photographer where I was staying? It made no sense. Joker’s next words dispelled that idea.
“He’s changed the locks,” he said. “It went down before we got here.”
“What?” Torch and I said together.
It was then my gaze fell on the dumpster on the side of the building. Or rather, what was sitting beside it.
I tore out of Torch’s arms and ran for it. My cedar chest lay on its side, the contents strewn all over the parking lot.
“He’s throwing me out?” I said.
Joker looked at Torch. Torch’s face went still as stone. Rage filled his eyes.
“I want to talk to him,” Torch said.
“Colt’s already doing that,” Joker said. “George says his hands are tied. His family is pulling the strings. It’s bullshit, but that’s where we’re at.”
I sat down on my overturned chest and tried to remember how to breathe.
“Grab what you can,” Torch said as he came to me. “You’re coming home with me. We’ll set you up with your own room at the Den.”
He looked at Joker for confirmation. Though Joker’s expression stayed serious, he gave Torch a quick nod.
“It’ll have to do for now.”
“I want to talk to my uncle,” I said.
“Later,” Torch said. “I don’t like you being out in the open like this. I need to get a handle on what we’re up against. Tonight, you’ll stay with me.”
The probies moved in and collected what they could of my things. They heaved it back into the cedar chest then picked the whole thing up. Two more probies pulled up in a black van. They put my things inside.
“Go with them,” Torch said. “I’ll meet you back at the Den in a little while.”
“Where are you going?” I said, hating the desperation in my tone. I just didn’t want to be alone right now.
Torch pulled me away from the others. He placed a kiss on my head. “It’s going to be okay.”
“How?” I asked.
“It just will,” he said. “But I need you to do what I ask for now. That’s all. You’re under the club’s protection tonight.”
I swallowed hard, fully understanding the weight of those words.
Chapter Twenty
Torch
“You can’t do it, man,” Joker said. I’d sent Sydney on ahead with the probies and her stuff in the van. It left Joker and me a minute to talk.
“George had no right to kick her out,” I said. “I don’t even think that shit’s legal. He has to give her notice or something.”
“So, what’s your play?” Joker said. “You just planning on riding over to his house and beating the shit out of him?”
“If that’s what it takes!” I yelled.
“Look,” Joker said. “I know it’s hard, but this is a family matter. Sydney’s family. You gotta let her work it out.”
“Bullshit!” I shouted. “If this were Tara ... shit. It was Tara. When someone tried to hurt her, it was gloves off. For all of us. That’s what we do.”
“Is she the one?” Joker asked. “Is that what you’re telling me, man?”
We’d ridden to the bridge. Standing at the river bank, I looked out at the water. I’d been just a few feet away from here on the bench the first time I knew.
“Yeah,” I said. Colt had sent me down to Cincy to make a decision. Well, I’d made it. I turned to Joker.
“Yeah. She’s the one. It’s complicated and fucked up. It’s gonna cause a world of shit with George. It already has. It’s more than a family matter. Somebody sent her dad pictures of the two of us. I could give a shit less about me. But I need to protect my girl from having her tits plastered all over the internet.”
“We need to take this to the table,” Joker said. “Before this spins even further out of control.”
“Yeah,” I said. “But I wanna make sure Sydney’s okay tonight.”
“I get that,” Joker said. “I’ll smooth things over with everyone else in the meantime. I figure Colt will want to have a meeting first thing in the morning though.”
“So do I,” I said. “Thanks, man.”
With that, Joker took off. I revved my engine and rode in the other direction toward the Den.
Sydney and the probies were just pulling in ahead of me. I’d sent her with two of our most loyal, Sticks and Glover.
“Where do you want this?” Sticks asked. He was holding Sydney’s chest.
I looked at her. She looked so small standing next to him, her arms crossed in front of her.
“Take it up to my room,” I said.
Sydney met my eyes. If she had protested, I