Duke (The Henchmen MC 5)

What, exactly, Hailstorm was... was completely beyond me. Whatever it was, Lo made it sound like she was a pretty big deal there and if Reign was having all the women and children sent there, then it must have been a pretty safe place.

"That's her choice," Duke's voice said, coming from the side and I had too peek out to see him coming in from out back.

He looked tired. That was the first thing I realized. It was in the heaviness of his eyes, the dark circles underneath. His long blond hair was tied back into a bun again and his face had even more stubble than the last time I had seen him which only made his already handsome face look even more so.

And there I was looking like a mess.

Lovely.

Not that it should have mattered. But, let's get real, it did.

Everyone was suddenly looking at me and I felt a flush creep up in my cheeks. "Ah, um, well... I can't think of anything except the coffee Renny promised me right now," I said with a small smile, hoping it came off more casual than it felt.

Renny gave me a look, his lips twitching. "I was going to make a Chock Full o'Nuts comment. But I figured I would spare you."

To that, I felt myself laugh a little oddly. "I appreciate the restraint," I said and he gave me a wink, going into the kitchen to put the coffee on.

"Think maybe you want to get the exam over with before the coffee?" Lo asked and, well, I had to agree that was probably the better plan. When I nodded, she turned to her husband. "Can you go grab Ashley for me? I don't know what happened to her."

"Got a compound of men who were just in a gunfight and Reign banned the clubwhores until we get this shit settled," Cash explained. "She's probably got half a dozen bikers trying to charm their way into her pants right now."

To that, Lo's eyes twinkled. "Well, good luck with that. Ashley likes the girls," she added as her man started to walk away, making him turn back with a smile.

"The poor fucks," Cash said, shaking his head and disappearing.

"Is there any chance I can take a shower?" I asked, looking between Lo and Duke.

"Forty-eight hours for stitches, I'm afraid," Lo said, shaking her head. "But we can rig you up with a whore's bath. And maybe if Reign doesn't pull me away, I can help you wash your hair."

With that, I was led back to Duke's room with Lo and Ashley, Duke standing outside the door for the course of the exam where I was informed it was healing but the stitches would be in for another weak at least. I was wrapped up loosely around my back and then my ribs as well. Lo handed me a pair of black yoga pants that I slipped into happily and went into Duke's dresser for a shirt.

"Loose would be good right now," she informed me as she produced a white tee, then changed her mind and came back with a navy one. "So Duke's clothes are best."

I slipped into it. "What is Hailstorm?" I found myself blurting out.

Ashley shot Lo a look that she ignored. "It's similar to a survivalist camp in a way. We have a fence and dogs and solar power. But the main reason Reign is sending all the women and kids to us is because our buildings are made of storage containers. They're impenetrable when we want them to be."

"Do you think I should go there too?" I asked, knowing I didn't want to and hearing a bit of that in my own voice.

"Honestly, I don't know," Lo said, sitting down at the foot of the bed. "This is a weird situation. Usually if there is a threat to The Henchmen, they know who is sending it. It's the Russians or the Mexicans or even a rival biker gang. It's weird for it to be handled so secretively."

"It makes it more dangerous," Ashley added, putting her supplies away. "If they knew their threat, this would be halfway over with by now. But as it stands... this could be going on for a while."

I took a breath, shaking my head a little. "So you're saying I am going to be stuck either here or at Hailstorm for 'a while'? I can't go home? I can't live my life?"

"Is that a risk you really want to take just in case you aren't safe?" Ashley pressed.

That was a good point. I was sure if I pitched a fit, they would send me on my way. But where did that leave me? Alone in an apartment building that didn't even have a buzzer system? Okay so maybe even if I invested in pepper spray and self-defense lessons, I wasn't stupid, it wouldn't do me any good. If someone wanted me, they could get me. And turning to the cops? Well, after letting so much time pass, they would probably think I was making it up or out of my mind or something. Even if they did believe me, where would that get me? A patrol car passing my apartment building every hour? Like that would help. I could be murdered between patrols. And on top of all that, if I told the cops what was really happening, would that put me on the bad side of Reign and his Henchmen? That answer was probably a resounding yes and while they didn't seem to mean me any harm right then, who knew if that would change if they suddenly found out I ratted on them.