Page 16 of Twisted Steel

His jaw flexes.“The men watching your station weren’t mine.”

My stomach tightens.There it is again.That calm, brutal delivery that makes fear feel less like panic and more like fact.

“Who were they?”I ask.

“Men employed by the Broken Vultures.”

Milo whispers, “Jesus.”

I know enough about Vegas to know the name.They are a one-percenter motorcycle club made up of bad men who make other bad men look civilized.We scrape their victims off the asphalt sometimes, and nobody says their name loudly in emergency rooms.

I fold my arms, mostly so Steel can’t see my hands curl.“Why would they watch me?”

Steel’s eyes hold mine.“Because you treated a Sons of Sin member.”

“I treated a patient.”I correct.

“They won’t care,” he replies.

“I didn’t ask them to care.”

“That won’t make a difference, and I know you’re smart enough to understand that.”

My temper flares because it’s better than fear.“You people are unbelievable.You bleed in public, drag normal people into your violence, and then act like the rest of us should be grateful when you show up with your warnings and your big scary shadows.”

Milo mutters, “I mean, he is a very big shadow.”

“Milo.”I hiss.

“Sorry.”

Steel doesn’t move, doesn’t argue, and doesn’t defend himself.That’s somehow worse.

“You’re right,” he says, and the words slap the anger right out of my mouth.

I stare at him, and he looks back without flinching.“You didn’t ask for this.”

“No,” I say, sharper than I mean to.“I didn’t.”

“But you’re in it.”

“Because of you.”

His face shuts down.Just a fraction, but that’s enough for me to see it and hate myself for noticing.

“Because of the club,” he corrects.

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No.”Something in his voice makes me pause.

Steel is violent.I know that.I knew it the moment I saw him standing over blood with a gun in his hand, issuing orders like judgment.But right now, there’s something else under the violence.Something carved deep and old.Loyalty.

That might be worse.A man who loves nothing is dangerous.A man who loves one thing enough to kill for it is catastrophic.

Milo shifts.“Harper, maybe we should go up.Lock the door.Pretend our lives are normal.”

“My life was normal yesterday.”