Ice walked away so Deacon’s cries for help didn’t keep him from hearing what Snake was saying.

“She’s out walking, trying to find that little dog of hers. He got out about an hour ago. Raft’s trying to look for it without her seeing him.” Snake broke off. Ice could hear him in the background. “Fuck, fuck.”

“What’s going on?” Ice yelled into the cell phone.

Snake came back on. “She almost got hit by a car, chasing after it when it darted out in the street. It disappeared into another neighborhood.”

“Go help her catch the little shit. If something happens to her, you’re dead!” Ice commanded.

“You told us not to let her see us. If we help, she’ll know.”

“I don’t give a fuck. I’ll deal with that later. I’m on my way.” Ice disconnected the call then strode back to Jackal and Max who were playing with Deacon by swinging him back and forth between them.

“Watch out, he’s going to blow.” Max laughed, stepping back as Deacon’s vomit joined the blood on the floor.

“I have to go. Can you two handle it?” Ice asked.

“Yeah, go ahead and leave. Me and Jackal got this.”

“Later.”

Ice rushed from the building going to his bike, which a recruit had already dropped off. Climbing on and turning on the motor in one fluid move, Ice rode out of the garage, barely slowing down for the guard to run and open the gate.

He pulled in front of Grace’s house just as it was beginning to get dark. She was sitting on her front doorstep, crying. He had passed both Raft and Snake still looking for the dog.

After Ice got off his bike, he went to Grace, sitting down beside her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

“I can’t find Bear. My washer broke and the repairman left the door open when he went out to his truck to get a part. I didn’t know. I was in the kitchen.” Tears spilled down her cheeks.

“Baby, we’ll find him. Now go inside and make us something to eat.”

“I can help—”

“Go inside. Look at me, Grace.”

Grace turned her tear-streaked face up toward him.

“I’ll find him.”

“Okay, I’ll go fix you, Raft, and Snake something to eat.” Grace got to her feet, brushing down her skirt. She was about to go inside when she turned back to Ice. “After you find Bear, we’re going to talk about your men being here.”

“Kind of figured that one was coming,” Ice told her, moving off through her yard.

They searched for over an hour for the little shit, catching sight of him a couple of times, but he always managed to dart away from them. Ice thought he had seen him run to a backyard, going underneath the fence. He considered climbing over the low fence, but he really didn’t feel like dealing with the cops when the homeowner called the police.

He knocked on the front door and a tiny, old woman answered. Ice was amazed she had opened her door to him. He was wearing faded and worn jeans with a long, black-sleeved muscle shirt with his cut on over it.

She stared at him from his boots to his long hair.

“Can I help you?” Her frail voice wobbled as she asked.

“My old lady’s dog got loose. We saw him run in your backyard. Would you mind if I go back there to find it?”

Ice waited for her refusal. The little shit was probably already gone anyway.

Snake and Raft came to stand in her front yard, waiting for her approval.

“That’s fine. Give me a second, and I’ll get the key to unlock the fence.” The woman left her door open as she went back inside her home for the key.

Ice just shook his head at the woman’s lack of safety measures.

She returned with the key, handing it to him.

“Thank you. I’ll bring it right back.” Ice went to unlock the padlock.

“Search the backyard while I take the key back to her,” he directed his men.

Snake and Raft both went inside the backyard while Ice went back to the porch, handing the old woman the key.

“Thanks, my ol—my girlfriend is attached to the little sh—dog.”

“You’re welcome. What does it look like?” Her tired grey eyes were twinkling in amusement, looking down.

“A little brown dot of…” Ice had to keep cutting himself off, trying at least not to come off as a complete jackass. Suddenly, Ice felt a wet tongue on his fingers. Looking down, he saw the dot licking them.

“Seems he found you.” The woman’s laugh turned into a bad cough.

Ice steadied her until she stopped. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She brushed off his concern. “You better get your girlfriend’s dog home. I’m sure she’s worried sick.”

Ice bent over, picking the dot up and expecting to be bitten any second; instead, the dog licked the side of his face. Putting the dot under his arm like a football, he turned to leave, but before he left, he had to warn the old woman.

“You really shouldn’t open your door to strangers or leave your door open. It isn’t safe. There’s a lot of bad people out here who are not only mean, but evil and wouldn’t hesitate to hurt you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She gave him a sad smile as she went inside.

He shook his head when he didn’t hear her lock the door behind her.

“Did you lock the fence back?” Ice asked his men.

“Yeah.”

As Raft and Snake stared at the dot under his arm with animosity, Ice gripped it tighter. “You can both head back to the clubhouse. Take a couple of days off. You deserve it.”

Ice heard their bikes leaving as he went inside Grace’s house. She came running around the corner when she heard the door open.

“Bear!” she squealed in joy, practically ripping the dog away from him. “You bad boy. You know better. You scared me to death.”

“Nearly got you hit by a car,” Ice chimed in.

“That wasn’t his fault, it was mine.”

“If he hadn’t run out of the house, you wouldn’t have been outside in the middle of the fucking road,” Ice corrected her.

“He didn’t know that was going to happen!” she snapped. “Bear, want a treat?”

“No treat.” Ice told her, taking the dog firmly away from her and setting it on the floor.

“Where did you find him?”

“At an old woman’s house at the end of the street.”

“That’s Merry. She lives with her grandson. She’s really sweet, but there’s something strange about her grandson.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. I used to talk to her when I was outside mowing the lawn, but she doesn’t come out as much anymore. I think she’s been ill.” Grace had just sat Bear down and begun playing with him when Daisy came into the room, licking her friend in greeting.

“Food, woman, now.”

“All right.” Grace gave in, going to the kitchen. “I thought Snake and Raft were going to come inside and eat before they left.”

“I told them they could leave for the safety of your dog. Besides, I’m hungry enough to eat it all myself. I haven’t eaten since last night.”