“Glad you’re comin’ home.” His deep raspy voice reminds me of a hot bedroom voice right after sex. As I pull away, I stare up into his sky blue eyes, eyes that definitely hypnotize the female race. His blonde hair has grown since the last time I saw him, but it wasn’t the only thing. He must have been working out as his body is more defined with his white t-shirt stretching over his broad shoulders and his arms bulging out of the sleeves, tattoos lining his arms. With his leather rag and jeans, he looks good enough to eat.

He pulls away and eyes me up and down. “What’s wrong with you? Are you not eating?” He questions and my heart sinks at the realization that it will be known right off the bat that something is wrong. Shit.

“Haven’t been feeling well, but I’m getting better. Where you been? Harlow said you’d be here in a half hour.” I move away from the door hoping he doesn’t press with my change in subject.

“Had shit to do.” Is his only response, his eyes land on Bella behind me. His breath catches making me chuckle for the first time in a long time. I knew the guys wouldn’t last long around her.

“Buzz this is my friend Bella. Bella, Buzz.” My hand waves back and forth to each of them.

“Holy Shit.” Bella grumbles under her breath. “Hi.” Her hand motions a small wave.

“And there are two of them.” Her eyes widen and her lips part ever so slightly. I grab my phone and pull up a picture of the two of them showing it to her. “Yep, his twin Breaker’s a brother too.”

“God help me.” She whispers shaking her head clutching the phone.

“I’m sure we could show you a hell of a good time beautiful lady.” Bella’s knees begin to wobble. I lean over and grab her arm not wanting her to pass out on the floor.

“I’m sure you could.” She turns to me. “Take me with you.”

“No. You have class. And you have to get me notes.” Bella huffs, coming out of her Buzz induced haze. “Buzz, don’t we need to go?” I ask his eyes locked on Bella.

“Yeah. We gotta roll. Too much shit going down.” His confidence in his words comes through loud and clear.

“How’s everyone doing?” I question hesitantly.

“It’s a mess, Casey. A fucking mess. Get your shit and let’s go.” I nod pulling a practically frozen Bella with me in the bedroom, her eyes not leaving Buzz once.

“Oh my God, Casey… I never… God.” I throw the last of my things inside my bags.

“I know. It’s hard to take sometimes.”

She sat there for a while, not saying anything as I ramble on about how Buzz is a Prospect and not a brother yet. How he has to earn his spot as a brother and some of what that entails.

“Why don’t you have a nickname?”

“Huh?” I ask tossing the last of my toiletries in the bag.

“Princess, Cruz, Buzz, Bam, and G.T. and then there’s you… Casey. Doesn’t seem right.”

Bella didn’t know that this fact in my life hurt a bit. It’s as if I have been pushed aside, no one having the time to come up with my name. My real name is Cassandra and Casey is short for that. But in the club, everyone has a club name. Princess got hers before she could walk. And me? Nothing. Another reason why I don’t feel like part of their family, but rather an outsider.

“Don’t know. Never asked. Can you help me carry this shit?” I do not have time to open that can of worms.

“Yeah. Are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” Her hand reaches out to my arm holding me softly.

I let out a deep breath. “No. I don’t know, but I’ll find out soon.” I give her a small smile.

After a teary goodbye and one last sweep through the apartment, I lock up the door, Buzz on my heels.

“Casey, wait!” Jace’s voice booms from the hallway. Buzz stiffens beside me.

“It’s fine, Buzz. No worries.” I reassure him, but he doesn’t relax.

“Where are you going?” Concern laces his voice.

“I’ve gotta go home for a while. There was a death at the club.”

“Oh my God, Casey. I’m so sorry.” Jace reaches out pulling me into a hug which I reciprocate.

“Get off her.” Buzz growls and Jace’s body tenses. I let go and turn to Buzz.

“Buzz, stop it. Jace is my friend.” I try to reassure, but the tension radiates off of Buzz.

“Don’t like it and don’t care.” I roll my eyes turning back to Jace, who has let go of me and is now standing in front of me.

“You gonna be okay?” He asks, his eyes darting from me to Buzz.

“We shall see.” I give him a soft smile. “I have to go. Bella has keys to my place.”

“Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.” I turn leaving the building.

Buzz follows very close behind my car as we weave down the road.

During the drive, I do not have Bella to distract me, so I let the bottled up tears fall for Diamond and Mia. I am smart enough to have thrown a box of tissues in the front seat, guess subconsciously I knew I’d need them. Then my thoughts drift to G.T., I can’t wait to see him, hug him and make sure he’s alright. But I’m also terrified to see him. I’m terrified that when I tell him about Mia, he’ll be relieved and I can’t handle that. If I thought his words cut deep, his relief would break me, shatter me.

Pulling up to the steel doors of the clubhouse, a man I’d never seen is manning the controls. Looking in my rearview, Buzz gives the man a head nod and the doors slowly open. Everything looks exactly the same as it did three months ago. Cars and bikes line both sides of the long driveway. Tables and chairs grace the courtyard. Men and women mingle throughout. As I park my baby, I glance over at the shop and part of me itches to go there, a feeling I haven’t had in weeks. But I need to find Harlow first.

I look in my rearview mirror and cringe at my eyes. I rub them trying to give some resemblance that I’m alright. I blow out a deep breath, not getting very far with that and grab my lip gloss and apply it quickly to my lips giving a smack. Ready as I’ll ever be.

“Open the trunk and we’ll take it all in. Princess has you set up in a room downstairs.” Buzz says and calls over another man I’d never seen before wearing a Prospect rag.

“Well hello there.” The guy eye-fucks me up and down. His long shaggy hair hangs down low, reminding me of the hair trim we gave Rocky all those months ago. This guy’s hair looks like it could use a good wash along with the wayward beard that hangs haphazardly down his face. It needs a really good trim too. His chocolate brown eyes sparkle as his smile widens.

“Hi.”

“Who are you and where have you been all my life?”

Fucking seriously? But before words escape my mouth Buzz cuts in, “Skeezer, enough. Off limits.” His bark is controlled yet demanding.

“Fuck. Whose is she?” He groans as if it pains him deeply.

Cutting in, “She… is standing right here and is nobody’s. Sorry buddy, I don’t fuck brothers. I’m a waste of time.” Turning to Buzz, “Thank you.” I move away quickly and head directly for the clubhouse.

My stomach clenches. This is it. I straighten my back and hold my head up high. I can do this.

I need to find Harlow. It seems like forever since she hugged me in Cruz’s room and told me goodbye. That night was unbelievably crazy and I learned some things about myself that I didn’t know existed. When Princess suggested we lock Rocky in a room and shave him, I thought she was fucking nuts. I mean shit; did she want to be ostracized from the club?

But after Harlow told me how Rocky used to make her screw him, regularly, to get the tools and information to take care of the bitches the club needed taken out, my opinion of the situation changed dramatically. Fuck him. We had to find out for sure if this ass was the officer from prison. If we were wrong, we’d suffer the consequences. Thinking back, shivers flow up my body.

As we had Rocky tied and gagged in the chair, Harlow shaved his hair off revealing it was truly the officer from prison. It was like Harlow turned into someone else and I did too. Almost like we were on autopilot, giving this man every bit of pain we could come up with. The gruesome scene was a necessary evil. Broomsticks, tasers, dildos and other random objects lay scattered on the floor next to a very out of it man who was bleeding and covered with hair cut from his head. It helped Harlow get over what happened to her, and I’d do it all over again. Just for her.