“Hey Moon, where are you?”
“Uhm, I’m at home,” she said hesitantly.
“Shit. I wish you would have answered your phone. I saw your house. I’ll have some guys take care of it but not tonight. Are you okay?”
“I’m not really sure, Cross. But I need you to come to my house. Please?”
“Is everything all right?” I asked, taking a left at the next light that would take me right back to Moon. Whatever she needed, I’d be there. “Is Beau okay?”
“Cross, I’ll tell you everything when you get here. Drive safely and stay calm.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her maternal tone. No matter how shaken she was by the mess in her house and whoever had been fucking following her, she was always the boss of her world.
And that fucking turned me on more than anything.
“See you soon.” The call ended before I could ask her about who was following her and I went as fast as I could until I pulled up to her house, noting all the lights were on. The door was closed as much as it could be considering it had been kicked in. I reached behind me, pulled my piece from my waistband. and pushed the door open.
“Moon?” I called out, gun at the ready.
“In here,” she called, her voice calm but there was a tremor of unease that had me moving deeper into the house. The first fucking thing I saw was some blond asshole picking up trash and shoving it into a big bla
ck trash bag. I curled my finger around the trigger. This wasn’t going to end well.
“Who the fuck are you?” My eyes darted around the room until I saw Moon safe and unharmed. “What’s going on?”
“Calm, remember? And put that thing away in my house.”
I wanted to shake the woman. How in the hell was I supposed to remain calm with some strange asshole in her house?
“I am calm,” I told her and spotted a black leather kutte draped over the arm of the big sofa. I lowered my piece but kept it in my hand. “Now help me stay calm by telling my why you have one of the Sons of Sin inside your house.”
She sighed and stepped between us, one hand on my chest to keep me from killing the mother fucker. “Cross, calm. Beau had a bad attack and he’s upstairs sleeping.”
“Another attack?” I slid my piece back into the waistband of my jeans. If she was calm after all this, I’d be calm as well. “Shit, how is he doing? What did the doctor say?”
Her smile was warm and affectionate, so was the caress of her hand from my chest down to my belt. “Later. This is Cordell, I mean Ripcord. Sorry,” she flashed the man an apologetic grin.
“Yeah, I saw the kutte. Was he the asshole chasing you?”
She nodded but Ripcord spoke up. “I was and it was a misunderstanding.”
“Then make me understand it.” I knew I was coming across as an asshole, but I didn’t give a shit, not now. I would break this mother fucker in two if he’d hurt Moon.
“Boys. Settle down. I have a sleeping son upstairs, so use your inside voices and have a seat.” Moon motioned to the dining room table and smiled at Ripcord. “Thank you for helping clean up the mess.”
I snorted at her sincere gratitude. “Are you that sure he wasn’t the cause of it? Because a lot of this shit doesn’t add up.”
Ripcord sighed. “I did do it, which is why I helped clean up this mess. And Moon has already accepted my apology,” he said defiantly. “I was looking for information on my little sister.”
“Why in the fuck would—” Moon’s hand on my shoulder stopped my tirade cold. She smiled at me and honestly, what the fuck could I do but shut the fuck up and stare at that beautiful smile. Even slightly tousled and rumpled in her yellow outfit that showed off her shoulders and a beautiful hummingbird tattoo, she was a vision.
“After talking with Cordell,” she said and took a seat beside me and dropped a hand on top of mine, “some things have become clear, mainly that you two have a common enemy.”
I glanced at Ripcord and this time without judgment, I could see concern and fear written all over his face. Still, I didn’t know too many of the Sons of Sin members personally, since most of them were from up North, so I would reserve judgment until I did. “Yeah, who?”
“Who else?” she asked with a roll of her eyes. “Roadkill.” Her gaze seared through me, begging me to stay calm and listen. When I nodded my agreement, she stood and went to the head of the table staring at each of us. “Cordell has a sister and she’s been missing for almost a full year, Cross. She’s fifteen.”
“Fuck.” I stared at Ripcord who looked ready to rip someone’s head off.