Coyote (Hawks MC Next Generation #1) - Lila Rose Page 0,9

in my room until they’re gone. I could—

“Honey,” Texas called. I blinked and hummed. He smirked. “Didn’t catch your name.”

“Channa,” I told him.

“Channa, sweet-arse name, honey.”

I shrugged, running my hands over my babies’ heads. A couple of the men chuckled, but I didn’t dare look away from Texas.

“Channa, this here is Dodge.” The bearded one with tatted arms. “That’s Talon.” Talon. I knew that name. I’d heard that name a few times. He was Cody’s father…. I glanced at him and nodded. He tipped his chin up, and I ignored the fact he was nearly as good-looking as his son. “By the door is Ruin”—the one who wasn’t Cody, but very noticeable with his neatly trimmed beard and moustache, long blond hair hanging around his shoulders, hands and arms full of tattoos, and blue eyes—“and Coyote.” Coyote? Coyote was Cody’s club name, and I could see from his patch on the vest that he was a full member. He’d followed in his daddy’s footsteps. Though I hadn’t noticed a club vest on him when he’d been in the bakery, but he wore one now.

With a nod in their direction, I looked back to Dodge. He seemed the safest, even with those intense eyes. “You probably saw Texas’s ride out the front. We’ll need to move it—”

“Already done, babe,” he told me. “You wanna tell me your side of the story?”

I nodded because I wanted them out of my house as soon as possible. I swear I could feel heat coating my body from someone’s, or a few, eyes trained on me.

“I heard the bike, then a crash, and tyres screeching to a stop. I looked out the window to see Texas on the ground with three men around him. One held a gun on him while the other two beat him. I… I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do something.”

“You went out there?” Ruin asked, shock clear in his tone.

Ignoring him, I told Dodge, “I tried to get them to stop, but when they started to take Texas to the vehicle, I sent the dogs out. The dogs got a few bites in which shocked them enough to leave.”

Texas snorted. “It was a bit more than that.”

I glared down at him. “No, it wasn’t. I got him in here, gave him some pain meds, and called um… one of you.”

“That was me,” Ruin said.

“Right. Well, there we have it. Now is now.”

“Texas?” Dodge turned to him.

“Ah, shouldn’t you guys get him to a doctor?”

“We have someone comin’,” Talon replied.

“But… I mean, I have to get to work.” So please leave. Please.

“You gonna get in trouble from your boss?” Dodge asked.

“She works at the bakery a few places up.”

I tensed because those words came from Cody Marcus.

Had he recognized me? I didn’t think I had anything lying around the house he could have seen to know where I worked. Crap, he must have recognized me. Knowing he had made me giddy, yet it also brought the vomit feeling up again. I couldn’t even look his way. When I’d glanced at Ruin before, I made sure my gaze didn’t fall on him.

“Right, the bakery girl arguin’ with that old guy.”

Darn Stanley.

“You have someone who can fill in for the day?” Dodge asked.

“I need someone? I… why? Can’t I just leave after you all and go about my day?” Were they going to hold me hostage for some reason?

“Channa, don’t stress. We ain’t gonna harm you,” Talon said.

“Uh-huh,” I mumbled, because I didn’t believe him since they said I’d need someone to fill in for me. “I can’t leave my business in Denise and Stanley’s hands. Denise is baking right now for me, but I’ll have to go in and help to get it out on time. And Stanley gets crabby if the place is too hot when he comes in to ice things. I don’t have anyone else to help Denise with the lunch rush either.” I was in a near panic. I couldn’t leave my shop for the day. I just couldn’t.

“It’s all good, honey. You mind if we hang for a bit while we wait on Doc? We’ll lock up after,” Dodge offered.

They wanted to wait in my house. Without me there. With my babies.

I glanced down at them. My dogs were before any other worry. “It’s okay. I’ll wait.”

“We’ll take care of your dogs,” Ruin said.

I shook my head. “No offense, but I don’t know any of you, and my dogs are my life. I wouldn’t even