Page 9 of Bandit's Bounty

“You sure you don't want to come with us?” I ask Raine, Bandit’s sister. I met her a few weeks ago and we’ve become fast friends. I know Bandit likes it as well since he’s shown me countless times how much it means to him that his sister and I get along.

“I'm good. I'm just going to stay here and relax. Working the night shift isn't all that grand,” she replies.

Bandit has said he knows there’s something going on with her, but she hasn’t shared, and he’s not willing to push her. Yet. Neither will I because I think she needed a soft place to land and being at home with her family is where she needs to be.

"You should totally come with us," I say, trying again to get her to come with us to the clubhouse for a barbecue. "You could meet Karsyn and Lake."

"I'm just going to catch up on some sleep," she says.

"Okay, well I can't say I didn't try." My sigh is long and heavy, which she doesn’t miss, but then again, she’s a pretty smart cookie. "Let's just hope everything goes okay and nothing happens."

"What do you think might happen?" she asks.

I take a breath then sit on the side of Raine’s bed and throw myself back, laying across one of her legs. "One of the members is a guy I used to date."

"You dated a shifter that wasn't my brother?" she asks.

"Yeah, it was a while ago. He hurt me and made me feel like I wasn't good enough. I really cared for him but didn't mean anything to him other than a booty call, I guess. I caught him screwing another woman at the clubhouse when I went to surprise him."

"Oh God," she gasps, her hand reaching out to clutch mine.

"It was humiliating. I'd gone there intending to give him a surprise I'd had for him." I look at her and can feel myself blushing at the memory. "Don't ask," I mutter before looking away once again and continuing. "He didn't follow after me. Just let me go and kept right on going with his festivities. The next day, one of their doxies filled me in on all the juicy details."

"What're doxies?" she questions.

"The club whores," I reply, sighing and sitting up once again. "If it weren't for Karsyn having just had the baby and me wanting to see him, I wouldn't go."

"I don't blame you. Just put that BS out of your mind. Bandit will be with you and he's not going to let anything happen toyou. He's protective like that. I see the way he is with you, and nothing is going to happen I promise," she tells me.

She’s not wrong. Bandit ticks every single one of my boxes, which is good since I’m his mate. "Thanks," I say, getting to my feet. "Well since you're not going, I'll let you be and go find the big beast himself and see if he's about ready to head out. Maybe I can convince him to go for a long ride before he heads to the Spiked Raiders MC clubhouse."

"I don't think you'll have an issue with getting him to ride,” she teases, smirking at me.

I giggle before going in search of Bandit, ready to face the day.

The party has been a blast and Karsyn’s little one is absolutely precious, but when I pick up a scent that I remember, I feel my insides curdling.He’s here. I was hoping he wouldn’t show up, but that’s not really fair since this is his home and I’m just a guest.

Bandit, feeling me tense, leans in and says, “You’re safe, you’ll always be that way, babe.”

“I know,” I softly reply.

“Gonna grab us a drink really quick, I’ll be right back,” he promises as Dane walks up to us. I watch as he and Karsyn chit-chat for a few minutes before he looks in my direction, wishing Bandit hadn’t left me.

"You mind if I have a word with you?"

"Yeah, I fuckin' well do mind," Bandit growls, his hands tightening on my shoulders. "Back away and leave my mate alone. You fucked with her head enough."

"What do you want, Dane?" I ask, reaching up to touch Bandit's hand.

"Just wanted to apologize for how things ended with us. Shouldn't have done that to you," Dane says.

"What kind of apology is that?" Bandit sneers.

"The only kind I know how to give," Dane sneers back.

"Dane, I know what type of shifter you are. Know what you did to my woman, and I hope like fuck that when it's your turn to find a mate, she treats you as you've been known to treat women," Bandit growls.

"Bandit," I mutter, trying to intervene, but Bandit keeps right on going.

---