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“My brother was shot the night before the police came to Graze Ink to threaten you. There was a shootout initiated by two men on motorcycles. They only got one shot in before they fled. I’ve not had much to do with Redliners, but I know that incident doesn’t fit your pattern or how you guys handle things. You guys don’t flee from gun fights. Just like Santinos don’t go to the cops.”

Some mumbled chatter broke out amongst the room, which was hushed immediately when Prince’s gaze flittered towards it.

“It’s someone else all together,” I finished. “And they’re trying to play both sides against each other.”

“Why?” Charmer shook his head but leaned forward.

I shrugged. “I can only assume it’s so you end up in another war. Think about it,” I turned back to Prince. “You think The Family is responsible. So, you’d put all your time and energy into wiping us out. Of course, we’d retaliate. The cycle keeps going until everyone is dead. That’s two major players in the underground gone, and they haven’t had to lift a fucking finger.”

“Any ideas as to who it might be?” Prince asked, gaze locked on mine.

I shook my head, looking at my lap.

“Sorry.”

“Tell them what you told me,” Ashe urged, tapping my shoulder.

Prince’s gaze flickered to Ashe’s for a moment, before returning to me.

“It’s only a silly guess.” I shook my head. “There’s no evidence or anything.”

“I’d like to hear it, Zarina,” Prince said.

“Personally,” I took a deep breath. I didn’t want these people to think I was stupid, or silly, or any other condescending adjective that my family might attribute to me. But all of them looked at me, no smirks or laughter. They were taking me seriously. “To me, I think that it must be someone fairly new to the scene, or some group trying to break into the scene. They don’t seem to want to get their hands dirty. There’s no…” I sighed, motioning with my hands as I searched for the word, “grittiness, you know? None of it says ‘outlaw’ to me. None of it says ‘seasoned criminal’.”

Prince was nodding now, like he understood exactly what I was saying.

“It’s all too sophisticated. Too careful. Too emotionless. There’s no bloodthirst behind any of it. It’s pure strategy. It’sbusiness. I think it’s a bunch of rich kids trying to be mobsters. They want to be my family, but they don’t know how. I would bet money that it’s a crew of white-collar crims that want a taste of the underworld’s money. That’s just my gut feeling.”

No one spoke for a long time.

Prince kept his eyes on me though, and I grew a little uncomfortable under his gaze. But it wasn’t a scrutinising one, it wasn’t suspicious. It was as if he was looking straight through me, deep in thought. He ran his hands down his face eventually, and then scratched at his chin.

“My gut feelings are never wrong either,” he said to me eventually, and I felt my whole body sigh with relief. This stranger, this enemy of mine, he had listened to me, heheardme, and I could’ve cried.

My brother wasn’t willing to listen to me, too blinded by the hate he held for the club. But maybe, maybe I had stopped the Redliners and the Santinos dissolving back into a war.

And if it gave the MC even a hint of pause, even a second to reconsider before attempting to slaughter the people I love, then it would be enough.

18

ZARINA

Once the seriousness was over,the club descended into the madness that I had originally expected.

Charmer and Bull were proudly telling anyone who might listen about howtheyhad been the ones to baptise me with the nickname of Captain, and it caught on pretty quickly.

I quite liked it too, if I was honest.

I liked not being Zarina for a little while, not beingPrincessaorBambina. No one treated me as such, and no one was particularly careful or precious with me.

That is, except for Ashe, who hovered by me at all times, guarding me with his body, like his mass might be able to shield me from his buddies’ bullshit.

“So, hypothetically,” Charmer carried on again, “if I were to bringmultiplewomen into BoredHeux, then would I get a discount?”

I finished the rest of my drink while rolling my eyes. “No.”

“You don’t have multiple women anyway,” Bull also rolled his eyes.