Page 96

She ran for the bathroom.

Chapter 30

Saint

Saint rested his elbows on the counter and stared at the condensation beading on the beer bottle. The tiny rivulets merged and dripped onto the flat surface. Aaron’s gaze was heavy, too knowing.

“You’re sure?”

Riley’s asshole of a boss was untouchable. As was this fuck, Gio. Saint was ninety-five percent sure it was the guy from the morning he’d dropped her off.

Should’ve followed your instincts.

“Yeah.”

Saint trailed his finger over the dew. His beer tasted of nothing.

“Nico and Gio are brothers, different mothers. Vittori Ricci is their father. There are other brothers too, none in the country.” Aaron leaned on the counter and pulled out a pouch of tobacco and rolling papers, setting them on the counter.

All those names are pretty fucking Italian.

“How fast do you think retaliation would be?”

Aaron’s eyes flicked to Saint’s as he rolled a cigarette. “Too fast for whatever it is you’re thinking. You create a power vacuum that big and there’s no controlling what fills it. Plus you’re making an enemy of Cooper and the entire club, and that’ll blow back on all of us.”

Saint held his gaze. “Just gathering information.”

Aaron sighed, cracking his left thumb knuckle. It still bothered him. “Go to bed, Saint. Hug your girl. This is done for you.”

He barked a laugh, and Aaron clenched his teeth. He poured the rest of the beer down the sink and rinsed the bottle before he looked at Aaron again.

“I told her I’d change her locks tonight.” The kit was in the truck already.

Aaron glanced at the clock and then levelled him with a stare.

“I’ll change her locks.” Aaron stepped towards him, slow and silent, and held his hand out. Saint’s back molars ground together.

“You’re too close to this. Getting Cooper’s attention serves no one. It’ll probably put her more at risk.”

Saint didn’t think he’d be able to go out and not solve this problem.

He pulled his truck keys from his pocket and dropped them into Aaron’s hand, the metal rings tinkling together.

Aaron slipped them out of sight.

Saint’s jaw ticked. “He’s been texting her for over a year. And today was assault and battery. Not to mention whatever went down before. I picked her up once before. She’d reported him. And it got worse after.”

Aaron nodded and poured the tobacco into the folded paper. “I’m not saying to let it go.”

“You and Wheeler can’t touch him either.”

“There are four of us.”

Saint’s breath left his lungs. He didn’t die. Aaron rolled the paper, licking along the edge and smoothing it down.

“I can’t.” The words left holes in Saint. Karmic justice.

Aaron set up a second paper, blowing the loose tobacco into a pile and sweeping it into his hand.