Page 5

Elizabeth

The ride to the casino is tense. Will’s anxiety is clear as his eyes focus on the road ahead. His brow is furrowed, his breathing rapid. His fingers are wrapped around the steering wheel so tight I wonder if he has any feeling left in his hands. The SUV’s engine roars as we speed through the Vegas streets. Adrenaline courses through my veins, my heart pounding as we get closer. It’s easy to see that even though Millie isn’t technically a club member, she means a lot to these people, and they’ll do anything they need to do to protect her.

I glance out my window at Sin, who is on his bike just ahead, leading the convoy. He appears completely at ease, as if the possibility of a confrontation doesn’t faze him at all. Somehow, his arrogance suits him. I guess that is why he is the president and why Will is still a prospect.

Chalk and cheese.

Sin is heading into this fight like he’s already won, and Will is losing his shit before we’ve even arrived. It’s interesting to watch from an outsider’s perspective.

“C’mon! Why is he riding so fucking slow?” Will grumbles under his breath, slamming his hand on the steering wheel in frustration.

Widening my eyes, I exhale and reach out, resting my hand on his forearm for comfort. “I’ve only been at the club a couple of days, Will. But from what I have studied about your president, I see that he does things for a reason.”

Will glances at me, fear clearly etched in his features. “Fuck, I know. It’s just… it’s Millie…” he hesitates, his nostrils flaring, then he turns back to face the road, his tone deflated.

Weakly smiling, I nod. “As I said, I haven’t been here long, but from what I have seen, I know that Sin is going to do everything he can to get her back and in one piece.”

Will lets out a long exhale. “Finally, we’re here,” he mumbles, totally ignoring what I just said. The bikes pull into a parking lot, and Will moves in behind them.

Sin dismounts his bike, his expression unreadable, while Will and I exit the SUV.

Sin gathers everyone together, keeping his voice low. “Remember, no hero shit.” He turns to Will, glaring at him. “I mean it, Will. I need you to keep your shit together. If you can’t, stay out here!”

Will simply nods. Rolling his shoulders. “I’m okay, Pres. I swear.”

Sin spins, his gorgeous eyes locking on mine. “Stay by me, do not wander off,” he warns, his voice low but firm.

“Sure thing, bossm—”

“I mean it, Elizabeth. This isn’t a fucking joke. You shouldn’t even be here.” The clear aggravation in his tone tells me he’s serious. The way the other brothers are staring at me like I am a liability hits me harder than I thought it would.

Shit.

Maybe I shouldn’t be here.

What the fuck are you doing?

“Maybe I should—”

“Let’s go!” Sin orders before I can even get my words out, his arm around me, pulling me with him, guarding me, protecting me.

The rest of the club surrounds us as we enter the bustling casino. The bright lights and chatter mask the tension simmering beneath the surface. Sin strides in as if he owns the place, the rest of the club members following closely behind. I walk beside him, trying to keep my nerves in check, though it feels as if a rollercoaster is wreaking havoc on my insides. It’s not hard to see the way the crowd parts for us and the wary looks people give Sin and his men. It’s clear that Defiance has a reputation and not just within their own circles.

“Ghost, track her cell,” Sin orders.

Ghost pulls out his cell, opens an app, and a pin flashes on his screen. He glances up, looking across the vast room, and points to a bathroom. “She’s in there.”

Will instantly exhales, his shoulders sagging that Millie’s still in the bathroom while the corner of Sin’s lips turns up. “Will, Deek, Koa… head on in and bring her out. We’ll stand outside and keep watch.”

Will doesn’t hesitate, taking off before the other two brothers have a second to match his pace. But they are quickly by his side as the three men enter the female bathroom.

I glance up at Sin while his eyes scan the casino floor. His posture shifts, his shoulders squaring as if waiting for an imminent attack. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?” I whisper.

His nostrils flare as he shifts me further behind him. “We’ve been spotted. I need those fuckers in there to hurry the hell up. Ghost, send Koa a message to get their asses out here ASAP. We gotta go.”

Ghost nods, sending the text as I follow Sin’s line of sight to where a group of men are watching us from across the casino floor. I swallow hard, feeling the tension around me rise as the men in crisp black suits start to cross the floor toward us.

“Fuck… brothers, get ready. Here they come. Wildcat, stay behind me,” Sin urges, pushing me behind him again, his large frame completely sheltering me from the men stalking toward us.

Sin throws his hand out for them to shake, a gesture of goodwill, his expression calm but his eyes cold. The leader of the group, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, steps forward, a smirk playing on his lips as he completely ignores Sin’s hand. “You lost something, Sin? Maybe the treaty guidelines on where you should and shouldn’t be? Need my consigliere to email you another copy? Maybe pin it to the clubhouse door so you can read it on your way out.”

Sin lets out a snort, withdrawing his unshaken hand. His eyes tell how annoyed he is at this guy’s mocking tone. “No need. Apologies for not notifying you of our arrival. We’re just here to take what’s ours,” Sin replies, his voice steady, an edge to his tone that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up to attention.

The two men stare each other down, the room seeming to grow quieter around us—the hostility in the air, the unspoken threat hanging between them. I stand just behind Sin, my heart pounding, not knowing how this is going to play out.

The man narrows his eyes on Sin. “And what on earth is here, on our turf, that could possibly belong to you?”

As if on cue, the bathroom door opens, Koa and Deek step out, their eyes wide, watching the standoff in front of them. A laughing Will and Millie walk out, arm in arm together, completely oblivious to the tension surrounding them.

“Oh, I see… welcome back, Amelia,” the Alliance member goads, catching Millie’s attention.

She gasps, spinning to him. Her body instantly reacts as she retreats straight into Will, holding onto him for dear life. “No… God, no! Sin, please don’t let them take me again. Please!”

The Alliance members chuckle to themselves as Sin takes a step away from me, my anxiety reaching a critical level now, seeing the undeniable fear in Millie’s eyes while Will comforts her.

Sin steps up to the scarred man, his eyes glaring into his enemy’s as he snarls. “We have a lot of eyes on us now, Lorenzo. Do you really want to start something in the middle of your casino, with everyone watching you? All we want is to take Millie and leave,” he requests.

One of Lorenzo’s men steps forward, almost snarling as he does, pushing past his boss to get right up into Sin’s face. His gaze is so intense as he stares Sin down. There’s something familiar about his eyes, but I don’t have a second to register what it is before he shoves Sin hard in the chest, forcing him to take a step back, bumping into me. “You think you can come onto our turf and not expect to pay a price?”

Sin steadies himself, rolling his shoulders.

My breathing hitches as the rest of the club brothers take a protective step forward to flank their president.

“You better keep your button man under control, Capo dei capi, or all these patrons in your establishment will soon see what the owners of this casino are really about. And I know you don’t want to lose your customers, especially if a fight were to break out… people could be injured, killed even, in your house. That’s a bad look for you, Lorenzo. Especially if we were to go on record saying we were merely here to collect an underage girl who was let in by your staff. She was dragged here by her friends and asked us to bring her home. Then it was your man, Dante, who started the fight when we simply wanted to take her and leave without a problem. You can see how that would look bad for you, right, Lorenzo?” Sin questions, but his tone is clearly mocking.

I try hard to keep the smile from forming on my face as Lorenzo pulls a clearly annoyed Dante away from Sin.

Lorenzo, the Capo of the Hidden Hand Alliance, sneers, but after a tense delay, he nods, letting out a frustrated huff. “Take her. But remember, Sin, this is our turf. Next time, there won’t be any talking.”

Sin’s jaw tightens, but he nods once, turning to Millie. “Let’s go.”

Will slides his arm protectively around Millie as he leads her in front of the group, her face still pale as she rushes to get away from a history I now really need to know more about.

“And Amelia,” Lorenzo calls out, but it only makes Millie walk faster. “I see you here again… I’ll pay a visit to your father. I think you understand what that means, don’t you, amore?”

Millie bursts into tears, only leaving me with even more questions. I follow them out, my heart still racing. As we move in a mad rush, Sin’s hand rests on my lower back, guiding me toward the exit. The touch is brief, but it sends a shiver down my spine. I know he’s doing it to keep me close, to make sure I don’t wander, but it feels oddly protective.

Once outside, Millie clings to Will, her face buried in his shoulder.

Sin turns to me, his eyes narrowing. “Get in the SUV. Now!” His tone demanding and firm.

I open my mouth to argue, but the desperate look in his eyes stops me. He’s clearly on edge, and after witnessing all that, I don’t want to push him. So, I simply nod, sliding into the vehicle without another word. Swallowing a nervous lump down my throat, I watch as Sin talks to his men, his expression serious. There’s something about the way he carries himself, the way the others look to him for guidance, that strikes me. He’s not just their leader—he’s their protector, the one they all trust to get them out alive.

I came to this club to get information. To build a story on how the club was reckless. How they didn’t care about its members. How they left their prospects to fend for themselves.

But that’s not what I’m seeing.

In fact, it is the exact opposite, and it throws everything I thought I was searching for out the window. The respect between the members is more than I could have ever experienced. The way they protect each other astounds me.

I honestly don’t know what to think.

Maybe the media does portray them all wrong?

Or maybe Sin is only showing me what he wants me to see.

Either way, I need to dig deeper because there is so much left to uncover, and if watching all this unfold with Millie is anything to go by, there are so many more stories to discover about Las Vegas Defiance. And I haven’t even started digging into what happened to my brother, Marcus, yet.

Will and Millie slide into the front seats, and Will starts the car. I sit back silently, listening as Millie talks to Will about her night prior to the girls taking her to the casino.

As we drive back to the clubhouse, the adrenaline slowly starts to fade, replaced by exhaustion. I glance out at Sin, his silhouette framed by the neon lights of the Vegas strip as he sits on top of his Harley, somehow making him look so much sexier at night. A part of me is starting to see beyond the president of the Defiance MC to the man beneath.

And that can only be dangerous.

I’m here to uncover the truth.

Maybe I’m getting too close.

Not to the truth, but to Sin.

My heart instantly skips a beat when I think the words.

Gnawing down on my bottom lip, Will pulls the SUV into the clubhouse lot, and I slowly slide out the back once we stop, leaving Will and Millie behind as I head for my car.

I need a moment to process everything that’s just happened.

But before I reach the car door, Sin pulls me aside. “You wanted to see how we handle things. Now you’ve seen it,” he offers, his voice low. “This is the life we live, Elizabeth. It’s not some game.”

I meet his gaze, my heart pounding, my brows furrowed at the seriousness of his tone. “I know it’s not a game,” I reply, my voice softer than intended. “But I also see the loyalty, the way you protect each other. That’s what people don’t understand,” I tell him honestly.

Sin studies me for a long moment, then nods. “You’re not as na?ve as I thought,” he states, a hint of respect in his tone. “But be careful… you keep pushing, and you might find yourself in a situation from which you can’t come back. I can only protect you if you let me, Elizabeth.” He takes a step back, running his fingers through his hair like he’s frustrated with me, then he turns, stomping away.

My stomach churns in the uncertainty of his words.

Does he know?

My breathing is frantic as I watch him leave, my mind racing. I’m in deeper than I planned, and I know it. But I can’t back down now—not when I’m finally starting to get close to the truth. Whatever it takes, I’m going to find out what happened to Marcus. And if that means getting closer to Sin, then so be it.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins, and I have to prod him for more information. I want to understand his mindset—the decisions he makes and the lines he’s willing to cross.

Panic rushes through me as Sin is about to enter the clubhouse.

I don’t want to let this go just yet—not for tonight anyway.

“Why didn’t you push back against them?” I yell across the lot, making Sin pause at the clubhouse doors. The group started to disperse, but with my question, they all stop, their eyes darting between their president and me.

Sin stops and turns to face me. His eyes narrow as he studies me. “You think every problem is solved by throwing punches, wildcat?”

I fold my arms, leaning back against my car. “I think if someone challenges you, you should stand your ground.”

Sin moves quickly, his thumping boots like lead weights storming against the concrete. The space between us narrowing until the heat of his body against mine is like a raging inferno. “I did stand my ground. My people are safe, and we walked out without anyone getting hurt, including civilians. That is what fucking matters!”

I hold his gaze, unwilling to look away, even though my heart pounds at his closeness. “So, it’s just about survival?”

Sin’s lips quirk up slightly, but there’s no humor in his eyes. “It’s always about survival, Elizabeth.” He reaches out and taps my forehead with two fingers, gentle but firm. “Remember that.”

I take a breath, trying to steady myself, but before I can respond, Sin turns back to his bike. He swings a leg over, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes glinting under the clubhouse lights in my direction. “You wanted a firsthand look at club life. Now get on the bike, Elizabeth.”

I blink like a deer in the headlights, my clit tingling instantly at how alpha and demanding that was.

So. Fucking. Sexy.

Snap out of it! You have a job to do.

“Excuse me? What are you trying to do? Sound like Rio from Good Girls?” I mock him, “Get on the bike, Elizabeth. Next, you’ll be trying to get me to clean money for you.” I laugh at my own joke.

But Sin stares at me blankly like I just spoke to him in some riddle. “Huh? I have no fucking clue what you just said, and as a club, we don’t and never have cleaned money, so I don’t know why the fuck you would suggest that—”

“No, I didn’t mean… oh for God’s sake, it’s a joke from a TV seri—”

“Get on the fucking bike, Elizabeth!” he demands, his eyes locked onto mine so fiercely that I have no choice but to obey him.

The idea of getting on a bike with Sin is both thrilling and terrifying. Which I think is what makes it so enticing. I take a deep breath, step forward, my hand resting on his shoulder, and swing my leg over the bike, settling in behind him. “Confession,” I whisper as I edge forward into him, not knowing where to put my arms.

He glances over his shoulder at me, his hands sliding out, grabbing my arms, pulling them around his waist. For some reason, it feels like I was always meant to be here. A soft chuckle escapes him as he grins at me. “You haven’t ridden on the back of a bike before.” It’s a statement, not a question, as he spoils my confession for me.

Exhaling, I hold him probably tighter than I should. “How did you know?”

He chuckles, facing back to the front. “A biker can always tell…” He starts the Harley, the engine roaring to life beneath me. A small gasp escapes my lungs as I cling even tighter to him. “You want to know what it’s like to be a part of the club? How can you get a true feel for it if you haven’t been on a bike? If you want to understand how we operate, you need to understand the adrenaline of feeling freedom. You won’t get it if you can’t feel it for yourself.” Sin looks back at me, his eyes filled with challenge. “Hold on, Elizabeth. And remember… this is my world. You’re merely visiting.”

He revs the engine, the bike’s vibrations thrumming through my body. The sensation is jarring at first, and then he takes off at breakneck speed, the wind whipping past me, sending my hair flying in all directions.

“Wait, I need a helmet,” I let out a scream I didn’t even know was going to come out, but there’s also something freeing about being rebellious. My heart races frantically as I let all my ambitions go and relax into it as my screams turn into a joyful laugh.

Sin’s chest jostles with his clear laughter, though I can’t hear it as we race through the city streets, weaving and ducking through the traffic. My breathing is fast, frantic even. My thighs squeeze tighter against Sin’s legs, just needing to be closer to him. My clit is throbbing, and I am not sure if it is from the thrill of being on the back of a bike, of being so close to Sin, or because I am breaking the rules.

Maybe it’s all of it combined.

Either way, I am on a high right now, and I can absolutely understand why the freedom of a bike is intoxicating.

The city blurs around us, neon lights flashing in my peripheral vision as we speed through the Vegas streets.

I focus on Sin—the strength in his back, the steady way he guides the bike through traffic, the controlled power in every movement. I try to convince myself that it’s just part of the job, and I’m here to gather information. But I can’t deny the way my heart races for reasons that have nothing to do with fear.

The engine’s roar drowns out my thoughts until we finally reach the outskirts of Vegas. The desert stretches out on either side of us, an endless expanse of darkness lit only by the dim glow of the moon.

My heart pounds frantically as Sin slows the bike, eventually pulling over to the side of the road. He kills the engine, and the sudden silence is almost deafening. I release my grip on him, but I don’t move, my pulse still pounding in my ears, my clit throbbing in a way it most definitely should not be.

“Why’d you stop?” I ask, my voice sounding small in the vast emptiness of the desert.

Sin turns slightly, his eyes meeting mine over his shoulder. “I wanted to show you something.” He dismounts the bike, extending a hand to help me off, my heels sinking slightly in the sand.

I take his hand, the warmth of his skin sending a jolt through me as I steady myself. I look around, confused. “What are we doing out here?”

Sin gestures to the horizon, where the lights of Vegas twinkle in the distance. His hand sinks into his jeans pocket, pulling out a poker chip as he shifts it with ease between his fingers. “This is what it’s about, Elizabeth. The freedom. The open road. Everything we fight for. It’s for moments like this. When you can look back at the shit you’ve been through and know you’re still standing... and that you have an entire brotherhood to stand right beside you.”

I peer out at the city, the lights flickering like a mirage. There’s something almost poetic about it, the idea of fighting for freedom in a place built on indulgence and illusion. I turn to Sin, my eyes searching his. “Is that what keeps you going? The freedom?”

Sin’s gaze shifts, his expression hardening slightly. “It’s part of it. But for me, it’s about family. It’s about making sure the people who stand beside me make it out alive.”

I swallow, my throat suddenly tight as I glance down at the poker chip still moving effortlessly through his fingers. “And that poker chip, does that have something to do with making deals with people like the Hidden Hand Alliance?”

Sin’s jaw clenches like I have hit a nerve. He instantly slides the chip back into his pocket and then takes a step closer to me. “The chip is none of your concern. And as for making deals, I don’t expect you to understand. You see things as right and wrong. Day and night. Cut and dry. But more often than not, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.”

I open my mouth to argue, to press more about the poker chip, but the words die on my lips as Sin reaches out, his fingers brushing my cheek. The touch is unexpected, soft, and it sends my heart into overdrive.

“You keep pushing, Elizabeth,” he murmurs, his voice low. “But you need to remember… you’re in my world now. And in my world, there are consequences to every action. I have to be careful and calculated with every decision and move that I make. It’s not just my life on the line when I make a choice. I have to think about every single person at the club. And not just my brothers, but their families too. And then, like today at the casino, I have to think about civilians. If I pushed Lorenzo or Dante, it could have escalated, and civilians may have been caught in the crossfire. So, you asked why I didn’t push back… that is why, Elizabeth. Because sometimes, I need to look like the weaker person, to be the bigger person. To save more lives.”

Oh shit!

I stare up at him, my breath hitching. The tension between us is undeniably electric, a live wire ready to snap at any moment. I don’t know if I want to pull away or step closer, to push him until he breaks or to let myself fall.

His hand in my hair shifts to the back of my head, his fingers clenching, gripping tightly. A gasp leaves my mouth as he draws me closer, my lips instantly parting, desperately seeking him, even though I know this is a very bad idea. “You’re nothing like I thought you were going to be,” I whisper, his lips inching closer to mine.

“Mm… and what have I turned out to be, wildcat?” he demands, his eyes still locked on mine as the electricity continues to set the desert around us on damn fire.

My chest heaves, my hands sliding up to grip the leather of his cut, needing him closer. “A really fucking nice guy,” I reply.

A slow grin crosses his face, and he shakes his head. “Wrong answer, wildcat. I’m definitely not a fucking nice guy.” Before I can argue, his lips slam to mine, hot, frantic, desperate, and completely taking any breath I had left.

I whimper into his mouth, my tongue frantic against his as his strong hands grip my waist and hoist me onto his bike’s seat. My arms slide up, wrapping around his neck, pulling him to me as he steps between my legs, his erection clear as he presses it against my already wet panties.

Our kissing deepens, his hand sliding down from my waist to my thigh.

My pulse quickens.

I should stop this.

It goes against every ethical code I stand for.

But in this moment, here, with Sin, all I want, all I need, is for his hands to touch me.

Moving my fingers from his hair, I edge my hand down, sliding it on top of his, and ease his hand up my skirt. A low growl resonates from deep within his chest. His tongue continues to dance with mine as he pushes the side of my panties, seeking entrance.

My hips rock on their own, desperate for him to touch me. I can’t stop the whimper that escapes into his mouth when his calloused finger finally reaches my clit. The feeling is so intense I break our kiss, my head lolling back as I gasp in delight. “Oh God,” I moan out the words.

Sin’s lips instantly move to my neck, his beard tickling my skin as he roughly kisses along my goose- bump pebbled flesh. His finger working faster against my aching clit. “You’re so fucking sexy like this, wildcat.”

My hands grip tightly onto the leather of his cut, needing to grasp onto something to keep me on the bike. My hips are rocking in motion with his finger as he works me up. My body waves in an intense heat as I begin to pant, my impending climax coming hard and fast. “Fuck, Sin, I’m close,” I whimper, slamming my lips back to his.

His kiss is hard, almost aggressive, while the pressure on my clit intensifies, sending me into a frenzy. Breaking our kiss, we stay close as I pant against his lips. My legs tremble, and my back arches as the wave threatens to completely drown me. I’m sure my grip on him is going to leave a bruise as I bite my bottom lip, the adrenaline about to surge. My muscles tense, I clench my eyes tight, the lights begin to flash, and my breathing hitches when the pleasure starts to crash over me. “Shit, Sin!” I whimper, but before I can completely climax, Sin drops his hand from between my legs, stepping back, breaking our intense kiss.

“Let’s go,” he states, his voice suddenly cold. “We’ve got a long ride back.”

I blink, panting for frantic breaths. The moment shattered as I furrow my brow at him in utter, unsatisfied disbelief. “Are you serious?” I snap.

His nostrils flare as he leans forward, pulling my skirt down to cover me. “I told you I wasn’t a nice guy, Elizabeth. Now shift back so I can jump on.”

Biting my bottom lip once again, but this time to stop myself from launching a tirade of abuse at him, I simply nod.

I should have known.

I came into this with the understanding that Sin is the president of the Las Vegas Defiance MC.

Knowing that he’s hiding what happened to my brother.

I knew he’s not a good guy.

That he probably puts on a facade.

And I just fell for it—hook, line, and sinker—putting my job on the line.

What a stupid, idiotic thing to do.

I will never fall for that again.

Sliding onto the back of his bike, my emotions swirl in a mess of confusion and something I’m not ready to name.

He’s just proved to me the man he is…

Why they call him Sin.

And now I’m a sinner right alongside him.

He throws his leg over, moving in front of me, and I wrap my arms around him again. My grip is a little tighter this time as I try to figure out the shift in his mood.

Maybe I read him all wrong.

Maybe my first instinct of him playing a part while I’m here was right on target.

I am so fucking confused right now.

He accelerates, taking off back toward the clubhouse, and as we ride through the Vegas streets, the city lights growing closer with each mile, and that’s when I realize I’m in deeper than I thought.

This isn’t simply a story anymore.

It’s personal.

And I have just let it become even more personal.

I let lust overtake me, and I forgot what I’m doing here.

What I am doing this for.

If Sin is capable of flipping on a dime, then I have no reason to doubt something sinister happened to my brother—and that’s why any real answers about him are impossible to find.

Sin is hiding something—I just know it.

And I am going to be the one to bring my brother justice.

You think you can play games, Sin?

Well, you’re just a pawn, but I am declaring check and mate!