Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,17

asked. Had he actually been a police officer instead of in the army in the past because I felt like I was being interrogated?

“Yes?” I said.

Stanley glared at me. Denise pressed her hands over her heart. “What happened?” she asked.

Crap, I hated they knew me too well. I really had to find out how they could tell when I lied.

“I helped. That’s all you need to know.”

Stanley stood so suddenly his chair crashed to the floor. He started for the door. I raced after him and grabbed his hand. “Stanley, where are you going?”

“To find out all the information from them.” He nodded outside towards Cody and Ruin.

“No. Leave them, please. I don’t even know if I can tell you two.”

“Bull. If you don’t tell me, then I’m going out there.”

“I kicked their arses with the dogs’ help.”

“Fuck,” Stanley clipped and scrubbed a hand over his weathered face. “Any type of guy, but especially the bad ones, won’t want to be seen getting their arses handed to them by some bird. They’ll want payback.” He shook his head. “Right, you and the dogs are coming to my place until this shit is over. They can watch you from there. No ifs, buts, or any damn shit.” The more he got pissed, the more he swore.

My chest expanded in love but deflated quickly when I realized something and voiced my concern. “I won’t risk you—”

“Kid.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Make an old man happy and let me help you. I know the Hawks have got your back, which they damn well should since it’s their bloody mess, but I’ll feel a shitload better knowing you’re under my roof and not in a house alone.”

“So will I,” Denise added.

I glanced between each of them and saw the concern they had for me in their pinched eyes and thinned lips.

“They said they’ll get it sorted,” I told them. “I don’t think this will last.”

“Channa, you’ve got the dogs, but I have a security system, guns, and a few other weapons.”

My eyes widened. “Are they even legal?”

“Let’s not worry about that. Keeping you safe is the main concern.”

They wouldn’t be happy until I was under Stanley’s roof, and if I was honest with myself, I would feel safer with someone else in the house.

“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll move in.” And hope we didn’t kill each other. It would be a good idea to hide his weapons in case he used them on me since he got annoyed so quickly.

“Good,” Stanley grunted, and after a pat to my head, he went out the back again. The door opened and some customers came in, so Denise and I got back to work.

Chapter Five

Coyote

Do you reckon she’s tellin’ them what went on?” Ruin asked as we watched what was going on in the shop. It’d quietened down and looked like the employees were sitting down for a chat.

“Probably.”

“Think we’ll need to warn them about keepin’ their mouths closed?”

“Hard to say. But I don’t think she’d say anything to them if she didn’t know them well. Honestly, they probably saw us, put her on the spot, and dragged it out of her. She wouldn’t want anyone to know in case it brought drama to them.”

When Ruin stayed silent for a while, I turned to him. He was staring at me, smiling.

“What?” I clipped.

“Nothin’.” His smile widened.

“Spit it out, Ruin, or I’ll kick your arse.”

He chuckled. “Like you could.”

I smirked. “You know I can.” After all, I’d done it before when we’d been in the boxing ring.

“Whatever,” he mumbled. Ruin removed his jacket since the sun was finally showing up from behind some clouds. “So…,” he drew out, “you interested?”

“In what?” I knew what he was talking about. He’d already given me shit for storming in there—even though I’d just wanted a damn coffee—when we noticed a guy hanging all over the counter in front of Channa. The dickhead was some meathead who thought his shit didn’t stink, and now he and Channa were going to see a movie together.

It didn’t sit right inside me.

Surely, he wasn’t Channa’s type.

Not that I cared.

“You know what I mean. It’s not like you’re in a relationship. The one with Anna ended, what, three months ago?”

I shrugged. “Somethin’ like that.” Anna and I had been together for nearly a year, but towards the end, it’d felt like there was a missing piece. At first, it’d been good… no, great. But that had a lot to do with the chemistry, maybe. Yeah, we