Chapter 26 Raven
I head downstairs slowly, one hand skimming the polished banister while the smell of coffee and sizzling bacon drifts upward from the kitchen.
My stomach knots with nerves that I can’t quite explain.
Maybe it’s guilt. Maybe embarrassment. Maybe I’m just tired of feeling like I bring trouble everywhere I go.
The clubhouse common room is already alive when I reach the last step.
Jinx stands behind the long counter, arranging trays on the breakfast buffet with practiced efficiency.
Steam curls around her as she transfers scrambled eggs into a warming tray beside pancakes, sausage, biscuits, and gravy.
Her hair is pulled into a messy bun streaked with bright colors, and she hums softly under her breath while she works.
She notices me immediately and flashes a warm smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” I hesitate before walking closer. “Can I ask you something?”
Jinx glances up while slicing strawberries. “Sure.”
I shift awkwardly beside the counter. “Do you feel uncomfortable with me? Because of Athena? Because I know you’re seeing her?”
Understanding softens her expression instantly.
“Of course not.” She shakes her head firmly. “I don’t care if the whole club knows I’m in therapy.”
I blink at her honesty.
Jinx shrugs lightly and continues arranging fruit. “Everyone suffers from damage. Some of us may have more than others, but there is no shame in seeking help.”
The words hit me square in the chest.
I watch her move confidently through her tasks, completely unashamed, completely herself, and admiration swells inside me. Jinx carries her scars openly rather than hiding them.
I wish I knew how to do that.
Before I can respond, footsteps thunder overhead, followed by laughter. A moment later, the other Old Ladies begin filing into the common room dressed for the day ahead. The space fills with chatter, teasing, and warmth. They’re a big and loud family starting their day.
The noise level in the clubhouse quadruples the second the Church room doors open.
Heavy boots strike the floor as the men file into the common room wearing leather kuttes and hard expressions, looking every bit like the dangerous outlaws the world believes them to be.
Their shoulders are rigid, their eyes sharp, and a grim determination hangs over them, making the room feel smaller.
Until they spot their women.
The transformation is subtle but impossible to miss. Shoulders relax. Hard eyes soften. Hands reach automatically for waiting wives and girlfriends. A few smiles appear, small and private, meant only for their women.
It's startling to watch.
One moment they look like warriors preparing for battle.
The next, they're husbands, lovers, and protectors.
The same men who can inspire fear with a single glance seem almost human again, drawn toward their women as naturally as breathing.
And somehow, watching Carver's face change when his gaze finds mine makes my heart stumble in my chest.
“You eat yet?” he asks.
I shake my head.
“Then c’mon.”
His hand settles against my lower back, guiding me toward the buffet where the others are already filling plates.
The warmth of his touch burns straight through my shirt.
Around us, the kitchen buzzes with activity as Old Ladies move around, grabbing coffee and food while the bikers raid the buffet like a pack of starving wolves.
Carver loads my plate before making his own. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, potatoes. Enough food to feed three people.
“You planning to hibernate for winter?” I ask.
He snorts. “We need fuel.”
I follow him to one of the long tables where Shield and Lenora sit beside Babe and Min. Torch occupies the end seat with a mug of coffee clenched in both hands and a pile of food on the plate in front of him.
Carver pulls out my chair before dropping into the seat beside me.
The casual gentleness of the gesture makes my chest ache.
For a few minutes, everyone eats quietly. Forks scrape plates while conversation drifts around us from other tables. I’m halfway through a pancake when Shield sets down his coffee mug.
“We made a decision in Church,” he says.
The table quiets immediately.
Shield leans back slightly, his expression hardening. “We’re going after Tony Martin and his buddies.”
A cold knot forms in my stomach.
Carver’s arm settles across the back of my chair, solid and reassuring.
“How?” Lenora asks.
“We know they’ve been covering for each other,” Shield says. “Every time one of them hurts somebody, the others provide alibis. So we trap them all in a box together.”
Babe nods slowly. “We force ‘em into a situation where they can’t give each other alibis.”
“Exactly.” Shield glances around the table. “We set up another scenario at a bar. One of us watches for Tony or one of his friends to target a woman. Once they make their move, we follow them back to the house and invade it.”
Min grimaces. “Risky.”
“Yeah,” Shield agrees. “But it’s the cleanest way to break the whole group.”
I stare down at my plate, appetite fading as images flash through my head. Tony dragging that woman through the parking lot. His hand grabbing me outside my apartment. The look in his eyes.
Predatory.
Min taps one black-painted nail against her coffee cup. “You’re forgetting something.”
Shield looks at her. “What?”
“We need bait.”
The word settles heavily across the table.
Min shrugs when nobody immediately responds. “These guys hunt women. So give them women to hunt.”
Carver’s jaw tightens instantly. “No.”
“It makes sense,” Min argues calmly. “We need women Tony and his friends haven’t seen around the club. Izzy can do it. She and Smoke are due back this morning.”
Jenna, who is clearing off the table, chimes in. “I can do it.”
Shield is shaking his head before she gets the words out. “You’re not doing it. I won’t put you in danger.”
Before anyone else can speak, Jinx steps forward carrying a fresh pot of coffee.
“I can do it.”
Every head turns toward her.
Shield frowns. “Jinx—”
“I’m serious,” she interrupts. “I’m new here. They won’t recognize me.” She sets the coffee pot down calmly. “And I know how to take care of myself.”
At the next table, Byte straightens in his seat immediately, concern flashing across his face. “No fucking way.”
But Jinx doesn’t back down.
She folds her arms across her chest and lifts her chin slightly. “I’m not helpless. If these creeps think they can grab me, they’re gonna regret it.”
A strange mix of admiration and fear twists inside me as I look around the table.
Nobody argues that Tony Martin is dangerous anymore.
Now they’re preparing for war.
The table grows crowded as Jinx joins us. She appears calm and unbothered by the thought of playing bait to catch these bastards.
I’m beginning to realize that fearless might just be her natural state.
“I know how to fight,” Jinx says calmly.
“I haven’t met Izzy yet, but I’ve heard good things about her.
We’ll both be fine. You said these assholes drug their women.
We’ll figure out a way to make it look like they’ve succeeded.
As soon as they have us inside the house, you guys can make your move.
They won’t expect it. They also won’t expect Izzy and me to fight back. We’ll have the upper hand.”
“Walk through the plan,” Lenora suggests.
“We’ll have two on each man. If they convene at the house, we’ll wait and watch. Raven already gave us intel on what happened Friday night. If they follow the same MO, we’ll follow the ones who leave,” Shield says.
“How do you plan to get Izzy and Jinx in place?” Min asks.
“The prospects can drive them. Byte will have us wired so we can communicate. We originally planned just to watch the bar and then follow the assholes back if they grabbed a woman. With the new plan, the prospects can be ready to drop Izzy and Jinx off so they can slip inside,” Shield continues.
“If they don’t take the bait and go for another woman, then what?” I ask. Carver reaches over to squeeze my hand.
“The prospects pick up Izzy and Jinx, and we follow the targets back to Rollings’ house. We won’t let anything happen to the women. I promise,” Shield says.
“We know it’s not the best plan, but it’s a good one. We want to stop these guys as soon as possible,” Babe chimes in.
I nod. He’s right. It isn’t a good plan, but it’s better than sitting around doing nothing while they think up a better one. I study Jinx, who feels my eyes on her. She smiles at me.
“We won’t be helpless,” she says calmly.
Everybody looks at her.
She shrugs one shoulder. “We can carry.”
Carver immediately shakes his head. “Too risky.”
“No,” Jinx says firmly. “It’s smart.”
She looks around the table without an ounce of hesitation.
“We hide weapons on ourselves. Small blades, collapsible batons, and pepper spray.” Her expression hardens slightly. “If one of them gets us alone before you reach us, we need options.”
The room goes quiet because nobody can argue with that.
Min points at Jinx approvingly. “Exactly.”
Jinx reaches down and pulls a knife from her boot. “I’m always carrying. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been in dangerous situations before. From what I’ve heard, so has Izzy. We won’t be in danger.”
“There are still so many things that could go wrong,” Torch says.
“It’s a controlled setup,” Shield corrects. “We stay close. We watch every angle. The goal is to attack them before anyone gets hurt.”
Carver’s hand settles heavily on my thigh beneath the table, grounding me instantly.
I understand why everyone is tense.
We all know exactly what these men are capable of.
But as I look around the table—at the bikers, Old Ladies, and the woman volunteering to walk into danger anyway—I realize something else.
Tony Martin and his friends picked the wrong people to hunt.