Chapter 14
LINDEN
Aphone buzzed on the nightstand, shattering the quiet and waking me from a dead sleep. I jolted awake, my heart already hammering before my eyes even opened. Keegan’s arm tightened around my waist, his body curling protectively over mine as he reached for the phone with his free hand.
“Tomcat,” he answered, his voice rough with sleep but instantly alert.
I couldn’t hear the other side clearly, just the low murmur of a man’s voice. Keegan’s jaw locked so hard I felt the shift in his muscles against my back.
“When?” A pause. “Yeah. We’re on our way.”
He ended the call and sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist before he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “We gotta go, little dove. Your apartment got hit tonight.”
My stomach twisted. “What?”
“Neighbor just got back from out of town. Door was jimmied. Sheriff’s there now. Nothing obvious taken, but they tossed the place.”
I sat up too fast, the room tilting for a second. Keegan’s hand found my knee, steadying me. “Breathe, baby. We’re going to check it out. Get dressed.”
Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to my building in his blacked-out truck. Yellow crime scene tape fluttered across the front door. The sheriff met us on the sidewalk.
“Tomcat,” he greeted, dipping his chin. His gaze slid to me, softening. “Miss Holbrook. Sorry you had to see this.”
Inside, the apartment looked like a disaster. Drawers had been yanked out, cushions slashed, and books were scattered across the floor. The deliberate destruction made my stomach churn.
Nothing was missing. The TV was still on the wall, and the few pieces of jewelry I owned were on top of my dresser. Whoever had broken in had been there to create chaos, not for quick cash.
Keegan stayed close, one hand on the small of my back as we walked through the wreckage. I didn’t know what I would’ve done without him. He was the only reason I didn’t fall apart.
Returning to the clubhouse a couple of hours later, a few brothers were nursing beers at the bar, clearly waiting for us to get back.
Blaze looked up as we walked in, his usual easy grin nowhere in sight. “How bad?”
Keegan shook his head. “Nothing taken. Just gone through.”
Blaze leaned back against the bar, arms crossed. His eyes flicked to me, then back to Keegan. “Brother, I know you want to keep Linden close, but maybe it’s time we consider giving her a fresh start. Somewhere off the grid. Just till this blows over.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but Keegan seemed to be completely against the idea. “No.”
“Tomcat—”
“I said no.” His arm tightened around my back. “She’s not running.”
King stepped out from the kitchen, his assessing gaze moving between us. He’d clearly overheard. He finally settled on Keegan. “Fill her in. Then let her decide.”
Keegan’s chest expanded, but he didn’t argue with the club’s president. He just nodded and took my hand. “Come on, little dove.”
He led me down the hall to his room—or ours, as he’d taken to calling it. Once inside, he locked the door, then guided me to the bed. I sat on the edge, with my knees drawn up. He knelt in front of me, his hands resting on my ankles.
“What were they talking about?” I asked hesitantly, not really sure I wanted to know.
“The Hounds have a lot of business and endeavors, but our main job is a well-kept secret unless you’re in the right circles. We help people who need to vanish. Give them new identities, make sure nobody can ever track them down. Completely new lives.”
My mouth went dry. “And Blaze thinks that’s what you should do for me. So Aegis can’t find me.”
“He’s just offering the option a-fucking-gain.” His thumbs stroked slow circles on my ankles. “But it’s not happening.”
I searched his face. “Because you don’t want me gone?”
“Because I’m not losing you.” He shook his head. “Not to this. Or anyone.”
The fear I’d been holding back swept over me.
With the club’s VP floating the idea of making me disappear, I’d been worried the situation was even worse than I already knew, which was hard to imagine.
They’d already killed Carson, tearing my life apart.
And now they’d been in my apartment, looking for something so they could get rid of me too. Just when I’d found Keegan.
Tears burned my eyes. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“You won’t.” He pulled me into his arms, tucking my head under his chin.
“They ransacked your place, hoping to find something to help them figure out where the hell you’ve disappeared to because I’ve hidden you here so well.
I swear, I’m not letting anything touch you.
You’re staying right here. With me. Where I can make sure you stay safe. ”
I clung to him, shaking. He held me tighter, rocking us gently and murmuring against my hair until I calmed down. Then he helped me get ready for bed again, before cuddling me until my breathing finally evened out, exhaustion pulling me under.
Unfortunately, it didn’t do the same for Keegan.
By the time morning light had just started to stream between the blinds only a few hours later, he was already up and dressed. I woke to his lips brushing my forehead.
“Gonna head to the airfield. Need to work on the test bird. Scheduled maintenance. Can’t skip it.”
He hadn’t mentioned needing to go in today until now, which was odd since he’d been keeping me in the loop on his schedule.
I frowned, propping up on one elbow. “You’re angry about the break-in, so you’re going to poke around, aren’t you?”
He just shrugged. “Got shit to do.”
I started to swing my legs out of bed. “I’m coming with you. I can help—”
“No.” He caught my wrist gently but firmly. “You’re out of this now, Linden. No more risks.”
I wanted to argue. To insist I could watch his back. But the truth was that I had no training. And no way to protect him if things went sideways. I’d only be a distraction.
He’d spend the whole time worried about me instead of focused. That made me a liability.
I sank back against the pillows with a sigh. “Fine.”
He leaned down and kissed me, tasting faintly of mint toothpaste. “Stay inside.”
I nodded, and he left.
It was good that I slept so deeply earlier because I lay there staring at the ceiling until I finally got too restless to stay in bed. I pulled on leggings, a T-shirt, and the spare leather vest Keegan insisted I wear. Then I padded down to the kitchen.
Someone had already brewed coffee, thank goodness. I poured a mug, wrapped my hands around the warmth, and wandered to the lounge.
Hours dragged as people came and went, but no sign of Keegan. I tried to read on my phone, scrolled mindlessly, and helped one of the prospects fold bar towels. Anything to keep my brain from spinning worst-case scenarios.
The front doors finally banged open around three in the afternoon. Keegan stormed in.
His shoulders were strained, a muscle in his jaw was ticking, and his green eyes burned with a fury so cold it stole my breath. Then his gaze found me.
The rage fractured, and his expression softened. He crossed the room in three long strides, cupped my face in both hands, and kissed me like he was desperate for my taste.
I melted into him, my fingers clutching his cut, relieved he was finally back. When he ended the kiss, he rested his forehead against mine, his breathing ragged.
Something was wrong, but before I could ask what happened, his thumbs swept across my cheekbones, and he pressed one last kiss to my lips. “Stay here, little dove. I need to talk to my prez.”
I stared at him as he stalked away, my heart pounding against my ribs. Then I stood and took one step in the same direction. But a soft hand touched my elbow.
I turned and met Stella’s gaze. Her smile was sympathetic. “Come on. Let the guys handle what needs to be done. I know how hard it is to step back, so you can trust me when I say that distractions help.”
“Yeah.” I sighed, my shoulders slumping. “I could definitely use one if you have something in mind.”
She guided me through the lounge, her arm looped through mine. “I have a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls in the oven. Cadell is down for a nap, and I have some juicy gossip about Ace.”
I managed a weak laugh, letting her pull me into the kitchen. But even as I sat at the long table, a warm mug in my hands and the scent of sugar and spice filling the air, my mind stayed with Keegan. With whatever he’d found at the airfield that turned his fury nuclear.
Considering all the awful stuff we had already discovered, it had to be horrible. But I trusted him to handle whatever he’d found, with his club at his back. And I’d be there to support him however he needed. Because what he was doing was important to me…and I was falling in love with him.