Page 45 of Silver Fox Daddies

Admitting defeat, Melissa holds out her palm and he places it on.

“Jesus.”

I rush in, seeing as she’s about to drop it, but she steadies herself.

“It’s heavy.”

“Right? You’d need a bench rest to be able to shoot this thing.”

Melisaa continues staring at it, her eyes frightened.

“You know, back when I lived in England, my favorite weekend activity was shooting birds with these for fun.” Bishop takes it back from her palm, holding it up in the faint light to inspect again.

One would think it’s his fucking son.

“You have no need to be worried, sweetheart,” he says, slotting it back into the box and tucking it away. “We’re all trained in combat. Even Cash here, one of our newest prospects, is starting to pick up things quickly.”

“It’s true.” I step forward, placing a reassuring hand to the side of her arm. I don’t expect her to ease into it so much. “We know how to fight, and that’s why we need you out of the way. You see all these weapons? All this potential for destruction? I want you nowhere near any of it.”

“You plan to kill them?”

“Every last one,” says Bishop.

“Not every last one,” I say, shooting Bishopanothercautionary look. “But enough for this battle to be over.”

Melissa tenses, her eyes trailing to the floor. “What exactly is going on?”

I turn to Bishop, making it clear that I’ll be the one telling her this. Exhaling a sigh, I take a step away. “There’s another motorcycle club living out in the desert. Reaper Sons is their name. They’re hungry. Want territory. Our territory, more specifically. That’s why they keep attacking.” I hesitate, unsure if I should be telling an innocent civilian like Melissa all of this information—she could go back to her friends and spill everything.

But she needs to know the full extent of what’s going on here. She needs to know that no matter how much I want her to stay, she needs to be away for her sake and for our own.

“They were so powerful back in the eighties, but ten years ago, everything went quiet. Nobody knows why. It was like they disappeared off the face of this earth. Something must have happened for them to be no longer spotted on the roads anymore, but they’re back, stronger than ever, quickly accumulating members. Grizzly thinks they’re almost back to their original numbers—six hundred.”

“Six hundred is a lot.” Melissa grimaces.

“You can say that again,” says Bishop.

“Yeah, anyway,” I say, taking another breath. “They’re deadly. Their leader Jax wants us all gone. He’ll want you gone too, if he finds out you’re hanging around here at the clubhouse being a part of what we represent. He despises us. Wants to claim the desert as his own.”

“Jax?” Melissa’s eyes turn wide, her lips parting. “Jax is the owner of the club?”

“Of Reaper Sons,” I repeat. “Yes.” I study Melissa’s reaction, unsure what to make of it. “You know him from somewhere?”

“I…I saw him outside through the vents when I was hiding.” She messes with her fingers, unable to look at us. “Jax. It was on his…” Unable to find the words, she wiggles Bishop’s vest in demonstration.

“Cut,” he says.

Melissa nods, silent.

Her frightened demeanor is more than valid. Jax is a big, hefty guy with an unyielding strength. He chooses his battles carefully. Normally, he’s outside watching things unfold away from the scene, so it’s definitely him Melissa saw.

“Hey.” I approach her, wrapping an arm around her waist. I pull her slender frame into me. “I know this is all new and terrifying and not at all what you expected to be getting involved in, but let’s get you home. Everything will be okay.”

She turns away, unable to meet my eyes. Her posture is bent, skin peppered with goose bumps even though the temperature in this room is sweltering.

I think it’s obvious that she is not okay.

11

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