the upper hand.
"Whip?" said Ringtail.
He shook his head as everything began to make sense to him. "Hold that thought. Don't do a thing, yet."
He jogged back into the clubhouse and straight to the meeting room. Squeezing past Wyatt, he stopped at the table.
"I need to move Twyla into the clubhouse." He gripped the back of the closest chair.
Priest pointed. "Sit."
He looked over his shoulder at the door, making sure it was shut. What he needed to talk to Priest about couldn't leave the room.
He had either figured out how to take out Cusclan Motorcycle Club or get himself killed.
Chapter 14
Twyla
Whip opened a door off the hallway inside the Tarkio Motorcycle Club clubhouse. Twyla planted her feet and refused to walk inside, despite seeing all her belongings piled into the corner of the room and her clothes spread over the bed.
"Make yourself at home." Whip turned around and faced her. "The bathroom is across the hall and down two doors."
She glared. His excuse to get her here was a lie.
Yes, Angie and Ringtail were in the other room, listening to music and drinking with a bunch of other bikers, but her sister hadn't needed her.
If she knew he'd moved her out of the rental while she was at work, she never would've agreed to follow him to the clubhouse to talk with Angie about a problem with the rental house.
Her sister wasn't concerned about getting evicted and losing the house. She was halfway to getting looped.
"Angie's lying." She shoved her keys in her purse. "What really happened? Did she not pay the rent?"
"The owner's a rat. Don't worry about that. You can stay here." He stepped toward her and grinned. "I live right on the other side of that wall. If you need anything, knock."
"Why in the world would you think I'd want to live with a bunch of bikers?" She backed away from him. "Move out of my way, and I'll get my things and leave."
He never budged. "Where will you stay?"
"I don't know. My car." She pressed her lips together.
It wasn't as if she hadn't slept in the vehicle before, and he knew that. More than the stress of losing the rental was the confusion over why it was Whip who'd met her after work and informed her of the news instead of her sister.
Disappointed that Angie disregarded her feelings, once again, and showed no remorse for losing the house, she couldn't grasp why Whip offered her a room at the clubhouse.
It wasn't a motel. It was a private organization for members only. Male members.
He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "With Big out there ready to harass you, you're safe here."
"I'm safe around bikers?" She snorted. "Right. Now, you're the one who is being delusional."
"I can promise you that nobody here will touch you while you stay in the room." His gaze lowered to her mouth. "It's late. Relax and know you have somewhere to sleep tonight. We'll talk tomorrow, 'kay?"
Her stomach fluttered at the mention of sleeping here. Why had it seemed as if he was asking her to share his room?
Tomorrow was a workday. She was on the schedule to work from three in the afternoon until eleven o'clock when the restaurant closed.
Breaking away from looking at Whip, she took in the building, knowing there was a bathroom with a shower. A door she could lock or at least pile her stuff in front of while she slept to make sure nobody tried to gain entrance.
She met his gaze again. "Fine."
His brows relaxed. "Good."
"One night."
"You're not going to have time to look for another place to stay." He paused. "You mentioned you work for the next three days. Just stay here until something better comes around."
Had she told him her schedule? She couldn't remember.
"Good things don't come knocking. I need to get out there and hunt for a place."
"Don't worry about it tonight." He stepped around her, brushing against the front of her.
She shivered at the close contact, reminded of what they'd done together. How he'd touched her. What he'd done with his mouth.
She backed away, stepping into the room.
Before she could close the door, Whip turned around in the hallway and faced her again. "Do you want a drink or something to eat?"
The odd feelings inside of her could be blamed on hunger. She hadn't had anything to eat since starting work that afternoon. There was no way she'd be able to sleep with the music blaring in the other room and about a hundred