“He’s dangerous, darling. Make sure you have your seat belt on.” Evie gripped the door handle and muttered under her breath. “No point saving us if you’re planning to kill us en route.”

Although he didn’t have to do it, Zane took another sharp left and then a right. Evie and Ty jerked from side to side in the vehicle, and he bit back a laugh when her muttering turned to soft curses only he could hear. But his good humor faded when he glanced up in the rearview mirror and saw the Jacks gaining on them. Where the hell were Shooter and Tank? Or his brothers? It shouldn’t have taken them this long to find the Jacks.

“We can’t outrun them in this damn cage. We need a place to hide so I can call the boys and get them off our back.”

“How about that car wash?” Ty pointed to the gas station ahead. “The doors close when you go inside. Mom doesn’t like it, but I think it’s cool.”

“Good idea.” The boy was smart. Musta got that from his mom. There were no good genes in the Colton family.

Zane turned into the car wash and jammed his credit card into the payment slot, praying they had enough time before the Jacks caught them. The heavy metal door lifted with a groan and he drove inside, counting off the seconds until the door closed again.

“How long we got? I paid for the Special. Never been in a car wash before. We detail our bikes by hand.”

“Probably about five minutes.” Evie loosened her seat belt as water sprayed over the vehicle. “Do you think it will be enough?”

“Should be. They’ll go past and assume we’re ahead. We can double back and then head out to Sparky’s place.” He pulled out his phone and typed a text. “I’ll tell Tank what’s going on. See if he can head them off so we have a clear run to the safe house.”

When Ty removed his seat belt and turned to watch the sprayers, Evie leaned over to Zane. “You don’t have to stay with us when we get there. I know you want to go looking for T-Rex. If you leave me a weapon, we’ll be fine. And tomorrow I’ll call Connie. She was going to take us to her grandmother’s place.”

“You won’t call anyone.” He tucked the phone away. “And you won’t leave the safe house until I’ve got the situation under control. Then I’ll send you outta town.”

“It’s my situation to control.” Her voice rose in pitch. “This is all about me.”

“It may have just been about you, but you and Ty are Sinners now so the Sinners will protect you.” Well, not totally true. Sinner protection usually only extended to family, old ladies, sweet butts and house mamas. They’d be stretched thin if they had to look out for girlfriends and hook-ups, too. But Evie was … Evie. And he’d been incredibly relieved when Jagger gave the order to protect her. If he hadn’t, Zane would have done the unthinkable, and turned in his cut.

“I can’t just hide and wait for things to happen.” Evie twisted her hair around her finger. “The shop was half mine, and I’ll have to deal with the fire, the insurance, and the employees who need work to pay their bills. You can’t just send us away. Ty needs to see you.”

“Fuck, Evie.” Zane slammed a fist on the dashboard as soap slid down the windshield. “We’re not playing games here. You’re in danger. Your life at the shop is gone. I can’t protect you if you’re running around.”

“Don’t shout at Mom.” Ty leaned over the seat, his face now pale and drawn. “And don’t hurt her.” Without warning, he climbed over the seat and curled into Evie’s lap, his arms around her as if he was protecting her, while seeking her comfort at the same time. “No one is allowed to hurt her again.”

Again? Zane stilled, his momentary anger forgotten. “Who hurt your mother?”

“Mark.” Ty’s voice was muffled by Evie’s shirt. “Mark shouted and broke things and once he pushed her down the stairs and she almost died. I saw it.”

“He pushed you?” Zane’s world narrowed to one single purpose, and it had nothing to do with Viper or the Jacks. Nothing mattered save for the fact that someone had hurt his Evie and was still walking the streets.

“Just forget about it.” Evie hugged Ty, stroking the back of his head with her hand. “He was drunk and it only happened once. We left the next day. That part of my life is done. It was years ago.”

“Fucking cowardly piece of shit. He still in Stanton?” Zane sucked in a breath of soap-scented air and almost choked on the humidity.

“You’re going to run through that fifty dollars pretty damn quick,” Evie snapped, cringing at her hypocrisy. “And yes, he’s in Stanton, which is why we left. He and I are done. I divorced him and started a new life. It’s over.”

Zane gripped the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white. “Once we got this situation fixed, I’ll be heading up to Stanton. Pay him a visit.”

“No, you won’t.”

“The fuck I will.”

Ty tightened his grip around Evie and his body trembled. Zane bit back the next words he’d intended to say. Damn. He’d scared the boy, and from what he’d just seen, Ty had been scared enough. He and Jagger had definitely pegged Mark right. And the situation screamed for justice. Sinner style.

“Maybe we should go to Hawaii instead of the moon,” Evie said, stroking Ty’s head. “At the rate Zane’s going, it should only take a few days.”

“How ’bout I just pay for the vacation and then swear all I like?”

Evie’s lips quivered with repressed laughter. Ty turned his head and met Zane’s gaze. Then his face broke into a smile.

That was the moment Zane knew.

He was home. And nothing would take him away.

*   *   *

The noise woke him. A soft murmur that he couldn’t identify as a threat, but which made him uneasy just the same.

Zane pulled his weapon from under the cushion and sat up on the couch, trying to pinpoint the sound. The safe house, an open plan apartment above Sparky’s garage, afforded little space to hide, which left the bedroom, the small office they’d fixed up for Ty, or the bathroom, as the source of the noise.

Not bothering with his shirt, he made his way through the sparsely furnished apartment. Bathroom clear. Ty sleeping soundly on the camp bed they’d set up beside the desk. Kitchen empty. He paused outside Evie’s room and heard the sound again. Then he pushed open the door.

He’d never seen Evie cry. Through high school break-ups, verbal and emotional abuse from her alcoholic mother, and the longing for her absent father, she’d always held fast. But now, she sat on the cold, wood floor, her back against the wall, the phone pressed to her ear, and tears streaking her cheeks. Her eyes widened when she saw him and she murmured into the phone. “I’ve got company. Have to go.”

He wanted to know who was on the phone, and whether that person had said something that made her cry, and if so, who he was and where he lived. And why was she on the phone with someone else when Zane was sleeping just outside her door?

She needed comfort. He could provide. Weapon holstered, he crossed the room and pulled her to standing, his gaze taking in the T-shirt that barely skimmed her lips. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him, enfolding her in his warmth. No words. Just silence. He had always loved silence.

After a few moments, she relaxed against him, her arms circling his waist, her cheek pressed against his chest. She had taken out her ponytail and her hair fanned over her shoulders, the gold highlights shimmering under the soft glow of the bedside lamp. So beautiful. So fragile. His Evie.

“It’s been a rough day,” she whispered. “Viper … She choked on the name. “I lost Bill, and the shop, and T-Rex. We’re on the run, and you … you want to send us away. What about Ty?”

“I’m not about to walk away from my responsibilities.”

Her breath left her in a rush. “I don’t want him to be just a responsibility. You’re his dad. I want him to have a relationship with you.”

“Like I had with my old man?” He couldn’t hide the bitterness in his voice. “Some kids are better off without their parents.”