Read Bear To The Bone (Bear Claw Security 1) for Free Online Page B

looking around the room for a moment before going over to the desk and sitting down. This was Pete’s office now, and he was head of the administrative stuff the club had to deal with. A heavy burden indeed.
    “Yeah,” Cage said, folding his arms. “Lotta memories down here.”
    Pete raised an eyebrow. His thinning red hair barely covered his head, and his cut-off leather jacket revealed aging arms covered in faded, full tattoo sleeves. Leather and chain dangled at his wrists. He leaned back in his leather chair, making it squeak.
    “Doesn’t look good, you being in here,” Pete said. “I gotta admit. I was reluctant to have you back here. You disappeared. Didn’t know if you could be trusted.”
    Cage remained silent. Getting defensive would only make Pete’s implied accusations feel more valid.
    “But it was your dad’s wish that if you ever come back, you get taken in without question, and with everything he did for this club, we’d be fools to ignore him.” Pete stared at Cage for a moment, and Cage just shrugged. If the older man wanted him to show grief over his father’s death, he’d be disappointed.
    “Don’t know what you always had against your old man anyhow. He took care of you after that skank you call a mom ran out—”
    Cage was across the room in a second, holding Pete by the collar and letting him see the rage in his eyes. “Don’t you dare,” he said, nearly choking the other man. “Don’t you dare talk about what she went through.” He released Pete with a shove, and Pete grimaced as he brushed himself off, as if erasing Cage’s touch.
    “Son of Will or not, if you double-cross us, you’ll pay,” Pete said. “Jake wasn’t worried about taking you back for one reason only.” Pete folded his still buff arms. “If you cross the Aces, the Aces will cross you.”
    Cage nodded. “I’m not stupid enough to think I could get away with attacking a branch of the strongest MC in the country.” Which was the truth and why he intended for them all to be long gone before they could prove he’d done anything.
    Pete still didn’t seem convinced, and there was a palpable tension in the air between them. “You were a good kid,” he said. “Your dad had to be rough on you because that’s what dads do, but you turned out okay.” Pete pulled out a file. “You even served in the military. We have some other ex-vets.” He shut the drawer and leaned on the desk, faded blue eyes narrowing. “But why did you come back now? And why are you really in my office?”
    A prickle of danger moved up Cage’s back, and he realized it was time to go.
    He turned to leave but stopped when Pete whistled.
    Cage turned around and saw Pete holding out a folder. “Here, your next assignment.”
    Cage walked over and grabbed the file from Pete’s hand. He opened it and quickly scanned it. “She’s not going to sell.”
    “That’s where you come in,” Pete said. “You’re going to make her.”
    Cage shook his head and tossed the file back. “No. Even my dad didn’t believe in seizing property.” Though he’d seized women as if they were property.
    Pete slammed a fist down on the desk angrily. “You take care of this or I’ll give it to Harv. Heard you made a scene at the bar last night. Some kind of move on the owner. Carrie, is that her name?” Pete’s eyes narrowed maliciously as Cage’s face went tight and hard. “Right. Carrie. Well, Carrie is going to give that bar to the club one way or another. You do it, or we will.” He handed the file back, and Cage took it with an angry swipe of his hand.
    “I’ll need time,” he said.
    Pete shrugged. “We’ll see how long Jake’s willing to be patient. But if you can’t make things happen for us, then you aren’t one of us.” Pete eyed him carefully. “You’re involved with the girl, aren’t you? If you want her, put a patch on her and get her in the club before Harv can.”
    Cage’s lips tightened. It was odd advice from someone