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“When he does, Diablo’s got plans for him.” Vapor scowls. “But enough of all that. Get out of here and get some sleep. We need you on your feet ASAP. The cartel’s not dead. Not yet, anyway.”

“They will be. Once we rebuild the club and add even more men, we’ll be able to get rid of the cartel once and for all.”

“Damn straight.” Vapor slaps Ice on the back as we say our goodbyes.

As Ice and I approach the front door, the soft creak of stairs draws my attention upward. Maria descends, her presence warm yet tinged with the sorrow of impending separation. Her eyes glisten, reflecting the turmoil swirling within both of us. Without a word, she wraps her arms around me in an embrace that speaks volumes—tight, desperate, as if she’s trying to imprint the memory into our very bones.

“Voy a extrañarte tanto,” she murmurs into my shoulder, her voice muffled by my hair. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Cuándo se van tú y Pedro?” I ask, pulling back slightly to meet her gaze.

“We leave tomorrow morning,” she replies, the words heavy with the finality we both dread. “I can’t believe I’ll never see you again.”

“It’s the only way to keep you safe,” I say, steady even as my heart aches. “But you’ll always be my sister, no matter how far you go.”

Our lives have been intertwined by shared secrets and silent understandings, a bond forged in the shadows of a world that demanded cunning just to survive.

“I wish I could at least send you a postcard to let you know we got there safely,” she says.

“The club will make sure of it. You shouldn’t send anything. Be careful,” I advise her, slipping into the role of protector one last time. “Follow the club’s rules and you will stay safe.”

It’s an order, and a plea. She needs to vanish, become a ghost to the life she once knew.

“Lo entiendo,” Maria nods, her brown eyes resolute. “Yourabuelawould be proud of the woman you’ve become.”

I twist the watch around my wrist and smile. “She would be, wouldn’t she.”

For a moment, she stands tall, a pillar of strength amidst the chaos that has defined our existence. Then she hugs me again, a fierce grip that conveys love, gratitude, and a thousand unspoken goodbyes.

“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” I tell Ice, turning back to him.

With a final glance at Maria, I walk away from the bittersweet farewell. I meet Ice at the doorway. “Ready, babe?”

“Let’s go.”

Outside, the fading light cloaks us in its dusky hues. I wait until he’s settled on the bike before I climb on behind him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I lean against him.

“Ready?” he asks.

“Let’s go home.”

“Wish we could go for a longer ride.” He revs the engine.

“Trust me, there are things to ride that you might find just as exhilarating,” I tease, lacing my tone with sensual promise.

“Is that so?” His voice drops an octave, a hint of playfulness coloring the hypnotic timbre that always sends a shiver down my spine.

“Absolutely,” I affirm, reaching around to rub my hands across his chest. “Just focus on healing and leave the sexy comforts to me.”

“Sexy comforts?” A low chuckle rumbles from his chest, the tension in his shoulders easing. “Bella, you sure know how to make a man forget his pain.”

“Better than any drugs ever could,” I reply with a smirk.

As we pull away from the safehouse, the ghosts of my past loosen their grip. If Juan’s alive, the club will find him. But I doubt it. If the bullet didn’t end his life, the gators would have smelled his blood. Ending up gator food is a fitting end to a monster’s life.

For the first time in my life, I’m free. No chains, no fear—just the open road ahead, waiting to be ours. And with each mile that stretches out behind us, I feel the tethers of my past unraveling, giving way to the freedom I’ve fought so hard to claim. Ice saved me, but I like to think I saved him too. Despite the pain he’s dealing with, he seems happier than ever. We may have started off in a very rocky relationship, but now it’s solid. I’ve got his back, and he’s got mine. We’re in this together. Forever.

Chapter 24: Ice