still recognize me from town and from wearing the Speed Demons’ patch. However, Breaker knew him from when they were kids. Stafford only needed to get a glimpse of him, and he’d know we’d infiltrated.

My heart pounded inside my chest as the footsteps stopped outside the door to the study. I glanced at Breaker, my heart dropping when I caught a glimpse of metal glinting in the light.

The fucker had a knife, which was all very well, but I’d been told about Breaker’s fixation with slitting throats and throwing blades at scrotums. If Stafford walked in here, he’d be dead within seconds, and the last thing I needed on top of everything else I had to do was to cover up a murder.

Heart-in-mouth, my eyes slid to the doorway that Stafford filled, and I pulled my cap down to cover my eyes.

His eyes were lowered, reading something on the cell phone in his hand. Slowly, his eyes lifted, resting directly on me, and he barked, “Who the fuck are you?”

I nodded toward the router in my hands. “I’ve been asked to speed up your internet connection.”

His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to say something just as a voice floated through the hallway. “Brett? Is that you, darling?”

He turned on his heel just as more footsteps tapped on the tiles, and Elise appeared. “Oh, you’re early, fabulous. I was wondering if you’d take a look at some legal letters your father sent me. I’m a little confused by the jargon, and I know you’re familiar with it, being a law graduate and all.” She threaded her arm through Stafford’s, turned him away, and led him across the hallway, chatting innately as they went.

My shoulders slumped with relief as their voices faded.

“Close call,” Breaker rasped, stepping out of the shadows. His dark eyes blanked as they met mine. “Best you get on with your shit. The sooner we get outta here, the better.”

Within thirty minutes, we were on our way home.

Elise had even taken me upstairs on the pretense of using the washroom, allowing me to plant bugs in the master bedroom. I’d also managed to get into the kitchen and dining room without anyone knowing to place some cameras in those rooms too.

“We shit bricks when Stafford pulled up in his pussy car,” Atlas rumbled from the back. “Almost charged in there after him.”

“Had to remind Stallone here that Dad would take his fuckin’ patch if he did his usual trick of goin’ in all guns blazin’,” Bowie said tightly.

“Not my idea of a good time,” Atlas muttered. “But I reckon Prez would stop me doin’ recon if I lost my shit. Life without recon would just about fuckin’ end me. A man needs some excitement in his life.”

Breaker grinned. “As soon as Sophie’s pushed your kid out, you’ll be begging for a quiet life.”

“Nah.” Atlas grinned. “I’ll strap my boy on my back in one’a those contraption things your brothers’ used and take my Thor up the woods to teach him how to shoot.”

Every eye slashed to Atlas. “Thor?” Breaker inquired.

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