Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
“Yeah,” he murmurs, stroking some hair off my forehead. “She is.”
Then everything goes black.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS ARE a blur.
I am in and out, dosed up on pain meds. There is no damage to the outside of my body aside from a couple of bruises, but the inside is a whole other story. Every movement hurts, and with each passing hour, I feel like I’m getting stiffer and stiffer.
Kael is by my side every second.
Until he isn’t.
I don’t know when it changes, or why, I just know it does.
He is called for Church, where they need to discuss something serious. When he returns, something isn’t right. He’s distant and agitated, his eyes raking over me with something I haven’t seen before—distrust. Maybe it’s the drugs, or maybe I’m just being too sensitive, but something does not feel right.
“Get up,” he says, his voice isn’t hard, but it isn’t soft either.
He is standing in the doorway, arms crossed. I do ask he asks, confused.
“Is everything okay?” I whisper.
“Just get up.”
Something is wrong.
I move slowly. He waits until my feet hit the floor before turning and heading out, and I have no choice but to follow. I want to reach for his hand, but it hangs at his side, fisted so tightly I can see the veins straining under his skin. The clubhouse is full of men. Not regular faces. I can’t name most of them, these new shadows lurking in the doorways, but each one narrows in on me, their stares heavy, unblinking.
Kael leads me past the bar to the room they use for Church, the only space in the club that is out of bounds to anyone but the club. It consists of long, wooden table, mismatched chairs, and memorabilia all over the walls. Wolfe is at the head of the table, cigarette in hand, watching as we walk in. Around him, the table is full, a wall of men, silent. I try to sit, but Kael steers me to the single chair at the table’s end, then stands behind me with his arms folded.
I am shaking but I try not to let it show.
I don’t know what the hell is going on.
Wolfe meets my gaze. “You know why you’re here?”
I shake my head.
Wolfe narrows his eyes. “You sure about that?”
My teeth hurt from clenching. “Can you please tell me what the hell is going on?”
He leans in, elbows on the table. “We had no problems, then you came in and the cops find out our location, we get raided, the warehouse blows, and men enter our club while we aren’t here. Ain’t never had anything like that happen. Care to tell me how you fit into all of that?”
I feel it now, a sick heaviness in my belly. “You think I’m a rat.” I manage to keep my voice steady, even though the ground under me is crumbling.
He blinks, once. “You tell us.”
I stare at him, then at Kael. Kael can’t even look at me.
I want to scream, but all I can do is dig my nails into my palms, hot wetness burning at the corners of my eyes. “If I was a rat, why would I have let you know the police were coming? Why would I have let myself get beat up? That makes no sense.”
Knox, from down the table, laughs, a sound with no humor in it. “It makes perfect sense. Makes you look loyal. Makes us trust you.”
I shake my head, the world jarring. My throat closes. “I would never ...”
“Club voted.” Wolfe’s voice cuts right through me. “We’re not taking chances. You’re going into lockdown until we sort this out.”
I lurch out of my chair. “Kael.” My voice breaks now, shatters on his name. “You know me. You know I wouldn’t do that.”
But he won’t look at me. He stands there, arms folded, head turned away, jaw locked so tight I think he might snap.
“Fuck you,” I spit in his direction. “I trusted you.”
I start for the door but Talon is there, hand on my shoulder, guiding me away. I jerk away. “I can fucking walk on my own.”
Zane follows us, a shadow at my back. The hallway shrinks with each step, the faces on the walls a blur. I’m so hurt my chest feels like it might cave in on itself. Tears are rolling down my cheeks. I have never felt something so bitter in all my life. They steer me to a small locked room at the back of the clubhouse. It has enough, a small bed, bathroom and a desk. The window is barred, but at least it opens.
“What the hell?”
It’s Mera’s voice, loud and piercing.
I see her stop behind Zane and her arms are crossed over her chest.
“Not your concern,” Talon grinds out.
Zane doesn’t look at her.
“Fucked if it’s not my concern. What the hell are you locking her in there for? She is injured.”