Even six-year-old girls fall prey to the man. Unbelievable.

The door opens and Laurelyn sticks her head inside. “May we come in?”

“Mommy!” Dani squeals. “Raven says I can visit anytime I want.”

Laurelyn smiles at her. I can see she’s relieved, but there’s something else hidden behind that smile – uncertainty. It’s almost imperceptible, but I caught it. What does it mean? God, I hope she isn’t planning on not allowing me to see Dani again. I’m already smitten with the little girl.

“That’s great, honey.”

She introduces me to her husband. He shakes my hand and gives me an empathetic smile.

“I feel like I already know you, the way Laurelyn talks about you. I really hope you give her a chance. She puts on this front for everyone, but I know she’s not truly happy. She won’t be if she has to continue living a life without you in it.”

“I’m trying,” I tell him.

“I know,” he replies as Laurelyn walks up, and he wraps an arm around her shoulders. “That’s all we can ask for.”

“Do you know when you’re being discharged?” Laurelyn asks.

I look to Gage, but he shakes his head. “I haven’t spoken to the doctor yet.”

“Will Lonnie be coming by? Are you going back to her place?”

I shake my head in answer to Laurelyn’s questions. “I don’t know where Lonnie is, and I’m never going back to her house. That’s...that’s where it happened.”

She reaches for my hand and gently squeezes my fingers. I look down at our hands but don’t pull away. The touch verbalizes more than any words ever could. She’s here and offering support. It’s only been a day so I’m definitely not won over, but like I said, I’m trying.

“Where will you be staying?”

“With me,” Gage interjects.

Both Laurelyn and Daniel turn to him. Dani climbs up the bed and settles in next to me as she watches her parents. Laurelyn seems apprehensive.

“Do you mind if I ask how long you’ve been seeing each other?” she asks.

“Not long...but I’ll take care of her.”

“What do you do, Mr. Hunter? For a living?”

I roll my eyes. Is she really doing this right now?

“I own and operate several businesses.”

“Several?” Daniel raises a brow.

“Several,” Gage reiterates, emphasizing the word.

“So, you’re taking her to your home?”

“My clubhouse.”

I sigh deeply as I listen to their exchange. If they think they can intimidate Gage, they have another think coming.

“Clubhouse?” Laurelyn looks between the two of us in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Gage is the president of a motorcycle club. I’ve been there many times. It’s perfectly safe.”

She releases me and covers her mouth in shock. I know she thinks he’s a low-life criminal and that I’ve probably been a club whore, passed around from brother to brother.

“Those men and women are my family. They took me in, no questions asked, and made me feel like I belonged. I trust them. I trust Gage. I only feel safe when I’m with him. I’m going home with him, and that’s the end of the conversation. I’ve known you all of one day. Please, don’t come in here trying to act like a parent.” Gage takes my hand, offering encouragement. I look up at him as I finish, “He said he’ll take care of me, and he will.”

“Well...okay then.” she says reluctantly.

“You’re welcome to come by anytime and see Raven. I would take her to my house, but I have people at the clubhouse who can help me take care of her and protect her. You have nothing to worry about,” Gage tells her.

She nods and turns a nervous gaze to her husband. He tightens his arm around her.

“Good,” I say. “Now, get me out of here. I’m ready to go home.”

CHAPTER 6

***Gage***

A week. Seven days, ten hours, and—I check my watch—thirty-seven minutes. She’s been home from the hospital a fucking week, and I still have nothing – no suspects, no information. Nothing. Renley still hates my guts, but he doesn’t ride my ass the way he used to. He’s actually being cooperative since he saw and spoke to Janet. They have nothing either, and they’re swamped with combing through tips they received because of Laurelyn’s reward. If no one talked to me, they’re definitely not talking to the cops.

I was able to get my hands on a copy of the police report, but it doesn’t tell me anything I don’t already know. They found no DNA and no trace evidence to suggest the use of a condom. That means this wasn’t about sex. It was about hurting her. As for her blood work, my contact at the lab said he’d never seen that combination of drugs before. It’s the perfect rape cocktail – Flunitrazepam, MDMA, and Triazolam. Roofies, Ecstasy, and a fucking anesthetic. She would have been pliant and awake, unable to fight back, and wouldn’t remember a damn thing after. What guts me is that he also said she didn’t ingest enough to keep her out for too long. He thinks she came to either during the act or right after it finished. A part of me hopes she’ll remember something that will help while the other, bigger part, wants her not to. What she doesn’t remember can’t hurt her, right?

Aunt Nita, Ellen, and Chrissy have pretty much taken her over from me. Millie comes by when she can. Toni stayed for a few days but had to go back home for school. They still talk on the phone every day, though. The only time I really get to spend with her is when I curl up next to her at night. Raven’s going to need a lot of time to heal but even then I don’t want her working, so I’ve told Millie to find another waitress.

Her mother and sister are still around. They were staying in a hotel in Atlanta, so I offered them the use of my house so they could be closer. She comes by every day, even though she turns up her nose at everyone. Raven is still cautious with her, but she and Dani are growing closer with each day. She’s pretty much stayed in bed all week healing, only just wandering outside of my room today. It’s going to be a few weeks before she can use her arm, but everyone’s been taking care of her. She hasn’t had to lift a finger.

Even the guys have been extra protective of her. She’s like the princess of the club or something. Don’t even get me started on Chopper. It’s like he’s planning World War III. I’ve been busting my ass trying to find this guy but if you hear Chopper tell it, I ain’t doing shit. We’ve already eliminated everyone on my list of suspects, so now we’re a little stuck. No one is more disappointed in me than I am in myself. I don’t need his shit, too.

And that’s exactly what I’m getting now. He’s sitting at the opposite end of the table, staring at me like I’m the biggest mistake he’s ever made. All the brothers are staring at me, waiting for me to say something. The Mexicans put us in contact with the Colombians, who gave us some information on a guy called ‘The Pharmacist’.

I turn to Tek. “Any luck?”

“All I’ve found so far is that he’s on the DEA’s radar. Henry ‘The Pharmacist’ Briggs. Apparently, he’s some kind of genius chemist. His specialty is mixing different recreational drugs. Doesn’t say anything about this particular one, though.”

“Maybe he’s expanding. Find him.”

“I’m on it, Prez.”

“What else are you doing?” Chopper growls, but I ignore him and address the rest of the table.

“No one’s talking. Maybe we need to provide a little incentive. A million dollars to anyone who can lead me to this guy.”

Laurelyn is already offering a reward through the cops, but I’m hoping people will be more willing to talk to me than them if I offer one, too.

“A million?” Venom raises his brows.

“You’re right, it’s not enough. Make it two.”

“Boss,” he says. “We want this guy, too, but don’t you think that’s a little...excessive?”

“No. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to find this fucker.”

“Okay. We have some money tucked away. I’ll see –”

“No,” I stop him. As the club’s treasurer, I see why he would be concerned. I wasn’t planning on using the MC’s money. “My woman, my money.”