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particularly busy night at the bar, and I was exhausted when I pulled into my parking garage. I heard the sound of Sal’s bike as he roared off after seeing me home. I slammed my car door, the sound reverberating throughout the concrete covered space and began to head for the entrance to my building.
    When a hand slammed down on my mouth from behind I was so shocked that time seemed to stand still for a moment before it sped up abruptly.
    “Don’t you say a fucking word,” a deep, unfamiliar voice snarled behind me. He hauled me back against his body and pressed his hand deeper against my mouth. “Shit, you’re fucking beautiful. It’s a damn shame I don’t have a chance to explore that tight little rig you’ve got,” he murmured, his breath warm and wet on my ear. “I’ve been following you for months, but you’re even more gorgeous up close and personal,” he hissed, grinding into me from behind.
    I cringed away from him, my heartbeat hammering in my ears.
    “What do you want?” I choked out when he removed his hand briefly.
    He spun me around. “You’re Armstrong’s woman?” he demanded.
    “Not anymore.” I shook my head adamantly.
    “That’s not what I heard,” he glowered. “Did you know your bitch of a mother owes us a shit ton of money?” Before giving me a chance to respond, he continued. “Sometimes things have a way of working out,” he sneered. “We know for a fact the Knights can pay it back. So, I’ve got a message for you.”
    I knew instantly I didn’t want the message.
    I looked at him incredulously before I let out an ear-splitting scream and tried to run away.
    He tackled me to the ground and punched me in the face. Fuck, that hurt.
    “You wanna make it interesting?” he laughed into my face, the spittle from his excitement hitting my cheeks in a nauseating tandem.
    That’s when I got my first solid look at him. He was slim with jet-black, slicked back hair and olive skin. I’d never seen him before.
    “You tell Sal and all those other fuckers there are new players in town. And they aren’t as badass as they think they are. No one is safe from us. Not their women, not their children,” he threatened, his hand wrapping painfully around my neck. He started to squeeze and I clawed at him in panic.
    Holy shit, he was going to kill me.
    No…
    Air…
    “You gonna tell them?” he demanded.
    I nodded rapidly, desperate for him to let me go.
    “I think I’ll come pay you another visit. Armstrong doesn’t know what to do with a hot little piece like you. Looking forward to seeing you again.” He grinned salaciously before he hauled himself off me and ran, leaving me lying on the garage floor gasping for breath.
    For an indeterminable amount of time, I laid there staring up at the fluorescent lights overhead. My ears were ringing and my heart was hammering so loudly in my chest I was afraid to move. I knew the message had been conveyed, but I definitely didn’t want to linger. Somehow, I picked myself up off the ground and hobbled over to the elevator. I knew I should call the police, that was what a normal person would do, but back when things were rough with my parents the authorities always managed to fuck things up. They’d just put me in foster care, which was sometimes worse than being with my folks. And I always ended up back with them anyway.
    It was one of the ways I’d related to the club early on, the police weren’t ever a part of their life or the way they exacted justice.
    I needed to call Cole and I would. I just needed to get my shit together first.
    I let myself into my apartment building. Luckily, it was late so I didn’t encounter any neighbors as I made my way clumsily down the hall and through my door. I grabbed some ice and some heavy-duty painkillers I had left over from an accident the previous year. I fell onto the couch with a wince. The bed felt too far away despite it being mere feet. I placed the ice on my eye, wincing at both the cold and