Page 29 of Savage Grace

The one that I was interested in was the one I was supposed to stay away from. And I had no idea why I was so infatuated with the idea of Ashe.

Perhaps it was a childish rebellion in me. Just wanting him now that I knew that I couldn’t have him. Maybe it was because he was one of the few men that I actually remembered after one of my nights spent with them. Or maybe, it was because in the short few encounters that I’d had with Ashe, he’d made me feel more seen, more alive, more exhilarated than I ever had in my whole life.

We drove in silence for a little while, and I looked out the window at the passing traffic as Theo drove through the city. He and Larissa made some form of small talk that I had blocked out before I interrupted them with probably the most stupid question I could have asked.

“What do you know about Ashe?” I asked, turning towards Theo.

He arched a thick eyebrow at me and straightened slightly.

“What? Why?”

“Well,” I shrugged, letting my shoulders drop to appear much less desperate than I was for the information. “He’s supposed to be a threat to me, right? I should know who I’m up against, shouldn’t I?”

Theo considered for a while, opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

“That’s really something you should discuss with your brothers,” he said, using the professional tone that I had only ever heard him use around Toni.

“Come on,” I rolled my eyes. “What harm could it possibly do?”

He inhaled deeply and shook his head.

“Henny is the MC’s sergeant-at-arms,” was all Theo offered.

“Okay?” I dragged out slowly. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Basically, he’s like their security. He oversees everything. He’s like the president’s eyes. Any threat from outside or inside the club, it’s his job to know about it and it’s his job to sort it out.”

My mouth went dry.

Did that mean Ashe thoughtIwas a threat somehow? Or did he just think that I was an easy target to use in order to manipulate the club’s biggest threat—my family?

“What else?” I managed.

“Well…” Theo scrubbed the back of his neck. “He’s one of the few younger guys to reach the higher ranks in the Redliners.”

“So?”

He scoffed. “How do you think he moved that far up so quickly?”

I shrugged. “They liked him?”

Theo just shook his head. “There’s… tradition. Just like in The Family. You would be familiar?”

“Not really.” My voice was quiet, and I looked down at my hands.

I knew nothing about the ranks, the traditions, the roles, or the jobs that any of them did. I was, for the most part, completely fucking clueless about the whole ordeal.

It was something that I was told wasn’t my business.

I didn’t mind that up until recently.

Another sigh. “Look, there are… stories. About his rise to infamy,” a smirk from Theo. “None of them are pretty. But, for the most part, he was also just taken in young. He used to tattoo the older members and I think they just took pity on the kid.”

I cocked my head to the side. “So, he’s a tattoo artist?”

Theo’s jaw hardened, maybe realising that he had given away too much. “Yes,” he said quietly.

“Where does he work?” I asked.

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