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But Zarina looked at me with a warning in her eyes, urging me not to say another word. I frowned, but decided that I trusted her intuition more than my own.

“Not yet,” I sighed. “But we will.”

Theo nodded once, seeming satisfied with the answer.

I headed out of BoredHeux without another glance towards Zarina, even though it pained me to do so. I was hoping to get a chance to ask her about The EA, but she seemed to be wary of saying too much around Theo.

Plus, I didn’t want to get her in any more trouble than I knew she’d probably already be in. But at least we had made some progress today.

At least that useless fucking bodyguard of hers would be able to take the offer to Toni. If The Family and the club could sit down and possibly even work together, there would be no one on the entire east coast of Australia that could rival us.

20

ZARINA

Ashe didn’t spareme a second glance on his way out. I watched his back too long for it to be casual while he disappeared down the street.

Theo headed out onto the footpath with his phone already pressed against his ear, a stern look on his face.

Toni would be skeptical about Ashe’s proposition, but I could only hope that hearing it from Theo might make him take it a little more seriously than if it had come from me.

Maybe that’s why Ashe asked to speak to Theo instead of me in the first place. It was the smartest course of action. It needed to go well if there was any chance of the club and The Family working together.

“What happened?” Larissa grabbed me by the bicep, barely being able to contain the excitement in her tone.

“Attempting a truce,” I mumbled.

Larissa reared back with such force of the shock that it was as if I had pushed her. She blinked in my direction, eyebrows drawing together.

“Between the Redline Angels and The Family?”

I nodded.

“But—”

“I know. I don’t think it’s gonna happen either.”

“So, it really isn’t the Redliners behind all these recent attacks?”

“No,” I said with a confidence that was probably a little too stern. I didn’t know this for sure, of course. This whole thing with Ashe very well could be a long-play to get to Toni.

Hell, I had fallen for stupider things in my time. But my gut told me that it wasn’t true.

“Well, who then?”

I shrugged. “I think it’s gotta be rich kids. More like us than like the MC.”

Larissa nodded. “Like The East Allies?”

My head whipped to her so quickly that she flinched.

“Who?”

“Jesus, Zar,” she took a step back. “Do you remember William from school?”

“WilliamPeck?”

Larissa nodded. “I ran into him a while ago. We chatted for a bit and caught up. He asked me out but I wasn’t feeling it. But, ugh—” she tipped her head back and groaned, “he just wouldn’t leave me the fuck alone.”