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His arm brushes mine.

My breath catches.

Good grief.

The man is fastening a seatbelt, Kierra.

Not proposing marriage.

I glance at the empty passenger seat.

"Am I being chauffeured?"

"You're being protected."

"From the front seat?"

Ash snorts.

Vex shoots him a look.

"Straight to the clubhouse. No stops."

"Yes, Mom."

I bite my lip to keep from laughing.

Ash climbs behind the wheel, still grinning.

As we pull away, I catch sight of Vex swinging onto his Harley.

He's watching the truck.

More specifically, he's watching me.

And for some ridiculous reason, knowing he's following makes me feel better.

The Damned Sinners clubhouse is nothing like I expected.

Well, there are motorcycles.

Lots of motorcycles.

And men wearing black leather vests.

But nobody is polishing a weapon or threatening to bury me in the woods, which I consider encouraging.

Vex meets me beside Ash's truck and helps me down.

Inside, several men look our way.

My stomach tightens.

They're big. Tattooed. Intimidating.

Exactly the kind of men I've spent most of my life avoiding.

My hand finds Vex's without conscious thought.