Page 21 of Talon

“That’s Reaper.” Talon opens the door and greets him with a nod.

“Hey, brother.” His voice is rough and scratchy, almost hoarse, as if he rarely uses it.“I’ll follow you two back to the clubhouse.”

Loki, seemingly unaware of Reaper’s fearsome appearance, bounds toward him with his tail wagging furiously. The huge man kneels to allow my dog to nuzzle into his chest and lick his face.

“Hey there, little buddy,” Reaper coos, scratching Loki behind the ears.“You ready for a new adventure?”

“Woof!” Loki’s tongue hangs out as he looks at me with wide, happy eyes. I’ve never seen him take to anyone like this before. He seems completely at ease with both men. Usually, he hates guys, but not these two.

Despite my initial apprehension, I find myself trusting Reaper simply because Loki seems to adore him. If my fiercely protective companion can sense this man is kind-hearted, then who am I to disagree?

“Thanks for bringing the cage.” Talon tosses his keys to Reaper, who catches them midair.“Don’t scratch my bike.”

Reaper grunts before heading outside. He starts the motorcycle but waits as we file out. Talon holds open the passenger door for me as I slide into the car.

“Come on, Loki,” I call, watching as he obediently leaps into the backseat. He circles once before settling down and resting his head on my shoulder.

“Let’s get going.” As he starts the engine, a low rumble vibrates through the SUV’s frame. I get the sense this vehicle has a lot more horsepower than most. I wonder if they modified it somehow.

As we drive, a strange mix of anxiety and relief comes over me. On the one hand, I’m terrified of what lies ahead, particularly the thought of staying at the motorcycle club’s clubhouse. On the other hand, I’m comforted by the knowledge that Talon and Reaper are doing everything in their power to protect Loki and me.

“You’re still worried, aren’t you?” Talon asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.“I promise you’ll be safe at the clubhouse. We’ve got security measures in place, and everyone there will have your back.”

“It’s hard to relax when you don’t know who’s out to get you.”

“True,” he says, meeting my eyes for a brief moment before returning his gaze to the road.“Hopefully, Bones will get back to us tomorrow with more information about the doll.”

As we approach the large, white, farmhouse-style clubhouse, I find myself clinging to the idea of family and the hope that no matter what danger lurks in the shadows, I won’t have to face it alone.

Chapter 7: Talon

Scar’s stern voice cuts through the air like a knife, calling all members of the motorcycle club into the room in the clubhouse where we hold Church. I’m on edge as I step inside, knowing that what happened with Jessica last night has to be shared and discussed. I take the Ziploc-bagged voodoo doll out of my pocket and place it on the long wooden table we’re all gathered around. Nitro, Matrix, and Scar lean forward to get a better look.

“What the hell is that?” Nitro asks.

“A huge fucking problem,” I say.

“Church is in order.” Scar slams the gavel down.“Talon had a crazy night and he’s here to tell us about it. Go ahead.”

I nod and clear my throat. Everyone’s eyes are on me as I begin the story.“Last night, I met a girl at the bar. Someone slashed one of her tires. When it blew out on the road, she pulled into our parking lot.”

“What the fuck?” Matrix frowns.“Does she know who did it?”

“No.” I shake my head.“I fixed it and followed her back to her house, where we found this.” I slide the doll over to him, so he can get a better look.

“Did you call Bones yet?” Scar asks.

“I texted him a pic. He’s looking into it.”

“We should call him,” Nitro says, bouncing in his chair. I swear that guy can’t ever sit still.

“But it gets worse,” I say.

“Go ahead,” Scar urges.

“Jessica called her friend Sienna and they decided to go over to her house for the night. I followed them but didn’t exactly tell them I was doing it.”

“Stalker.” Reaper smirks.

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