Free Making Choices (Black Shamrocks MC Book 2) by Kylie Hillman Page B

Butcher. It’s different seeing the fear his nickname evokes in person, rather than chalking it up to media sensationalism.
    With Maddi’s confirmation, the man closest to the door, the one who had been silent so far, curses loudly. “You’re with the fucking Black Shamrocks?”
    “We are. So if you touch us, rest assured that you’re signing your own death warrant.”
    They ignore her final statement as they leave, locking the door behind them.
    Even in their silence, I can tell that her words shook them up because they’re nowhere near as cocky as they were when they arrived.

JJ
    Present Day
    I watch Maddi check the locked door and window numerous times before she starts pacing around the room. She must make her circuit two dozen times before I finally snap.
    “Would you sit down? You’re making me dizzy with your pacing.”
    Her eyes fill with irritation, but she stops pacing and sits on the end of the bed. We’ve studiously ignored each other since we were left alone, but it’s time. I have a pounding headache, and I still feel like vomiting. My stress is eating me alive.
    I need answers.
    “Can you tell me what’s happening here? I’m mixed up in this bullshit, and I don’t understand a thing.”
    Swinging her long, tanned legs in front of her—legs which are displayed in their full glory by the tiny jogging shorts she’s wearing—it takes her a few moments to answer me. I spend that time glaring at her legs as though they’ve personally offended me. I swear they’re twice the length of mine. Lucky bitch.
    “They snatched me when I was jogging this morning. They hit the brother Timber sent to shadow me with a frigging car before they dragged me into it. The Club’ll know I’m missing, and they’ll be looking. We’ll be fine. We just have to wait for them to find us.”
    What a fine non-answer that is. She’s told me exactly nothing.
    “I understand the whole code of silence bullshit the Shamrocks follow, but I’m involved in this now, so I want to know the details. Why did Connor and Sherri have us kidnapped? What did Connor mean about you being fucked up and broken? What the hell is the story between Lucas and Sherri? Why did those two guys basically shit their pants when you mentioned your father, Mad Dog, and Lucas?”
    As I throw my questions at her, I climb from the bed and stand in front of her with my hands on my hips. She looks at me with open curiosity, and a small bit of sympathy, before she rolls her eyes. She pats the bed next to her, but I disregard her invitation to sit. I’d rather stand so I’m looking down at her for once. The woman’s built like a damn swimsuit model. I feel better maintaining my slight edge over her.
    “Have it your way,” she sighs. “What’s happening now stems from some stuff—bad stuff—that happened to me when I was eighteen. It caught up with me and the Club about seven months ago and is the reason Joel was hurt.”
    I lift my right eyebrow when she stops speaking, indicating that she should continue. I can hear her counting from five to one in a quiet voice as she breathes in and out deeply. I’ve taken a few yoga classes, so I recognize the calming technique.
    What’s she about to tell me that requires her to calm herself?
    “The Club helped me fix my stuff, but it caused them a big problem before it was fixed. Sherri and Connor were part of that problem, and the Club’s been looking for them ever since. Apparently they’ve decided to come out of hiding. Now they’re using us as pawns in their game, because of our relationships with Mik and Timber. The Club’ll be one step ahead of them, and we’ll be fine. That’s all you need to know.”
    Sliding backward on the bed until her back touches the wall, she leans against it. Pulling the elastic from her dishevelled hair, she runs her fingers through it as she gathers it into a knot and secures it again. Once she’s fixed her hair, she starts examining her nails.
    The Princess has