Free Resurrection (The Lone Riders MC Series Book 3) by Michelle Betham Page A

didn’t look back, she didn’t want to. She didn’t even know who he was anymore, just that he wasn’t the man she loved. That wasn’t him.
    ‘Hey! Slow down, darlin’.’
    She felt someone grab her arm, looking up to see Coby. And only then did she realize she must have been running. From Ben. She’d been running from Ben.
    ‘I’m gonna ask you this again, Mia. Is everything OK?’
    She wrenched her arm free of his grip. ‘I need a drink.’
    ‘Aye.’ He glanced behind him. ‘Me too, darlin’. Me too.’ It was still quiet out in the yard, although the noise from inside the clubhouse seemed to be getting louder – music blaring, voices shouting; raucous laughter. ‘I’m guessing you don’t feel much like going back in there?’ Coby raised a questioning eyebrow.
    Mia wrapped her arms around herself as a light breeze washed over her, causing her exposed skin to break out in goose bumps. ‘You guess right.’
    ‘Come on. I’ve got a bottle of twelve year old Scotch I keep in one of the tool draws over in the garage.’
    She couldn’t help smiling. ‘Whatever gets you through the day, huh?’
    ‘Something like that,’ he laughed, jerking his head towards the garage. ‘Come on.’
    Mia looked over to where she’d just left Ben, but he seemed to have disappeared. She guessed he must’ve gone inside, because she hadn’t heard anyone leave the compound.
    Following Coby into the garage she pulled herself up onto the workbench, watching as he retrieved the bottle of Scotch, twisting off the cap and offering the bottle to her.
    ‘Sorry, sweetheart, I don’t do glasses in here.’
    She took the bottle from him, taking a small swig, swallowing it down way too fast which caused her to cough as the warm liquid burned her throat.
    ‘Hey, take it easy. It’s strong stuff that.’ Coby smiled as Mia handed him the whisky.
    She watched as he effortlessly downed a long mouthful before handing it back to her. ‘Slowly this time. And I guarantee it’ll take the edge off everything.’
    Her eyes met his. ‘Anything you need the edge taking off?’
    He leaned back against the workbench, folding his arms, but he stayed silent, breaking the stare by bowing his head. Mia raised her eyebrows, taking a slower swig of Scotch. This time it hit the spot, filling her belly with a welcoming warmth.
    ‘Coby?’
    He finally lifted his gaze, his dark eyes once more meeting hers.
    ‘Can I ask you something?’
    ‘Aye, ‘course you can, darlin’.’
    ‘Ben… I don’t know what’s happening with him. I mean… should I have thought twice, about going into a relationship with a man who was once part of a club like the Dark Angels?’
    ‘I’m no expert when it comes to relationships, Mia. I’m the wrong person to be talking to about this.’
    ‘Do you trust him?’
    Coby’s eyes narrowed, his body turning towards her. ‘Do you think there’s a reason I shouldn’t?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ she sighed. ‘He’s really fucking with my head right now… haven’t you noticed a change in him?’
    ‘Has he done something to hurt you?’
    Mia shook her head, taking another swig of Scotch. ‘No. Not really. But he’s scaring me. This change in him, he’s scaring me. I saw him, just now, in the office, talking to Michael…’
    ‘Michael? Sheriff Bailey?’
    Mia nodded. ‘And when I asked him about it, he just shut me down.’
    ‘How?’
    Mia didn’t really know how much she should be telling Coby. Should she stay quiet, say nothing? But what if staying quiet put Ben in more danger? What if this was something Coby should know about?
    ‘Mia?’
    ‘He wanted to have sex, y’know, to try and steer me away from the subject, like I’m a kid that can be bribed into shutting up…’ She pushed a hand through her dark curls, taking a moment to catch her breath. ‘I wasn’t so keen.’
    Coby looked right at her. ‘Did he…?’
    ‘No. No, he didn’t force me. I stopped him before anything happened. I didn’t