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“Isabella Vasquez is in trouble,” I confess, cutting straight to the chase. “Her brother knows she’s with us.”

“Because of you?” Bones asks, the usual joviality drained from his voice. He’s not cracking a smile, not now, not when the club’s safety is on the line.

“When she left work at one of the cartels’ warehouses, Juan sent a tail after her. I got rid of the guy.”

“Got rid of him how?” Diablo asks.

“Just lost him in the streets. Didn’t kill him.”

“Bummer.” Diablo sniffs.

“There’s more,” I say. “She’s got intel on some kids who were trafficked.”

“Fuck,” Bones grumbles. “Sex shit?”

“No. Thank God. They’re working in one of the textile factories.”

“Where?” Fang asks.

“Don’t know yet. But she wants to get the kids out and reunite them with their mothers.”

“We can put them in the system,” Diablo says, referring to the underground railroad.

“Exactly. Also, Isabella wants out too. She’s going to help us end this shit.”

“How?” Tank asks, finally speaking up.

“Not sure yet. She must know something that we can use to end Juan’s reign of terror. I just don’t know what yet,” I admit.

“Sounds risky,” Tank muses, his bulk shifting as he leans back against the wall. His skepticism is a tangible thing, a barrier I need to tear down.

“Everything we do is risky,” I shoot back, feeling the heat rise in my veins. “This is our shot to dismantle Juan’s empire in NOLA. She’s going to give us whatever we need, but in exchange, she needs our protection.”

Vapor hasn’t said a word yet. He just watches me, calculating. I can almost hear the cogs turning in his head, weighing every angle. The silence stretches, punctuated only by the distant thrum of jazz and the occasional laugh from Bourbon Street outside.

“Protecting one woman puts us all in the crosshairs,” Vapor finally speaks. “Convince me why she’s worth it, Ice.”

“Because she’s fighting for the same thing we are. Justice. That’s something we all believe in.”

“Except Juan,” Tank points out.

“Right. And if the cartel’s after her, it means she’s doing something right.”

“True.” Diablo nods.

“What’s the deal with you and her?” Fang asks, already knowing the answer, but apparently trying to get it all out in the open.

“You claimin’ her?” Diablo asks.

I glance around the room, taking in the gravity of their expressions. If I don’t claim her, I’m not entirely sure the club will back her. The only way to make sure is to make shit official, which feels wrong since I still don’t know her that well. That said, it’s my only option.

“Yeah, I’m claimin’ her.” I puff my chest, challenging any man to speak out against her. Nobody says a word.

“Alright,” Vapor decides, his nod slow but deliberate. “We’ll hear her out. But Ice, if this goes south, it’s on you.”

“Understood,” I say, understanding the ramifications. They’ll listen to me, for now. But trust is a currency that’s hard-earned and easily spent in our world. If I fuck this up, I’ll be on Vapor’s shit list for a long time. That’s one place I don’t want to be.

“Let’s get down to business then,” Fang interjects, tapping on his tablet, already slipping into his role as the tech wizard who keeps us one step ahead of the game. “What might she know that could help us?”