Page 27 of His Loyal Rebel

"You need to go back to your club. I'll go back to work and never see you again. This has gone too far. Big isn't going to hurt me. And if he tries to contact me, I'll call the police." She lowered her voice. "I'll be fine."

"You're no match against him if he comes after you."

Her throat closed, touched by his offer to protect her. She never asked him to look out for her, but here he was, offering to take care of her, despite the risk to his freedom. In that second, she softened toward him.

He might not be attracted to her after their one little tryst, but he'd make a good friend.

She hadn't had many people in her life that she trusted. Most were fair-weather friends, and while she enjoyed hanging out with them, she wouldn't trust them with her life.

"Besides going to work, I'd be at the house. I can lock the doors and make sure he can't catch me outside or alone." She squared her shoulders. "Despite what you think, I can take care of myself, Whip."

They should've had that conversation before leaving her house. She was caught up in her lust for him and then her anger. She should've made it clear that she wasn't prone to run off her emotions all the time.

Of course, that's all he'd seen of her. First her temper with Big and then practically begging him to keep licking her that morning on the couch.

"Really. I'll be fine." She leaned closer. "You need to take care of yourself and your club. Nobody needs to get hurt."

He frowned. She squeezed his arm.

"I'm not your responsibility, Whip," she whispered. "Big has the cops after you because he's a jerk. Go take care of yourself."

When he kept studying her, looking as if he would argue, she walked away from him and his MC brothers. She wanted to leave and go back to the house in Missoula.

Inside the cabin, she climbed the ladder into the loft and gathered her bag with her essentials in it. All she had to do was grab her clothes that hung outside, and she would be ready to go.

Once she had everything sitting in the bag by the door, she looked out the window. The bikers continued to talk with Whip. She couldn't hear the conversation, but she hoped Whip let them know that they could let her go on with her life and not worry about Big coming after them.

It was probably for the best that she knew nothing else about their plans. She wanted no part in anyone going after Big. She wanted to walk away and put everything in her past.

She stepped away from the window and paced the small room. Once she got back to the house, she'd call Amy, her supervisor at work, and let her know she'd be able to pick up her after-dinner hours at Mama Jean's Pie Shoppe.

Chapter 11

Whip

A pillow sailed down from the loft. Whip leaned to the side, letting Twyla's weapon fall to the floor. Sitting at the small table by the front door, he continued to shuffle the deck of cards he had yet to do anything with since the other Tarkio members left.