Arrow crosses his arms over his chest and leans down. “Who you really protecting here, Anna? Your brother or that preppy-looking dickhead?”

I huff. “Definitely not the dickhead. Trust me on that.”

“Well, then you better get talking,” Arrow says, waiting patiently.

I sigh, knowing he isn’t going to let this go. “Did Rake tell you about Jacob? The guy who didn’t know no was no . . .”Arrow takes a few steps in Jacob’s direction. I put my hand on his chest, my eyes pleading with him. “Don’t, Arrow. It was years ago. Like ten years. He’s probably still pissed Rake kicked his ass.”

My voice sounds doubtful to even my own ears.

“How far did it go, Anna?” Arrow asks through clenched teeth. His chest is heaving slightly, and I can tell he wants to go over there.

I lick my lips. “He didn’t rape me. He put his hand . . .”

Arrow cups my face. “He touched you with his fingers?”

I nod, looking down, but Arrow lifts my face up. “Don’t be embarrassed, darlin’, you did nothing wrong. That fucker clearly doesn’t know how to treat a girl, and that no means fuckin’ no under any fuckin’ circumstance.”

“It was a long time ago, but I don’t want to face him and I don’t want to make a scene, so can we please just go?”

Arrow stares behind me. “He’s the one making a scene. He should have fled the moment he recognized you.”

He didn’t want to let it go.

I grab ahold of his bicep. “Please, Arrow.”

He sighs and scrubs a hand down his face. “Get in the car, okay?”

I slide in. When he closes the door behind me, I know.

He isn’t letting it go.

I watch from the window nervously as he walks right up to Jacob and punches him.

Right in the nose.

Jacob holds his face in his hands, blood spurting everywhere. The men Jacob is with don’t step in. They take one look at Arrow and take a step backward.

Arrow says something to him, then walks back toward the car.

Jacob lifts his head and looks through the window, right at me. He can’t see me, because of the darkness and the tinted windows, but I feel like he can. My body shivers, and I watch him as his friends help him up and they leave the parking lot.

Good fucking riddance.

Arrow leans back on the car and lights a cigarette.

I open my mouth and then close it again. How can he act so casual after that?

“Who’s the guy Arrow hit?” Tracker asks, making me jump. I didn’t even realize he was in the car. I turn my head to see Lana, who has fallen asleep against Tracker—who is staring at me with an amused raised eyebrow. It pisses me off; he does not get to be amused right now.

“Some dickhead that Rake doesn’t need to know about,” I murmur.

Tracker chuckles. “Rake will find out; we don’t keep shit from each other.”

I grit my teeth, then turn the tables on him.

“Allie know you’re out saving other women?” I ask sweetly.

“Arrow know you want him?” he fires back.

I shut up.

He grins but does the same.

I get out of the car, closing the door behind me, and stand next to Arrow.

“How’s your fist?” I ask him, glancing down at his hands.

He blows out a breath of smoke. “Fine.”

“I wish you hadn’t done that, but . . .”

“But what?”

“But thanks,” I whisper.

I exhale deeply and look up at the night sky. “How fucking ironic is it that if you guys hadn’t dragged me out he would have come in there and I would have had to face him alone?”

I feel like a stupid fifteen-year-old girl again.

“And then you could have just called me and I would have been here in five minutes. Same outcome. My fist in his face. Him whimpering like a little bitch.”

My lip twitches as I look back at him. “How can you make me smile at a time like this?”

He pushes some errant hair back behind my ear, then leans forward, making it seem like he is going to kiss me. I forget to breathe as he places a kiss just outside the corner of my mouth. “’Cause you know you’re safe with me, darlin’.”

Our gazes lock, and for a moment we’re both tongue-tied. But then he clears his throat. “With any of us, I mean.”

I swallow hard, pretending I didn’t notice his slip. “Right.”

“But you know you can always call me if you need something. Anything. If you’re ever in any trouble, or need help.”

“I thought you didn’t like me much,” I mumble. “You said I was spoiled.”

He glances around before looking back at me. “You’re not spoiled. You are a pain in the ass though.”

“Why?” I grumble. “Because I interrupted your stellar blow job?”

His mouth twitches. “No, Anna, because I was fuckin’ thinking about you when her mouth was on me.”

Holy fuck.

Did he just say that?

“Did you just say that?” I ask, eyes widening.

The way he looks away and doesn’t reply makes me feel like he regretted the words the second they left his lips.

Rake walks out of the club and Arrow pushes off the car, stepping away from me and getting into the driver’s seat. I get back into the car the same time that Rake gets into the front seat.

No one brings up what happened, and I for one am grateful.

I look out the window, just wanting to get home. I sit there for about ten minutes before the silence is broken.

“What did you learn today, Anna Bell?” Tracker asks me in a cheerful, condescending tone.

My hands turn to fists. “To find out what businesses you guys own and avoid them at all costs.”

Laughter from everyone except Arrow and a sleeping Lana.

“Where are we dropping them off?” Arrow asks Rake.

“Clubhouse,” he replies curtly. “They can both sleep in Anna’s room.”

“Take me home,” I demand, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t want to go to the clubhouse.”

I’m ignored.

I turn to Tracker. “Lana’s never been to the clubhouse, don’t make her go.”

Tracker sighs. “It’s not a big deal. She should get used to us.”

I watch as he smiles down at Lana.

“You gonna sic Allie on her then? Lana’s too sweet to even be in the same vicinity as that bitch,” I grit out, losing my temper.

“Anna,” Rake warns. “Stay out of it.”

I can feel Tracker staring at me, but I don’t look at him.

“No one is going to hurt Lana,” he finally says.

I scoff and shake my head. He already is, and he doesn’t even know it.

“Anna, I promise you no one will hurt Lana. Allie included,” my brother interjects, his voice losing its steel. “Besides, I know what you’re capable of.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Arrow asks, deciding to speak.

Rake shrugs. “My baby sis is badass.”

The men chuckle.

Once again, I don’t.

Growing up in a neighborhood so bad you had to learn to defend yourself isn’t something to be proud of, at least in my eyes. I became even more badass after Jacob, I guess you could say. I refused to be a victim again. I am proud of being a fighter, a survivor, but sometimes it gets exhausting being your own hero. Rake was there for me but he couldn’t always be with me, so I had to watch my own back.

When the car comes to a stop, Tracker carries out Lana, and I walk behind them, ignoring Arrow and Rake. I can feel their eyes on me as I walk in front of them, but we all remain quiet. Loud music blasts through the clubhouse, but I ignore everyone and everything. As we enter my room, Tracker pulls the blanket down and tucks Lana in, then turns to me with a Don’t start look on his face.

I shrug. I don’t need to say anything. It’s obvious he has some kind of fascination with Lana, but he also has a crazy girlfriend he’s apparently been with for years now. When he leaves the room, I lock the door behind him, strip down to my panties, and climb in next to Lana.

I will deal with all this shit tomorrow.

*   *   *

Tomorrow comes sooner than I would have hoped. Lana is still asleep when I wake up to take a shower but then realize that I don’t have any clothes here. I know I should have left some, but to be honest, I didn’t ever plan on crashing here. With a towel wrapped around me, I peek my head outside, hoping to see Rake. Of course, my luck isn’t that good, and instead of finding my brother I find Arrow.