Free Striker: No Prisoners MC Book 1 by Lilly Atlas Page B

“We’re trying to sort our shit out with their president, but something’s going on in that club. It’s starting to get ugly, as you can guess, since you witnessed what happened to Kenny. We’re handling it, but it’s going to take some time. They saw you last Friday. Noticed me jump in to shield you, and screwing with you may be one more way of fucking with us. If it is the Grimm Brothers, you’re not safe. You’re going to need some protection. The kind of protection only the club can provide, you get me?”
    “Let me guess, that means no cops?”
    “No cops.” He nodded, and trailed a hand up her arm. Warmth followed the movement, and continued through her body even when his hand settled, strong and sure on her shoulder.
    “But wouldn’t it be better just to let the cops handle it? Then you can stay uninvolved.”
    He shrugged. “Doesn’t work that way. It’s not how the club handles things. We’re already involved. The police would initiate an investigation into every aspect of the club, and we can’t allow that.”
    Striker was taking this very seriously, and that fact didn’t do anything to ease her worry. It had to be bad if Striker was concerned. “So what do I do?”
    “I’m not sure yet,” he said as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We’ll discuss it as a club, come up with a plan. Ultimately it will be Shiv’s decision, but, like Jester said, you’ve helped us out and we owe you.”
    She appreciated his honestly. Lila had never encountered Shiv, but she assumed he didn’t go around protecting people out of the goodness of his heart. This was an outlaw MC after all, and they weren’t known for their charitable works. Striker and Jester had both claimed the club owed her, but she’d done them only one favor. How much weight would that one act hold with the club?
    “Hey, VP!” Jester’s thundering voice rang out from between the doors he’d disappeared through a few moments before.
    “Yeah?” He turned his head toward Jester.
    “Shiv wants to talk to the Doc.” Jester’s large body filled doorway as he held the doors open, waiting for them.
    Striker stood, and reached a hand out for Lila. She hesitated for a second before she took his hand and allowed him to draw her to her feet. Her stomach fluttered with nerves, and her heart pounded in her chest. Striker’s hand came to rest on her lower back, right on the bare skin where her shirt left off. Goosebumps ran up her spine when his fingers slid across her sensitive skin, making her anxious for an entirely different reason.
    “Cold?”
    “No.”
    A slow, smug smile spread across his face, and he winked at her. It was obvious he could tell he was getting to her. She wasn’t very adept at hiding her feelings, and hadn’t been this attracted to a man probably ever, so she didn’t have the skills or experience to fool him.
    As a unit, they moved toward the doors, and Lila forced herself to breath in and out and not give into the nerves threatening to overtake her. When they reached the doorway, Striker slid his hand around her waist and gave her a gentle squeeze. She appreciated the silent gesture of support.
    “Wait here for one second, babe.”
    Striker and Jester disappeared behind the heavy wooden doors while Lila took a few cleansing breaths to calm her nerves. After a moment, Striker reopened the door, and waved her in. As she passed through the doorway his hand once again found her, this time resting on the back of her neck, a move she found to be surprisingly protective. The door closed behind them with a thud, the sound causing her already on-edge nerves to jump.
    A large, square, industrial steel table filled the majority of the room. It was eclectic and looked like a handmade work of art. Shiv was perched on the edge of a chair at the head of the table that had about ten other chairs around it; maybe another ten were around the edge of the room.
    A jagged scar ran from the corner of Shiv’s mouth, straight