Page 168 of Savage Hearts

“I said no,” I answered.

He flashed me an amused smile.

“Fuck, but I think she’s serious. This isn’t something she’s going to back down from,” I said, and it was true. I saw the look in her eyes. Perhaps it was from having grown up in the club, or from being Daniel Hayes’ daughter, but she didn’t want to bring another kid into this world.

I could understand that.

And before her, especially during a time in my life when my brothers and I were running for our lives, I’d never even entertained the idea of kids.

I didn’t exactly entertain the idea of them now, but something about giving Mila birth control felt… wrong.

Maverick opened his mouth when the office door downstairs was pushed open, and Killian walked in with an expression that signaled he was out for blood.

Before Maverick or I could say anything, Killian shoved his phone into Maverick’s hands. I moved closer to see the screen.

It took half a second for my brain to process what I was seeing before I looked up at my brothers, a wide smile on my face.

Perfect.

With the way I was feeling, I was out for blood.

“Stupid fucker,” Maverick muttered. He looked at me. “I’m guessing you want to take the lead on this?”

I cracked my neck, my hands fisted by my side. “Hell, yeah. Unluckily for that fucker.”

Maverick nodded. “Do any of you recognize him?”

Killian shook his head. “He has a partner keeping watch just outside our perimeter. And judging by the looks of them, they’re likely patch members.”

Maverick shook his head. “You think some of Hayes’ former patch members are stupid enough to try breaking into our property?”

“Looks like it,” I commented. We had cameras installed all over the property. This fucker on our property was being careful, but even he didn’t realize how many eyes were on him right now.

If he did, he would run fast and hard out of here.

“I’ll take care of his partner,” Killian said, pocketing his phone and leaving before I could say anything.

“Something’s off with him,” I said, watching his retreating back. Something was always off with Killian, but this felt like so much more than usual.

Maverick shot me a knowing smile before he said, “Let’s go. I’ll make sure you don’t lose control and kill the fucker before we can do our interrogation.”

I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t my first day initiating into the organization. I knew what I was doing, and I didn’t need my brother on my back. But I let Maverick follow me out. If he wanted a show, there was no way I was going to deny him.

We walked out to the garden in the back of the house, and hid behind the toolshed, which, according to the cameras, was where our little intruder was heading. Perhaps he thought he might find something in here to use as a weapon.

The greatest weapon in the world would be only a hindrance in an incompetent person’s hands.

I squinted my eyes against the glare of the sun. I wondered why the fucker didn’t wait until nighttime to attack. Perhaps he thought we would be out of the house at this time, and normally, we would have. Unfortunately for him, things weren’t going his way.

We stayed there for a few minutes before there was a rustling noise.

I shook my head, and Maverick had a disgusted look on his face. Fucker couldn’t even be quiet walking into the lion’s den.

I waited until the rustling got louder, indicating he was close, before I jumped out. The fucker shot me a look of surprise, clumsily reaching down—probably for a gun—but I was on him before he could.

He was an ugly fucker. Bald with dark eyes and a goatee, he looked like he hadn’t showered in weeks. Dressed in dirty dark blue jeans and a denim jacket, he stood out on the property.

I wondered if this really was one of Daniel Hayes’ former patch members.

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