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"Thought you didn’t talk about her anymore," I say carefully.

"I don’t," he snaps. He sighs a second later, shoulders slumping a little. "I didn’t want to make it a club matter. Didn’t want to drag all this shit into Brutal Chains."

I take a slow step closer. "What happened?"

Semi looks around like he half expects someone else to be listening. Then he yanks open the bottom drawer of his desk and pulls out a wrinkled envelope. Tosses it on the bench like it burns.

"I’ve been getting shit in the mail," he says. "Threats. Pictures. Most of them of her... messed up."

I pick up the envelope, flip through a few of the photos. They’re grainy. Dark. A woman, blond, thin, eyes wide with terror. Her wrists tied together. A bruised cheek.

It’s not just messed up. It’s fucking sick.

My fists clench without me even realizing it.

"Who?" I rasp.

Semi shakes his head. "I think it’s someone from my old crew. From before I patched over with Brutal Chains. But I don’t know who exactly. And whoever it is... they’re not someone to play around with."

I set the envelope down carefully. My skin feels too tight.

"And Vinny?" I ask.

Semi’s mouth twists. "He was cleaning out my rig. Found a photo stuffed in the glove box. Thought it’d be funny to crack jokes about it. Called her a dime store discount. Said I musta been real desperate."

The veins in Semi’s neck pop as he fights the urge to slam his fist into something again.

"I lost it," he admits quietly. "I fucking lost it."

I nod slowly, understanding sinking deep in my bones.

Semi isn’t just pissed. He’s scared. For her. For himself. For whatever storm is brewing out there.

And if he’s scared, we all should be.

"All right," I say, voice low. "You’re not dealing with this alone."

Semi’s eyes flick to mine, and for once, he doesn’t argue.

My mind races with thoughts of what Semi just told me. "You not going to bring Brick in on this? I mean maybe he can help?"

"No...I don't know if the threat is real or not." Semi shakes his head and I furrow my eyebrows and point to the pictures he just showed me.

"How the hell can you say this might not be real. Don't you see the pictures?"

Semi sighs and runs a hand through his hair, "I do. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've seen pictures of Claire in compromising positions. She lies like it's her fucking job. I can't trust her. It's one of the main reasons we split. The last time I was sent pictures like this it was all a fucking trick. She needed money and thought a ransom was the fastest way for her to get it.

"God damn! Your ol' lady did that? And people wonder why I don't want those kind of problems." I scoff and cross my arms over my chest.

"Yeah, shit was a mess. I haven't been able to reach her or anyone from my old crew, but if these pictures are real that means someone from my past is here in town, fucking with me." Semi growls, his lip curling up at the end of his statement. "They've probably been collecting intel on all of us. That is if this shit is real. Fuck man, I don't know. I just know I want to keep this shit to myself until I find out more."

Gathering intel. Watching.

My heart sinks even further in my chest. "You think they'd only do recon on you or is this something that all of us have to worry about?"

Semi tilts his head and stares at me for a second, "If it's really them then it would be all of us. Why?"

"You think they'd go after the people we associate with? The Ol' ladies?" Of course I'm worried about Bea and Luna but all of us have special people in our lives that we need to protect.

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