the same crew, we need to bring the motel up to the same standards. This isn’t going to be the last time something like this happens.”
Gunnar nodded in agreement. “And I think if we want to prevent it from happening again, we need to send a message.”
“What exactly does that mean?” I asked with my eyebrows raised.
“We need to track Xavier down,” Gunnar said with his eyes narrowed. “Now. Before this escalates. I think this is overdue for some club justice.”
“No,” Mal said. “We’re not there yet.”
“You don’t think so?” Gunnar asked. “He broke into your home, Mal.”
“I know,” Mal said. “But we’ve already got the restraining order in. If he gets knocked around, that’s not going to reflect well on the club.”
Gunnar sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “It wouldn’t be traced back to us.”
“Maybe not,” Mal said, “and I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve it. But let’s get the cops in here first and see if we can’t get him dealt with through legal channels.”
I nodded in agreement. “But this is serious escalation. If he got in and we can’t figure out how—that’s seriously dangerous. He’s a danger to us, regardless of how he looks.”
“That’s right,” Tru said. “We have to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. Who knows what he would’ve done if Mal was here when he broke in.”
I cringed at the thought, then turned to Mal. “He’s right. This could’ve gone a lot differently.”
Mal sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “All right, guys, can we continue this conversation downstairs? I’m kind of over having people in my apartment right now.”
“Sure,” Raven said. “Come on, everyone, let’s put some coffee on.”
“I’ll catch up Blade and the prospects,” Gunnar said. The enforcers left the room, leaving Priest and me alone again.
Mal sighed deeply. He glanced at his bed like he wanted to sit down—but then cringed at the state of the sheets and leaned against the wall instead. “This is such a shit show.”
I stepped closer again, then placed my hand on his shoulder. Some of the tension eased in his posture, and he glanced gratefully at me.
“Thanks,” he said.
“For what?” I asked. I hadn’t done much today, other than stand at his back and get wrapped up in my inappropriate thoughts about his toys.
“For being here,” Mal said. “This… this is a lot.”
“Pack some stuff,” I said. “You don’t need to stay here tonight.”
“What?” Mal asked. “That’s not necessary.”
“I have to put my foot down on this one, Mal,” I said. “It’s not safe for you to be here—at least not until we get the security kicked up substantially.”
And I wasn’t just saying that because I wanted Mal closer to me, where I could protect him should Xavier show his face again. It just made sense. If Xavier was unstable, who knows how he’d react if he came across a member of the club in the motel while he was prowling?
Mal looked at me and ducked his chin with a slight nod. “You’re right.”
I huffed a laugh. “Honestly, I expected you to fight me on this.”
He glanced around the room. “I really don’t want to stay here,” he admitted. “Knowing he was in here. In my bed.”
“I’ll get Raven to strip the sheets for you, if that’s okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, that’ll work.” Mal nodded decisively, then pushed off the wall to start gathering his things. “It’ll be fine.”
He glanced at me with his brow furrowed, like he wasn’t sure if that was true. I wanted so badly to pull him into my arms again, kiss the back of his neck and tell him there wasn’t a way in hell I was going to let Xavier anywhere near him again. But he didn’t need me to act like his—his partner. Right now, he needed me to step up as vice president. And that I knew how to do.
“It will be,” I said with a serious nod. “I’ll make sure of it.”
13
Mal
It took a couple hours to get all our ducks in a row at the motel. I packed my things best I could, and the other club members arranged other places to stay, the Elkin Lake clubhouse or with family or partners, as well. That made me feel a little better about crashing at the clubhouse—made me feel like this endeavor was less about me. Even if I knew it was a pain in the ass for everyone in the club, and knew it was, at least partially, my fault.
I climbed off my bike