Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39473 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
The anger was bad enough, but the guilt dug deeper. As secretary, prospects were part of my responsibility. I was supposed to protect the Kings from exactly this kind of fuckup, and instead, I’d been the one who brought Tripp into our world. I’d vouched for him and helped open the door he’d walked through with a lie tucked under his cut.
The confirmed truth burning through every suspicion I’d tried to hold at a distance. The clubhouse felt different around me now, every familiar sound heightened by the weight of what I knew. But all of it seemed distant beneath the roar of anger in my blood.
I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Kane.
Me
Need to talk. ASAP.
The reply came a few seconds later.
Prez
Office.
I shoved the phone back into my pocket and started down the hallway, my side aching with every step and my jaw locked tight enough to make my teeth hurt. I didn’t know what would happen once I put the phone on Kane’s desk and told him exactly what Jax had found, but I knew one thing for damn sure. Tripp’s days were numbered. He might not lose his life, but I’d make damn fucking sure he regretted every moment of his lie.
2
BLITZ
Edge and Kane were already waiting in Kane’s office by the time I stepped inside. The heavy oak door closed solidly behind me, and I immediately felt the weight of their attention as I crossed the familiar room. Kane sat behind his massive walnut desk, seeing far more than he revealed. Edge leaned against the wall nearby, flipping a knife idly between his fingers, his green eyes locked firmly on me, and his movie star-worthy smile nowhere to be seen.
I drew a slow breath, forcing myself to keep calm as I took the empty chair across from Kane. Without preamble, I laid everything out clearly. Each detail about Tripp’s betrayal was carefully outlined, concise yet thorough enough that they fully understood the gravity of the situation.
“The FBI must have created a background for him that was mostly true so that he wouldn’t have to lie as much. Or more likely, because they knew that if Jax started pulling at a thread, it wasn’t gonna hold up to his skill. Probably only removed the shit that pointed to a career in law enforcement.”
Edge’s hand tightened slightly around the handle of his knife, the blade glinting under the office lights. His voice carried a lethal edge beneath the dry humor. “The fucker played us all this time. I say we gut him and dump him in the Everglades.”
Kane cut a look of silent warning in his direction, but Edge just shrugged and smirked. Kane shifted his gaze back to me, watching me with a calm intensity that made even the strongest men want to shift uneasily in their seats.
“He needs to go. Scar him and cut him loose. Make sure he never fucking shows his face around here again.”
“I get where you’re coming from.” I held Kane’s gaze. “But we need leverage first. Prospects don’t know club secrets, but they still see enough to be dangerous if they want to cause problems. We need to be sure Tripp won’t bring shit to our doorstep.”
Kane leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. Edge continued flipping his knife quietly, clearly wanting more immediate justice, but he stayed silent as his brother considered the point.
“You have a plan in mind?” Kane finally asked, his probing gaze never wavering from mine.
I hesitated just for a moment. The Redline Kings were my family, and he’d played on my trust, mocking the very loyalty we lived and died by. This was personal, and it had already rooted itself too deep inside me to ignore.
I wasn’t ready to share the rough plan starting to develop in my head with them fully, though. Kane would likely shut it down immediately. And if he didn’t, Savannah would hand both of us our asses when she found out. But I needed to handle this my way.
“It’s my fuckup,” I explained. “I brought Tripp in and vouched for him. Trusted him. I need to be the one to deal with this directly. Let me handle it.”
Kane studied me carefully for another long moment. “Blitz, you can’t rake yourself over the coals forever on this. You see damn near everything, but you’re still human. You trusted someone. Wanting to see the best in your friend doesn’t make you weak. It makes you loyal, and it makes you human.”
I nodded, though the guilt still lingered beneath the surface. Kane was trying to pull me back from the brink, reminding me not to drown myself in blame. I appreciated it, even if I wasn’t fully ready to accept his words yet.
Finally, Kane leaned back again in his chair. “All right. You handle it your way. For now.”