Page 74 of Bolt's Flame

She straightened up, wiping her hands on her jeans as she reached for her phone. But before she could dial, a sound in the distance made me freeze. The low rumble of motorcycles.

“Brenda...?”

She looked up, her brow furrowed, and I saw the tension flicker across her face. The bikes were getting closer, and they weren’t the familiar sound of the club’s engines. These were different, how I would know that I don’t know, but I did.

They were rougher. Meaner.

“Get back in the car,” Brenda ordered, her voice sharp. Her phone was still in her hand, but her eyes were on the road, narrowing as the bikes came into view.

Three of them. Black and chrome with Dragon Fire cuts.

Panic flared in my chest as the bikes slowed, pulling up in front of us, blocking the road, a van pulling in behind them. Brenda stepped forward, putting herself between me and the men as they dismounted, each one of them towering over us like they owned the damn world.

“Look what we got here,” one of them sneered, his eyes locking on me. “You two sweet ladies need some help?”

Brenda didn’t flinch. “You assholes lost or somethin’?”

The man who seemed to be in charge, a tall guy with a big jagged scar running down his cheek, took a step forward, his eyes flicking between me and Brenda. “We’re exactly where we need to be.”

“Yeah? Well, you better turn those sorry asses around before you regret it,” Brenda shot back, crossing her arms over her chest like she wasn’t standing in front of three armed bikers from a rival club. “You don’t wanna mess with The Devil’s House property.”

The man grinned, but it was a cold, dangerous kind of smile. “Oh, I ain’t scared of your pussy club. This don’t involve you old lady. I’m here for her.” He jerked his chin toward me, and my blood ran cold.

Brenda took a step closer, her body tense like she was ready to fight. “You’re not takin’ her anywhere.”

“That so?” the guy said, his hand resting on the gun holstered under his cut. “Because her man made a deal. Drago gave him a lot of green to deliver her. Now it’s time to cash in.”

My heart pounded in my chest, fear choking me as I stood behind Brenda. This couldn’t be happening. James was gone and I still might die because of him. He had been a pawn, a piece in a bigger game with a bigger player, just like Bolt thought. And now this Drago was coming to collect.

Brenda stood her ground, her eyes narrowing. “You think I’m gonna let some two-bit piece of shit from Dragon scum take her? You’re dumber than you look.”

The guy’s smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating look. “This isn’t about what you’re gonna ‘let’ happen. This is business, and I suggest you step aside before things get uglier than they need to be.”

I could feel my hands shaking, but Brenda didn’t budge. She didn’t even blink. “The only thing that’s gonna get uglier is your face if you take one more step toward her.”

“Brenda—” I whispered, fear clawing at me.

“Shut it, Fiona,” she shot back, her eyes never leaving the men. “I got this.”

But the truth was, we were no match for these men. My mind raced, trying to think of a way out, but the road was empty, and there was no help in sight. My phone was in the car and out of reach.

The leader took another step forward, his hand tightening on his gun. “Last chance, lady. You can walk away, or we can do this the hard way.”

Brenda’s mouth twisted into a smirk. “You wanna do it the hard way? Fine by me.”

Before the man could react, Brenda swung her fist, connecting hard with his jaw. The crack echoed in the air, and he stumbled back in surprise, cursing. But the other two men were already moving in, one of them grabbing Brenda and slamming her against the car.

“No!” I screamed, rushing forward, but one of the other men grabbed me, his arms locking around me like a vise.

Brenda struggled, kicking and cursing as the guy pinned her down, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. “Let me go, you sons of bitches!”

But I could see the desperation in her eyes. She was tough, but this wasn’t a fair fight. And we both knew it.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

WE WERE ALREADYhalfway to the clubhouse whenthe call came in. Thunder’s voice crackled over the comm, tense and urgent. “Bolt, Devil—we got a problem. Fiona and Brenda’s car broke down, and they’re in trouble.”

My blood ran cold. I didn’t need to hear the rest. “Where are they?”