*
Curiously calm after his meeting with Jagger, Holt made his way through the clubhouse to the shooting range. Everything was familiar and yet something had changed. He hadn’t felt awed to be sitting in Jagger’s office beside Zane, instead of standing in the hall, guarding the door, as was usual for a junior patch member of the club. They were just men, their mystique now wiped away by the brutal reality of what living beyond the law really meant.
He’d listened to Jagger’s plan. Made comments and suggestions based on his intimate knowledge of Viper and the Jacks. Helped them revise. Insisted he take point. And they’d listened. With respect, even deference. They’d treated him as an equal. It felt good. Right. And when he walked out of the office, he knew he would never answer to another man. Whether it was a result of his time with Viper, or perhaps because it had always been inside him, he knew he needed to lead, not follow. Even if it meant he would die putting Viper to ground.
He’d hadn’t shared the last part of his plan with Jagger because he needed the Sinners to bring the plan to fruition. But in the end, there would only be two people on the roof where Viper would have to flee the fire they were planning to set in the hotel. And only one of them would leave alive.
Tank walked by his side, unusually quiet, as if he knew Holt needed time to process everything that had happened during that meeting. Did he realize Holt would never return to the Sinners? Holt felt a pang of regret at the thought of leaving Tank alone again, either through death or voluntary exile as a nomad biker. Until he met Naiya, he’d never been as close to anyone as he was to Tank, never had a bond as strong. He didn’t share the same intimacy he did with Naiya, and yet he needed them both to feel complete. Tank who knew him before and Naiya who knew him now. Naiya who had his heart and Tank who had touched his soul.
“Dunno why Naiya wants to shoot a gun so bad.” Tank pushed open the back door leading to the shooting range and preceded Holt through. “I told her there’s no way she’ll be going with you.”
“Naiya’s got her own mind.” Holt chuckled. “She’ll do what she wants regardless of what I say. Short of tying her up, I won’t be able to stop her.”
“You want me to stay behind with her?” Tank offered over his shoulder. “I can lock her in a room.”
“I need you alive, preferably uninjured.” Holt clasped Tank’s shoulder. “But if you could watch over her…”
“I’ve been watching out for her since the moment I knew she was yours.”
Holt choked back a wave of emotion. If he survived the confrontation with Viper, he would have to leave Conundrum. And yet, he couldn’t imagine going anywhere without Tank.
“What the fuck? He’s touching your girl.” Tank muttered under his breath as they rounded the corner to the shooting range where Shaggy stood behind Naiya with his arms around her, helping her aim her weapon at the paper target in the distance.
Holt took in the scene and gave Tank a calming pat. “I’m not worried about Shaggy. He’s too old.”
“He’s not that old.” Tank gritted out. “He’s mid-life crisis age, which means he goes after the young honeys when we go out to the bars, trying to relive his fucking youth with twenty-year-old pussies.”
“Well, right now he’s touching her like he’s someone’s dad,” Holt pointed out. “He’s keeping a lot of space between them. But you keep an eye on him for me. The minute he steps out of line…”
“Yeah.” Tank slammed his fist into his palm. “I always wanted to lay one on old Shag.”
Holt tapped Shaggy on the shoulder, and the old timer stepped out of the way. After collecting his weapons and ammo, Shaggy took his leave, muttering something about leaving lovebirds alone. Tank followed behind him, clearly just waiting for him to step out of line.
Holt wrapped his arms around Naiya and pulled her against him. She fit perfectly in his arms, her head coming to rest just below his chin, her sweet ass at his belt. “I’m thinking you’re planning to do something I won’t like,” he murmured in her ear.
“Saving your ass, you mean?” She turned and brushed her lips over his cheek.
“Like you did in the clubhouse when you threatened Arianne with the safety on? Made her almost piss herself laughing?”