Page 30 of Rebel

We sat, and she pushed a thermos toward me.I poured some coffee into the cup she offered.

“So,” she said after a moment.“Rebel.”

My head snapped up.“What about him?”

“I’ve seen how he looks at you.And how you look at him when you think nobody’s watching.”

When the hell had she had the time to watch us?Of course, we did venture out of his house frequently.It wasn’t like I was holed up in a bedroom hiding.And the man did have a tendency to be nearby if not right by my side.

The coffee suddenly tasted bitter.“Is it that obvious?”

“Only to someone who’s been there.”She took a sip from her cup, eyes never leaving mine.

The words came tumbling out before I could stop them.“I’m scared of losing myself, but I’m drawn to him.And I’m worried that I may regret it if I decide to stay.It’s not like we’ve known each other very long.”

Jordan didn’t react with surprise or judgment.She just nodded slowly.“That’s how it goes with these men.They’re like gravity.”

“Did you feel that way with Havoc?”

A genuine smile crossed her face, softening the lines around her eyes.“Still do, after all these years.”

“How did you two…” I let the question trail off.

“Meet?”She set her cup down.“He found me dying on the side of the road.”

That wasn’t what I expected.“What?”

“I’d been left for dead, essentially.Havoc was riding back from a run, saw me there, passed out.He could’ve kept going.Most people would have.”

“But he didn’t.”

“No.”Jordan’s eyes grew distant.“He stopped.Brought me to the compound.”

I tried to picture the intimidating Sergeant-at-Arms doing something so gentle.“Why here and not a hospital?”

“I begged him not to.Had my reasons.”Her eyes met mine.“This club became my safe haven when I had nowhere else to go.”

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves above us.In the distance, I could hear the rumble of motorcycles coming or going.

“The brotherhood looks rough on the outside,” Jordan continued.“And it is.Make no mistake.But there’s something else here too.Something most people never see.It’s what we talked about the other day.Being a family.”

I thought about Rebel and how he’d looked at me the first time we’d met.Like he could see every broken piece inside me and wanted to gather them up.

“You know,” Jordan said, breaking the silence, “I’d just gotten out of prison when Havoc found me.”

My eyebrows shot up.“Prison?”

“Got out and my own brother wanted nothing to do with me.The irony?He was a Prospect for this very club.He was supposed to pick me up and didn’t.That’s why I was passed out on the road.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”She took another sip of coffee.“My own blood abandoned me, but strangers took me in.Havoc made sure I had a place to stay, food to eat.”

“And you fell for him.”

“Fast and hard.”Jordan’s face softened again.“Wasn’t looking for it.Wasn’t ready for it.But there it was.”

I picked at a splinter in the wooden table.“Were you afraid?”

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