Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Boulder
Church is tense as Amara lays out the latest on Andrés.
I force myself to focus, pushing all thoughts of Kelsey to the back of my mind.
The club comes first—always.
"He's getting ballsy," Razor says, spreading photos across the table. "Our sources say he's planning something big within the next 48 hours."
Zorro’s weathered face is grim. "Targets?"
"The same trend—businesses under our protection," Amara says. "The café is likely high on his list, given its connection to Python and now Boulder."
At the mention of the café, my heart rate kicks up.
The thought of Kelsey caught in Andrés's crosshairs makes my blood run cold.
"We need eyes on every place, everywhere someone depends on us," Python says. "Round-the-clock coverage."
Amara nods, her eyes scanning the faces around the table before landing on me. "Boulder, you'll take the café with Brick, but that’s a given. I’ll call my uncle Alejandro, see if we can get some cartel men on the ground to help us."
"Yes, ma'am," I say, keeping my voice neutral.
She gives out a few more assignments, and only a couple of people are going to be left at the clubhouse.
After she finishes telling us all where we’ll be, church is adjourned.
But as I stand to leave, Amara catches my eye. "Stay," she says.
I can tell based on her tone it’s not a request.
Once the others file out, she gestures for me to take a seat across from her. "How are things with Kelsey?"
The question catches me off guard.
I expected to be reprimanded for something, not an inquiry about my personal life.
I’m cautious with what I tell her. "Things are fine."
Amara gives me a look that says she's not buying my bullshit. "You claimed her a week ago. That's a big step for a man who swore he'd never want an ol’ lady."
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. "Yeah, well, I changed my mind."
She leans forward. "Yeah? Because I've noticed something, Boulder,"
For a split second, I think she knows it’s just a ruse to be able to keep her in the clubhouse with me, to keep her safe.
"Since she came into the picture fully, you're more focused. More steady. Even with the shit show around us, you're less likely to go off half-cocked. When she wasn’t claimed, you were an idiot I wanted to choke, making stupid decisions. I’m glad you’ve been an adult for once in your life."
Her observation hits closer to home than I'd like. "I'm just doing my job, Prez."
"Your job," she repeats with a slight smile. "The job that now includes keeping a woman safe from her psychotic brothers while helping us deal with Andrés. That's a lot on your plate."
"I can handle it," I say firmly.
She stands, signaling our conversation is ending. "I know you can. That's why you're getting the café assignment."
I walk back to my room with Amara's words echoing in my head.
Am I really that much more focused?
Did claiming her make a big difference?
I find Kelsey sitting cross-legged on our bed, sketching in a book that must be from Oakleigh.
She looks up when I enter, a guarded expression on her face.
Things have been tense between us since the incident in the café storage room yesterday.
She gnaws on her bottom lip. "Your meeting over already?"
I nod, dropping onto the edge of the bed. "I'm assigned to café security. You'll have me breathing down your neck for the foreseeable future."
Relief flashes across her face before she smothers it. "Lucky me."
"We need to go over some security protocols," I say, all business now. "You need to know what to do if shit goes down."
To my surprise, she closes her sketchbook and gives me her full attention. "Tell me."
For the next hour, we go over everything—exit routes, safe rooms, signals, code words.
Kelsey absorbs it all and asks smart questions, points out potential weaknesses in our plans, suggests alternatives.
"You're good at this," I say as we finish mapping out the café's blind spots.
She shrugs, but I can see she's pleased by the compliment. "I've been running and hiding for a while now. You pick things up over time."
Working together like this feels natural, like we've been doing it for years instead of a couple weeks.
It's alarming how easily she fits into my life, my space, my thoughts.
My phone buzzes, breaking the moment.
It's Brick.
"We've got movement," he spits out. "Craig Warlow's been spotted outside the café, asking questions."
My body tenses immediately. "I'm on my way. Don't engage with him until I get there."
"Too late," Brick replies. "He approached me. Says he wants to talk to you, specifically. I've got him contained at the taquería across the street."
I glance at Kelsey, whose eyes are glued right on me, "Keep him there. I'll be there in twenty."
"What is it?" she asks as I end the call.
"Your brother, Craig, is with Brick," I say, watching her face carefully. "He's asking for me."
Fear flashes in her eyes, quickly replaced by confusion. "Why would he want to talk to you?"
"I'm about to find out." I stand, checking that my gun is secure in its holster. "Stay here. Oakleigh will keep an eye on you."
She rises, chin lifting defiantly. "I'm coming with you."
"No the fuck you're not. We don't know what he wants. It could be a trap."
"Or he could have information," she argues. "Craig's always been more of a follower than a leader. He does what Benji tells him to."
"Exactly why you're staying put," I say firmly. "If Benji sent him to lure you out?—"
"You don't understand," she interrupts. "Craig isn't like Benji. He's?—"
"Not your call," I cut her off, my tone brooking no argument. "Club protection means club rules. You stay here, where it's safe, and that’s that."
Her eyes flash with anger, but she doesn't push further. "Fine. But be careful. And... and tell him Sam says hey."
The odd message makes me pause. "Sam's the good brother?"
She nods. "Craig listens to Sam sometimes. Might help."
I walk over to her, cupping her face in my hands.
It’s become familiar over the past week, a way of grounding both of us.
"I'll be back soon," I promise, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. "Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone."
Twenty minutes later, I'm sliding into a booth across from Craig Warlow at the taquería .
Brick stands casually by the counter, eyes never leaving us, hand resting inside his cut where I know his gun sits ready.
Craig looks different in daylight—less menacing, more tired.
There are dark circles under his eyes, and his hands fidget nervously with a coffee cup.
"You wanted to talk," I say, not bothering with pleasantries. "So talk."
He glances around, making sure no one's in earshot. "Benji doesn't know I'm here."
That catches my attention. "Why should I believe that?"
"Because I'm putting my neck on the line coming to you," he says, voice low. "If he finds out I warned you..."
"Warned me about what?"
Craig leans forward. "Benji's not going to stop. Not ever. He thinks Cady—Kelsey—still has copies of the evidence she took to the police. He's convinced she's got insurance in case anything happens to her."
"Does she?" I ask, watching his reaction carefully.
A humorless smile crosses his face. "Smart enough not to tell me, even if she does."
I lean back, studying him.
His resemblance to Kelsey is more apparent now—same shaped eyes, similar mannerisms.
"You knew," I say suddenly. "About what your father was doing. All along."
Something dark passes across Craig's face. "We all knew. Some of us were just better at pretending we didn't."
I can't keep the disgust from my voice. "And you were okay with it?"
He looks down at his coffee. "I was a fucking coward. Still am."
"So why come to me now? Why warn Kelsey?"
Craig is quiet for a long moment. "Did she ever tell you about our other sister?"
The question catches me completely off guard. "What other sister?"
"Half-sister, technically. Dad's." His voice drops even lower. "When Cady was a baby, Dad brought home this girl. Said she was his daughter from an affair. Her name was Julie. She was around six at the time."
A sick feeling settles in my stomach. "Go on."
"She lived with us for about three months. Then one day, she was gone. Dad said she ran away." Craig's hands tighten around his cup. "Six months later, she turned up dead in Nevada. Overdose, they said."
"But you didn't believe that," I guess, bile rising in my throat.
Who would?
How does a six year old die from an overdose?
Craig's eyes meet mine, hollow with old horror. "I remember seeing my father with a lot of cash right around the time Julie went AWOL. He sold her, man."
I've seen some dark shit in my time with the club, but this... this is a whole new level of depravity.
"Does Kelsey know about this?"
He shrugs. "I’m not sure, man. She was a little baby. I doubt it, but she found out about everything else… so maybe she connected the dots."
"Jesus Christ." I run a hand over my face, trying to process this information. "So why are you telling me now?"
"Because Benji's not just our father's son—he's becoming him. And I can't..." Craig's voice breaks slightly. "I may be a coward, but I draw the line somewhere."
I study him, looking for any sign of deception. "So what are you saying? You want to help Kelsey?"
"I want her to disappear," he says firmly. "Deeper than she already has. Change her name again, maybe her appearance too. Go somewhere neither of us would think to look."
"She's not running anymore," I say, my voice hard. "She's claimed by the Reapers Rejects now. Under our protection."
Craig laughs bitterly. "You think that means shit to Benji? He's been asking all over town about your club, your territory, your allies. He's obsessed with getting her back."
This is news I need to take back to Amara immediately. "And what about you? Where do you stand in all this?"
"I'm trapped," he says simply. "But I can at least try to warn her. Tell her Sam says hi."
The message Kelsey gave me.
So, he must be in contact with Sam somehow.
"I'll tell her," I promise, standing to leave. "But you need to understand something, Craig. If your brother comes near her, I'll kill him. And if you're with him when he does, you're going down too."
Craig nods, no surprise in his expression. "Fair enough. Just... when you see her, tell her one more thing for me?"
"What's that?"
"Dad's dying. Cancer. He's got three months, max. That's why Benji's pushed so hard to find her now. He wants her to pay before the old man dies, as some weird ass parting gift."
With that final bombshell, Craig slides out of the booth and walks out without looking back.
I watch him go, my mind reeling from everything I've just learned.
On the ride back to the clubhouse, I don’t know how much to tell Kelsey.
The revelation about her father selling her half-sister is something she deserves to know... but not now, not when she's already dealing with so much.
But, does she know?
First, I need to tell Amara about Benji asking questions about the club.
That turns this from a personal vendetta into club business.
I find Amara in her office, going over maps with Python and Razor. "I want our people looking here. He knows we’re looking for him, and he can’t hide forever."
They look up as I enter, immediately noting my expression and stopping their conversation.
"What happened?" Amara asks.
I relay what Craig told me about Benji investigating the club, leaving out the personal details about the Warlow family's fucked-up past.
"This changes things," Razor says, looking at Amara. "If he's actively gathering intel on us, it's not just about finding his sister anymore."
Amara's expression is grim. "I got a call from Dante earlier. One of his men reported being approached by someone matching Benji Warlow's description, asking about our business arrangements and territory."
"Fuck," Python mutters. "Last thing we need is another enemy while we're dealing with Andrés."
"It's not a coincidence," I say, the pieces falling into place. "Andrés escalating now, Benji showing up and asking questions. Someone's stirring the pot."
"Sally," Zorro says from the doorway, where he's been listening silently. "Has to be. This fits her MO—finding local problems and making them worse, turning them against us."
Amara considers this. "Could be. But regardless of who's behind it, the Warlow situation is now officially club business."
The words send a chill down my spine.
Club business means club solutions, which are often bloody and permanent.
I try to keep my voice neutral. "What does that mean for Kelsey?"
"Nothing changes with her protection," Amara assures me. "But we need to deal with her brother more definitively."
"I need to talk to her first," I say. "Craig gave me information she needs to hear."
Amara studies me for a moment, then nods. "Do it. Then get back here. We need to prepare for whatever's coming."
I find Kelsey in our room, pacing anxiously.
She freezes when she sees me, her eyes searching my face for clues.
"You saw Craig?" she asks immediately.
I nod, closing the door behind me. "He came to warn you."
Relief washes over her face. "I thought he might be. He's not like Benji. What did he say?"
I sit on the edge of the bed, weighing my words carefully. "He says your father is dying. Cancer. Three months at most."
She sinks down beside me, her face unreadable. "And that's why Benji's pushing so hard to find me now."
"Wants you to 'pay' before the old man dies," I confirm. "Craig says you should disappear deeper. New name, new look, somewhere none of them would think to look."
A bitter laugh escapes her. "Always running. That's what he wants for me."
"He also said to tell you 'Sam says hey,'" I add, watching her reaction.
Her eyes soften slightly. "So, Sam is still trying to help. Deescalate."
"You've been in contact with him?" I ask.
She nods. "In the past, yes. Burner phones. Very occasional texts. He's the one who warned me that Benji found me in Billings."
I take her hand, needing her to understand what's coming. "Kelsey, there's something else. Benji's been asking questions about the club all over town. About our territory, our business."
Her face pales. "No, no, no. He's drawing you into this."
"It's already done," I say gently. "Amara's declared it a club problem now. It's not just us anymore."
"This is exactly what I was afraid of," she whispers, pulling her hand from mine and standing up to pace again. "People getting hurt because of me."
"This isn't on you," I insist, rising to intercept her. "This is on your brother for bringing the fight to our door."
She shakes her head. "You don't understand. Benji won't stop. He'll?—"
"Neither will we," I interrupt, taking her shoulders in my hands. "The club protects its own, Kelsey. And like it or not, that includes you now."
"Because you claimed me," she says, eyes searching mine. "A decision you made in the heat of the moment."
"It doesn't matter why I did it," I say firmly. "What matters is that I did. And I'd do it again."
The certainty in my voice surprises even me.
But it's true.
In that moment, I knew without a doubt that I'd claim her all over again, knowing everything I know now.
"I need to go back and talk to them," I tell her, stroking her cheek. "We're planning our next moves."
She catches my hand, holding it against her face. "Boulder, be careful. Please. Benji is... he's capable of things you can't imagine."
After what Craig told me about their family, I have a better idea than she thinks. "I will. You stay here, okay? The ol’ ladies are in the main room if you need anything."
As I turn to leave, she calls after me. "Boulder, wait."
I look back to find her standing straighter, a determined set to her jaw. "I want to help."
"What?"
"I know Benji better than anyone," she says. "His patterns, his weaknesses. I can help you plan how to deal with him."
I hesitate, torn between wanting to keep her safe, away from all of this, and recognizing the fact that her knowledge could actually help us.
"Let me talk to Amara," I say finally. "It's her call."
Kelsey nods, accepting this. "Thank you."
Despite everything that's happened, despite my confusion about my own feelings, I know one thing for certain: she's not just someone I'm protecting anymore.
She's becoming essential to me in a way I never thought possible.
I return to church to find the planning already in full swing.
To my surprise, when I suggest bringing Kelsey in for her insight on Benji, Amara agrees immediately.
"Smart," she says. "We need every advantage we can get."
When I go back to bring Kelsey to the meeting, I find her already in the main room, talking with Astra and Oakleigh. From the serious expressions on their faces, they're talking about something serious.
"Amara wants your input," I tell her, not bothering to hide my pride in her.
She looks surprised, then determined. "I'm ready."
As we walk toward church, I find myself studying her profile—the determined set of her jaw, the fierce intelligence in her eyes.
For the first time, I let myself acknowledge what I've been fighting against for weeks: what I feel for Kelsey goes way beyond claiming her, beyond my selfish desires.
I'm falling for her.
Hard and fast and completely against my will.
The realization should terrify me.
Instead, it settles in my chest like a weight—not dragging me down, but anchoring me.
As we enter church together, I know two things: I will keep Kelsey safe from her brothers, no matter what I have to do.
And when this is all over, I'll tell her everything—about her half-sister, about my feelings, about the future I'm starting to imagine with her by my side.
But first, we have a war to win.