IRE

I stood in the glittering lo

ple, backles

ack pantsuit, playing th

from out of town, thanks to a few seconds of a secu

eked of perf

ed seating card

teve backstage fo

k to the bal

, strong rhythm as I a

ct mask, hiding all t

ess about to

or doors c

lready o

head down, tryin

e closing, a hand sho

ther glove, all sharp

ntered, leaning

seemed to giv

in, the light chatte

urned thi

e lock onto him, a mi

into th

a glanc

t underneath, I could see the collar of a b

he hadn't taken o

t jacket, had "Iron Serpents MC" and

ing his identi

ing over everyone in the elevator l

on me, it paused for

tant, I fel

in pr

t they held a probing heat that see

iately, my heart kickin

sident of the Iron Serpents, the tr

blurry photos of hi

ce, the only sound the soft tap...

the frantic be

d smel

ething else... a clean, c

dare look

y black heels, feeling th

ed, arriving at t

ed out as if granted a pard

erson di

e waiting for

e of his silence,

ed pas

ble, sounded right beside my ear, so

gan

tered, but I

n't a

y fled down

es on my back until

vice alcove, pressing my back flat against the

e slick with

possibly kn

dread crawled up t

ied al

in Coyote Creek

en girl who barely registered in local memory, compl

ticket in cash, booked the motel under an alias, and used Ste

loom jewelry or carrying anything

ntentionally minimal and muted, and half my fa

every inch of me, wouldn't h

n hadn't hesitat

family's bloodline in a whisper that sounded less

s watching the

acked Steve's

keeping tabs on the Morgan name long

nt a tremor th

y mind: Leo bragging about scheming against

personal vendetta might be colliding head-on with a

rcing the rising panic down i

s, C

ing at

target toni

my nerve shatter before

dress, wiped my damp palms

son's angle was, th

ballroom entrance, a heavy, suff

every piece on the board-and unlike the Tuckers, he seeme