“Did you hear from Wilder?” I asked.

He scowled. “Yeah, he asked me for another twenty-four hours.”

Frowning, I said, “This chick has to be someone he’s close to, but I’ve never heard him talk about anyone for as long as I’ve known him. You?”

“No. I’ve given him until tomorrow morning to bring me the information so we’ll know everything then.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “It won’t be pretty, Griff. Not with the mood I’m in.”

“I’m behind you one hundred percent, brother. Whatever you need from me, you have.”

He eyed me. “I always said the day you joined Storm was a good day. If there’s one member whose loyalty has never been questioned, it’s you.”

I fought to hold his gaze as a sense of unease slid through me. All I could hope was that my loyalty never would be questioned. Storm was my chosen family now and I would fight till my death for family, regardless of what they might think if my past was exposed.

* * *

I arrived at my usual drinking spot around eight that night, and chose a quiet table in the corner instead of my seat at the bar. The waitress came to take my order and I ensured she would just keep the drinks coming. I’d need them tonight.

Leaning back in my seat, my thoughts drifted to Sophia. She’d been upset with me when I’d dropped her back at her house yesterday afternoon, and I didn’t blame her, but it didn’t mean my stance had changed. And I’d been more than okay with her being upset with me; it made it easier to keep my distance.

Who the hell are you kidding?

I took a long swallow of my drink. Fuck, I wanted her in a way I’d never wanted a woman. Not even Charlene. Sophia was the kind of woman who gave a man hope he could do better and be better. Her lightness shone all over my darkness, and sometimes, even if only for a sliver of time, she made me feel like a good man. And I hadn’t felt like a good man in far too long.

My phone rang, distracting me from my thoughts.

Danny.

“Evening,” I greeted him.

“Fuck, Michael, what the hell are you doing?”

Time to tread carefully – one never knew when someone was recording a conversation. “Sitting in a bar minding my own business.”

“Don’t give me that shit. You know what the hell I’m talking about.”

“Get to the point, Danny.”

“My point is that this changes nothing except for the fact it has stirred up the Bond family. They’re calling for retribution and that’s gonna cause me and my buddies more headaches that we don’t have time for.”

“I gave you an alternative suggestion the other night.”

“There’s no way Bond is walking out of prison. I’ve worked too damn hard for that to be an option. As far as I’m concerned, he’ll rot in there for all the crimes he has committed.”

“I’d say this conversation is done then.”

“Yeah, it is,” he agreed and hung up.

As I placed my phone on the table, I had a different thought to the one he’d just expressed. This might not have changed anything on his end, but it had proven to me that the Bond family wasn’t as untouchable as they liked to think they were. If need be in the future, I had the knowledge and tools to stand my ground with them. And I was pretty fucking sure that if the trial went ahead, I’d need every available weapon I could find to go up against them.

I took another long swallow of my drink and assessed the bar tonight. Not too busy, but it was Boxing Day. As I looked around, a woman across the room smiled at me and raised her glass. She looked to be either my age or a little older, with blonde hair that was a shade just a little too white for my liking. Her clothing was all tight and skimpy in a way that did nothing for me. I shifted my attention from her and kept eyeing the room, however a minute or so later, she joined me.

Sliding into the seat across from me, she purred, “Hello, sexy. I couldn’t not come and say hi after we just had that moment.”

Raising my brows, I asked, “Is that what you call a moment?”

“Yeah, isn’t it what you would call a moment?”

Fuck. I wasn’t even sure what the hell a moment was. “I’ve never had a moment to know what I’d call one.”

She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Well, hell, I’d be more than happy to give you a few moments.”

All this fucking talk of moments was making me irritable. “I’m right, thanks.”

“How about I buy us a drink and we can get to know each other?”

“I’m not interested in getting to know anyone.” I hated to be a prick like this, but some women didn’t know how to take no for an answer so I’d learnt the best way was to piss them off.

She gave me a huge smile, and I knew this was going to be drawn out. This woman was the kind who never got the message. “Never met a man who I couldn’t make mine for the night, and I’m not starting tonight. I’ll get us a drink and you’ll see how good I can make it for you.”

I stood. “No need. I was just leaving,” I announced and made a move to leave.

“Really? You’re not even gonna give me a chance?”

“It’s not you, babe. I’ve got a woman who I can’t get off my mind, so I’m going to say no and let you find a man who is right for you. That man isn’t me.”