Wren shook her head. "She wouldn't tell me much. Just that somebody from her past found her." Hulk didn't like the sound of that—not one damn bit. Before he could ask another question, the clubhouse door swung open and a blast of freezing air swept through the room. His attention shifted automatically, and then he froze. Leah stood in the doorway as snowflakes clung to her dark hair. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, and she had a heavy winter coat wrapped around her small frame. For onebrief second, Hulk forgot how to breathe, and then he noticed her expression—fear, real fear. His stomach dropped because Leah wasn't the type to scare easily. Something was wrong.
The moment she spotted him, relief flooded her face. Without hesitation, she crossed the room and moved straight toward him. Conversation around the clubhouse began to fade. Even his brothers noticed the tension. Leah stopped directly in front of him, and he noticed that her hands were shaking. That alone told him how serious this was.
"Hulk,” she breathed.
His pulse thundered. "What happened?" For a moment, she simply stared at him. Then she grabbed the front of his leather kutte and the contact sent a jolt through him.
"I need help,” she whispered. Three simple words, but the fear in her voice hit harder than any punch he'd ever taken. In that moment, Hulk knew one thing for certain—whoever had put that fear in Leah Sinclair's eyes was about to learn exactly why the Kings of Anarchy made him their enforcer.
The second Leah grabbed his kutte, every protective instinct Hulk possessed roared to life. The clubhouse disappeared along with the loud music, conversations, and laughter. None of it mattered. All he could see was Leah—the fear in her eyes, the tremble in her hands, and the way she was looking at him like he was the only person who could fix whatever had gone wrong. That realization hit harder than it should have.
"Hulk.” Her voice cracked, and something ugly settled in his chest. It was the kind of anger that usually ended with someone bleeding.
"Come here,” he ordered. The words came out rougher than he'd intended. Without thinking, he guided her toward one of the empty tables near the back of the room. Buck was already following them, and so was Gorgon. Their Prez appeared beside them with his wife, Kimi, by his side. Wren joined them, and the concern on her face was palpable.
"What happened?" Gorgon asked.
Leah swallowed hard. "I got a package." Hulk pulled out a chair for her, and she sat immediately, which was a sure sign she was rattled. Normally, Leah would have argued about being fussed over.
"What kind of package?" Wren asked softly. Leah reached into her purse, as her hands shook, and she pulled out a large manila envelope. The sight of it made Hulk's skin crawl. She slid it across the table, and Gorgon opened it. His expression darkened instantly before handing it to Buck. He muttered a curse before Hulk took the envelope from him. The first photograph nearly shattered what little patience he had left. It was Leah walking into her office. Another photo showed her leaving a grocery store. And a third photo had been taken outside her apartment building. Hulk could tell that the newest picture had been taken yesterday from the timestamp in the corner. Someone had been watching her for a while now.
His grip tightened until the photograph crumpled. "What else?" Leah flinched, and the movement punched him right in the gut. It wasn’t because she feared him but because she was scared enough to jump at everything.
"There was a note,” she admitted. Buck pulled it from the envelope when she handed it over, and the room went silent as he read it. When he finally set it down, Hulk snatched it. There were three simple words.
I FOUND YOU.
Something inside him snapped, and he pounded the table. It groaned as the wood cracked beneath his hand. Nobody commented because they'd all seen him break things before—just usually not over a woman.
"Hulk," Gorgon warned.
He forced himself to breathe. "Who sent it?"
Leah shook her head. "I don't know."
"You have an idea, though, don’t you?” Hulk asked. The words slipped out before he could stop them, and Leah looked away. That answer was enough for him. "Fuck,” he growled.
Wren sat beside her, holding her friend’s hand. "Tell us who sent this to you, Leah,” she said.
For several seconds, Leah stared at the photographs but finally spoke. "My ex." The room went completely silent, and Buck leaned back in his chair.
"Tell me about him,” Hulk insisted.
Leah closed her eyes. "My name wasn't Leah Sinclair back then." That seemed to get everyone’s attention.
"What was it?" Wren asked.
"Leah Beaumont." Hulk committed it to memory immediately. He was determined to remember every detail, every word, and Leah’s every breath, because this mattered—she mattered.
"I lived in Saskatoon,” she continued. Her voice sounded distant now, like she was reliving it. "I met Derek when I was twenty-one." Hulk already hated the man, and he didn't even know what he'd done yet.
"He was charming,” Leah insisted. That made Buck snort, because everyone knew how these stories started. "He owned several businesses, had money, and connections."
"Was he a criminal?" Gorgon asked.
Leah laughed bitterly as she nodded her head. "Eventually, I learned that." Hulk's jaw tightened, but he stayed quiet. "Hecontrolled everything," she continued quietly. "Where I went. Who I talked to. What I wore."
The anger in Hulk's chest grew. "He hit you." It wasn't a question. Leah's eyes found his, and he had his answer. The room suddenly felt too small, too hot, and way too crowded. Hulk pushed back from the table as his chair nearly toppled to the floor.