Chapter Sixteen
Kath
Kath rolled to a stop outside Bear’s garage and sat on the bike for a long moment, helmet still on, heart hammering.
Three days.
Chase had gone completely silent since the night he’d called her from the bus after the Michigan show, when he’d been literally buzzing with excitement, laughing, telling her how much he missed her already.
Then...nothing. No texts. No calls. No explanation.
She’d reached out twice, and both messages had sat as Unread for a time but were now on Read. That might have been worse.
She didn’t understand.
The last time they’d been together, everything felt so good. So close. Like they were finally moving towards something real. Now he was pulling away without a word, and the silence hurt worse than she wanted to admit.
She swung off the bike, pulled off her helmet, and shook out her hair. Bear’s garage door was half open. She could hear tools clinking and low music playing inside. She took a deep breath and walked in.
Bear was bent over a motorcycle, but he straightened when he heard her boots on the concrete. His big frame relaxed as he broke into a friendly smile.
“Kath. Good to see you, kid. Bike running okay?”
“Yeah, it’s great,” she said, forcing a small smile. She glanced around to make sure they were alone, then stepped closer. “Hey...I was wondering if you’ve seen Chase lately.”
Bear’s expression didn’t change, but something shifted behind his eyes—a careful, more guarded look she recognized from years of dealing with men who had secrets.
“I have,” he said slowly. “He’s been around.”
Kath waited. When Bear didn’t offer more, she pressed gently.
“I haven’t heard from him since that Michigan gig. He was supposed to text me when he got back. I’ve tried calling, and he hasn’t picked up.” She hated how small her voice sounded. “Did I do something? Or is he just...I don’t know. Busy?”
Bear wiped his hands on a rag, taking his time. He looked genuinely uncomfortable, like he was weighing every word.
“Chase is good people,” he said finally. “One of the best kids I know. But right now...things are complicated. Club stuff. Family stuff. It’s not you, Kath. I can promise you that.”
She searched his face. “So he’s okay?”
Bear hesitated, then nodded. “He’s okay. Just got some heavy things on his plate right now. I’ll make sure he calls you back soon as he can. That’s all I can do, but it’s a promise.”
Kath swallowed hard. She wanted to push, badly wanted to demand answers, but she could see the wall in Bear’s eyes. He wasn’t going to tell her anything more. Not today.
“Thanks, Bear,” she said quietly. “I appreciate it.”
She turned to leave, chest tight, the hope she’d been carrying around for days starting to feel heavy and bruised.
As she walked back to her bike, she heard Bear’s low voice behind her.
“Kath.”
She looked over her shoulder.
“He’s not blowing you off,” Bear said. “Some things are just...bigger than us right now. Give him a little time. He’ll come find you when he can.”
She nodded once, climbed onto the bike, and rode away before the sting in her eyes could turn into tears.
***
Bear
Bear watched Kath ride off, the blue-and-white paint job catching the late-afternoon light, and let out a heavy sigh.
“Damn it, kid,” he muttered under his breath.
He knew exactly why Chase had gone quiet.
The club was on high alert after the threats that had been tied to Carrie’s old enemy.
Mason had made it crystal clear—no outsiders brought into the circle until the situation was handled.
And Kath wasn’t even a friend of the club yet.
She was just a girl Chase was falling for.
Bear rubbed a hand over his beard, guilt twisting in his gut.
He hated letting her walk away knowing Chase was ghosting her.
The kid was head over heels—anyone with eyes could see it.
But club business came first when blood was on the line.
Especially when that blood was tied to the president’s son.
He pulled out his phone and fired off a quick text to Chase.
*Kath just left the garage. She’s worried. You need to call her, son. Soon as you can.*
Bear slipped the phone back into his pocket and went back to work on the bike, but his mind stayed on the girl riding away and the quiet, decent kid who was probably tearing himself up trying to keep her safe by keeping her at a safe distance.
Some situations had no clean answers.
This felt like one of them.
***
Kath
The sun was dipping low as Kath pulled away from Bear’s garage, the blue-and-white bike rumbling comfortably beneath her.
She took the long way home, using the wind on her face and the engine’s vibration to settle the restless energy in her chest and hold the tears at bay. But halfway down the quiet stretch of road that ran parallel to the river, she had an uneasy prickle right along her spine.
A black pickup truck had been behind her for the last several miles—close enough to be noticeable, far enough back that she couldn’t make out the driver. When she slowed at a stop sign, the truck slowed too. When she turned onto the next road, it followed.
Kath’s grip tightened on the handlebars. Her heart picked up speed. She told herself it was probably just someone heading the same direction. Plenty of trucks on these back roads. But the feeling of eyes on her wouldn’t leave.
She opened the throttle a little more, taking the next turn sharper than necessary. In her mirror, the truck kept pace for another mile before finally turning off onto a side road and disappearing from view.
Kath exhaled shakily, rolling her shoulders as the house came into sight. It was nothing. Just her old instincts flaring up because things were finally going well.
Still, she couldn’t quite shake the chill that had settled between her shoulder blades.