Page 4 of Sniper

“Look Sniper, I don’t agree with the path you’ve taken, but I trust you. Always.” His sigh was half an agonized groan. “He’s a former biker and I figured that he might respect you more than the law.”

“What MC?”

“Crimson Cobras. Formed in Miami, but they now have chapters all over the country. He was expelled because his brain is so fucked it was bad for business.”

I let out a low whistle, for an outlaw club to patch out a member had to mean they were a fucking liability. “I’ll keep her safe, Watchdog. I promise.”

“I know you will, but she needs more than protection, Cole.”

Shit. I sat up taller and braced my feet into the ground. “Whatever you need.” I owed him my life, it was as simple as that.

“Thanks, man. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“I do.” He’d lost his father to a life sentence when he was a teenager, and his mother died while we were deployed overseas. “I’ll meet you in an hour.” I needed to talk to Diesel and Rocky, let them know what was happening.

“Where?”

“You know Skid Row?” It was an MC-owned bar where we could talk without worrying about who might overhear.

“Yeah. See you in an hour.”

Chapter Three

Katey

“What are we doing at the courthouse, Cal?” I snorted my disapproval as we walked through security and picked up our belongings. “You know these people can’t do shit to help me. No offense.” Protection orders. Restraining orders. They only worked if the other person gave a damn about facing consequences. I’d taken out eight different orders over the years, and Ethan never spent one night in jail. He had connections that made sure of it.

“None taken.” He smiled, shook his head, and guided me down a staircase and through a narrow hall before we stepped inside a room with stacks of paperwork and two exhausted-looking clerks. “We’re here because I have a solution to your problem, which you are going to hate with every fiber of your being. So I figured an ambush was appropriate.”

My brows dipped in confusion. “Ambush? What are you talking about?” The door opened and in walked a man I had met once but never thought I’d see again.Cole Davis.He served with Cal in the military, and I’d been smitten at first sight.

How could I not be? He was well over six feet with broad shoulders and thick biceps. Now, he was still tall, still broad, and still ripped to shit, but his arms were covered in tattoos and his black buzz cut was replaced by a short style that showed off a hint of a curl, and those green eyes were vibrant but haunted and hard. I took in the sight of him, and I took my time doing itsince it had been far too long since I was face-to-face with such mouthwatering eye candy.

It was ruined when I caught sight of his leather vest. Disgusted, I took a step back. Cole was a biker, and that realization was the perfect bucket of ice water I needed to get my head on straight. I wouldn’t let my head be turned by a good-looking biker ever again.

“No,” I said and turned to my brother. “Absolutely the fuck not. Whatever you’re thinking about, forget it.”

“Katey, be reasonable.”

There was no being reasonable when it came to bikers. “You know what I’ve been through, what Ethan put me through. I won’t put myself in that position. I can’t.” My voice broke on the last two words, but it didn’t bother me.

“Katey, this isn’t the same. You can trust Sniper.”

I shook my head. “I can’t afford to. If you’re wrong, I’m the one who’s going to pay for it.” He trusted Cole with his life. That’s how it was in the military, but I didn’t have to trust him and I didn’t.

“You think I’m thrilled about this?” Cole’s voice was deep and each of his words as sharp as a knife. “I’m not, but if marrying you will keep you alive, I’m willing to do it. If not, I’ll find another way to pay Watchdog back for saving my life.”

I whirled on him, filled with so much hate my body vibrated with it. I hated him. In that moment, I hated him as much as I hated Ethan. I didn’t know this man, but I hated him. I hated him because he was hot. Because he looked at me like I was a piece of shit on the bottom of his shoe. I hated him… for too many reasons to count. But I did have another reason. “Didyou saymarryme?” I turned to my brother, betrayal swimming in my eyes. “Marry?”

Cal placed one hand on my shoulder to stop me from walking out of the suddenly suffocating office. “This is the first step to getting rid of Ethan. Another motorcycle club will scare Ethan, either because he’s outnumbered or out of respect.”

I shook off the traitor’s touch. “I disagree. He didn’t respect his own MC enough to abide by the rules.”

“She’s right,” Cole said in a low, completely in control voice. “He doesn’t sound like the type to just go away, but our marriage will be another roadblock.”

I folded my arms. “My answer is still no.”

Cole shrugged, his green eyes cold. “Okay. There are plenty of small towns you can run to every few months. It’s a tiring way to live, but it’s your life to throw away.”

---