Page 18 of Fletch’s Protection

Dammit. No. I don’t want him to see my sister. “Cassie!” I scream.

Ridge is in pursuit, his boots slamming on the sidewalk. But instead of going faster, Cassie slams to a stop and Ridge plows into her, barely catching her before she hits the ground.

When he sets her on her feet, she’s pale.

“Cassie, oh my god. Are you okay?” I yell as I run toward her, but she’s talking fast to Ridge. His angry gaze follows the truck as it passes again.

“Get in my truck,” he tells her. Cassie doesn’t argue. She doesn’t look at me, she bolts for his truck.

Fletch has my arm in a tight grip. “Inside, Mari, I don’t want you out here.”

“What’s happening?” I ask both men, looking between them.

“Looks like the guy that’s been harassing has been stalking your sister too.”

I sway, my stomach swooping. “Oh my god. She didn’t tell me. I didn’t tell her.”

“Let’s get you two out of here,” Fletch growls. He ushers me to Ridge’s truck and helps me climb inside. Cassie scoots over. Her color is still bad and my panic only grows.

“What’s your glucose?”

She glances at her smartwatch, the one we saved for months to buy. “It’s okay.”

But her voice trembles and she reaches for my hand and whispers, “I didn’t tell you about that creep because I didn’t want to worry you. But I’ve never seen him here. Now he knows where I live.”

A painful knot twists in my stomach. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you too, but he’s the reason I got fired. Fletch was in the store when that guy was harassing me. They had a standoff and then Gary fired me.”

Her lips press flat and she squeezes my hand. “Maybe the biker isn’t such a bad guy after all.”

I hug her neck fiercely. “We stick together. I don’t know what will happen, but for now they’re giving us a safe place to land.”

“I don’t think he’s going to let you go,” she says as Fletch carries the last of our belongings out of the apartment.

“I think you might be right.” I hope, but I don’t say that aloud.

Fletch loads the bags in the back, and Ridge climbs in the driver’s seat, pressing his thigh against Cassie’s.

“Could you take up any more room?” she hisses at him.

“Yeah, I can.” Manspreading his muscular, denim-clad thighs, he starts the truck.

Cassie mutters, “Asshole.”

“Got one of those too.”

They’re still going back and forth as Fletch aims his bike at the road and revs that big engine. My heart shoots back into my throat as I watch him handle the big black machine.

I can’t speak the whole ride back to the compound. I’m too much of a mess. But Cassie holds my hand, and at least one thing is normal. We stick together. She’ll be close. I can keep an eye on her.

When the compound gate comes into view, she mutters, “Cult. See, I told you.”

Ridge growls. “Club.”

“Is there a difference?” she challenges.

One hand on the wheel, he takes the curve with cocky competence. “For one, we don’t treat women like shit.”

“Like kidnapping?” Cassie half-snorts. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t get in your truck on my own.”