DaxI wasn’t worried when Sofia had been gone for three hours. An hour to Globe and an hour back meant she hit the county office, dropped the papers, maybe talked to someone there for a short time, and then filled up her car before hitting the road again. It was after the fourth hour that I began to worry. Now it’s after six in the evening and the county offices are closed.I can’t sit still, so I’m pacing in the front room of the clubhouse. All but a few of the brothers are here. We were celebrating a second chance to put our plans in motion. Now everyone’s mostly quiet. No one says she took off, but I know they’re thinking it.I’m a stupid fuck.“This is bullshit, that girl hasn’t left us high and dry,” Red finally grinds out. “You’re all assholes for even thinking it.”I stop and turn around. “Hell. She should be here.”Red stands and faces me. “What about a car accident? Have you thought of that?”I bring my hand over my stubby crop of hair in frustration. “It’s not exactly an acc

SofiaThe pain proves I’m alive. Dagger’s voice keeps me that way. He tells me I’m in the hospital. He tells me he loves me. I can’t open my eyes and I can’t feel my body. It scares me. I focus on my feet and move them a few inches.“Relax, princess.” He’s holding my hand. “You have bandages on your face and covering one eye. Your other is still swollen shut. I’ve got you. The doctors and nurses are wonderful and they’ve taken good care of you.”I focus some more and squeeze his fingers.I hear another voice, a woman. “We can give you more pain medicine if you need it. Let’s try one finger for yes and two for no.”Dagger releases my hand and I concentrate. Two for no. My brain finally connects to two fingers and I move them.“I think she needs the medicine,” Dagger says.“We’ll give her a little time and then give the injection. She understands what we’re asking and that’s the main thing. Let her judge her pain.”Dagger’s rough skin wraps around my hand again. “That nurse is as stubbo

SofiaI’m a horrible patient. Dagger bought a car with really good air conditioning to replace mine and he’s driving me to another medical appointment. The oral surgeon is removing the wires from my jaw today. I’m so relieved. They’ve had me on anti-nausea medication because of the pregnancy and the possibility of throwing up. It makes me drowsy and I hate it. I’m also tired of eating from a straw.My man’s cock hasn’t been down my throat since the accident. This does not improve my mood. Dagger refuses to touch me in any way until the doctor gives the all clear. Yeah, that doesn’t improve my mood either. If the oral surgeon can’t give the go-ahead, Dagger will be driving me back to the hospital so I can find the surgeon who removed the bullet. Someone will give the all clear for sex today or someone will die.I’m also tired of everyone treating me like the princess they call me. Fuck that shit. I’m going to punch someone. Having the wires removed is no fun and my jaw aches like a mot

LincolnI’m exhausted. Ten straight days of double shifts with no end in sight. We have two dead women identified as known prostitutes and I’m worried there will be more. Standing from my desk, I stretch and try to alleviate the pain in my middle back from writing this damned report for more than three hours. My joints pop as I bend. I’m getting too old for this and I’m only thirty-two.If anyone told me when I signed up to catch bad guys that being a cop consisted of eighty percent report writing, ten percent putting up with political bullshit, and ten percent catching bad guys, I would have decided on tree trimming. I come from a long line of men in law enforcement and they omitted a few details about this job.I stare down at the words in my report from my standing position.Victim: Maddy HilcoxGender: femaleDate of Birth: 07/24/1993Age: 23Occupation: ProstitutionVictim: homicide, aggravated assault, sexual assaultNotes: ritualistic knife woundsI have another similar report

LincolnI call the judge as soon as I have reception. He can’t make it in until the next morning so Shelby Ryan is stuck overnight in county lockup. I walk up to her front door, tip the flower pot on the front porch, and sure enough, there’s her key.We don’t live in the greatest neighborhood. Not that it’s high crime but the small Albuquerque suburb of duplex homes is also not crime free. A loud “Woof” comes from the other side of the door. I left my gun at home in case I’m tempted to shoot the dog. I use the key and push open the door with both arms ready to save my manhood. The interior is cool, stupid woman leaves her air running on high for a dog.One hundred and forty pounds of ugly mutt hits me as soon as I take a step inside. His tongue slathers my face and sure enough his curly haired body begins the writhing motion of a dog trying to increase the size of his pack.The first time I had an intimate encounter with Daisy, he almost took me to the ground during his sexual assault