Page 55 of The Heiress

My plane dreams seemed rather realistic now. “If people start popping up as animals or spouting riddles, don’t be alarmed if I start laughing hysterically and never stop.”

He made a noise low in his throat that could have been agreement or not. “Well I can guarantee no one will be turning into rabbits or cats, but the riddles...I can’t vouch for that.”

I sighed because he was right. Even when Georgia spoke plainly it felt like a secret code was laced into the wavelengths, and as secretive as Jace was about all things Devil’s Wrath, I had no doubt the guys would be speaking in code around me.

“So we’re going to Gainesville?”

“You said you need to see David, right? And Hazel?”

I nodded. I hoped David had enough time to dig up some information on my parents. Things were moving at lightning speed and information was kind of my thing. It was the comfort I didn’t have at my disposal at the moment. Anything he could give me would help settle my world, even if it was just a little. “And then?”

He took a long, slow inhale that expanded his chest underneath me. “The club really is the safest place. Not only are we heavily armed, but every one of us is security conscious, even the assholes. If something seemed off, we’d all know it immediately. Not even a crew like the one that hit Georgia’s would be stupid enough to try and come here.”

For the second time in my life my safety and security were at risk. And that was the big, glaring question in all of this, wasn’t it? Not my name or which door I picked for my future, butwhywas I taken in the first place? Did that have anything to do with my safety now? And if they were connected, what did that mean?

“We need to find out who kidnapped me. Was it random or was it planned?”

Jace shifted under me and it took me a moment to realize it was because he’d gotten very tense. “I’ve been worrying about this too. Why were you kidnapped? If it was a mistake, fine. We may never know what happened that day if that’s the case. But if you were taken intentionally, what was the reason? We need to know. Until we do...we’re flying blind.”

I snuggled even deeper into his warmth. At least I was flying blind in a plane with someone I trusted at my side.

* * *

Breakfast was only slightly awkward.Turns out most bikers aren’t big morning people. Storm and Riddick were there, but Home Run was sleeping after taking the nightshift. So I ate in the corner between Jace—Red—and Riddick while the very few members of the club who were awake wandered by to catch up with Jace and get a closer look at the woman he brought with him.

“What does everyone do? I mean, you work with money, does everyone have jobs or do they work for the club...how does this work?”

Jace and Storm traded a look. Storm shrugged. Jace sighed, then turned to me. “These guys?” He nodded at the few grabbing food before shuffling off. “They work for the club. We have so many business interests these days that we can employ everyone. The guys still sleeping work for the bar or some of our other interests that are more nocturnal in nature.”

“Jace has transformed the club,” Riddick said. “We’re like our own mini-empire. We all make a living—a good living—thanks to him.”

It was clear how much the guys admired Jace, but it was also very easy to see the loyalty and friendship shared by the four of them, specifically. I didn’t think I had that kind of bond with anyone, not even Hazel. I was almost certain she’d do anything for me, and me for her, but I wasn’t absolutely positive.

These guys would die for each other. No questions asked. And Iknewit, just from being around them. Maybe it was this blood oath thing they talked about, but I was starting to think it had everything to do with Jace. He was the kind of guy who inspired and his generosity was so completely genuine it infected everyone around him. I appreciated it when we were kids, but as an adult who could fully fathom everything he went through, all the things that should have pulled him down and didn’t, it was all the more impressive.

“So back to business,” Storm said. “Home Run is going to stay here and work on logistics. Riddick and I will be your road crew. One night?”

Jace looked to me. I shrugged. “I should be able to take care of everything in a few hours.”

“One night then,” Jace said with a nod.

“We’ll head straight to the hotel and get everything squared away.” Riddick nodded. “I’ll feel better once we’re back here.”

Storm grinned. “What about Joker’s party? We gonna ditch or take the lady?” His eyes flashed a challenge my way.

I had a feeling that wasexactlywhat it was too.So you want to fuck our buddy? Welcome to the life. Sink or swim.And I didn’t think he meant it a mean way. It simply was what it was. Devil’s Wrath wasn’t anything I ever wanted to be anywhere near...and here I was sleeping in their clubhouse.

“Uh, do you think it’s safe?” Jace shifted uncomfortably.

“Don’t see why not. Joker’s place is in the middle of fucking nowhere and the whole club will be there. We’ll have more ammunition than a militia.”

I hated that they kept equating safety to guns. It gnawed at me but there was nothing I could do about it. To them, deadly weapons were the language they spoke when words weren’t enough.

Jace blew out a breath and locked his gaze with mine. “A night in a hotel and then a bonfire?”

After so many days and weeks of grief followed by stress, a good party sounded like a hell of a lot of fun. “Show me your ways.”

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