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“Anything from Nitro yet?” I ask.

“Not a peep. Phone’s still off. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you guys how to disable the tracking.” Matrix grimaces.

“Nah, we needed to know. If you hear anything, let me know right away.”

“You got it, pres.” Matrix cracks open his beer and takes a long swig. “How was the ride?”

“Good. No trouble.”

“And Max?”

“He liked Joker.”

“Thank God,” Talon says. “He’s a cool dude but a little crazy. Hopefully, he doesn’t fuck this up.”

“He won’t,” I say confidently. “Some people get it; some don’t. He gets it. He’s good with the kids. We’ve worked with him a lot in the past, and he’s a good asset. I told him if his club ever needs us, we’re there for them.”

“Of course. Any other chapters can call on us, and we’ll ride out immediately,” Matrix says.

Reaper grunts in agreement.

I pop the top on my beer and have it halfway to my lips when a face I’ll never forget appears on the TV.

“Turn it up,” I command.

Matrix grabs the remote and flicks up the volume.

Blackstone stands next to his supermodel wife, who has the current governor of Montana by her side. A bank of microphones sits on a podium, and when Blackstone approaches them, my stomach drops. My hands start shaking, so I set the unopened beer on the coffee table.

“Today, I’m announcing my bid for governor of the great state of Montana.” The smug look on his face sends my stomach into complete turmoil. The burger and fries from hours ago threaten to erupt from my belly.

“What the fuck?” Reaper says in a low, dark tone.

“He can’t do that.” Matrix slides his gaze to me. I can’t do anything but stare at the television.

“Scar? You okay, brother?” Talon asks with a frown.

My vision narrows to a pinprick. If I weren’t already sitting on the couch, I’d fall over. I can’t seem to catch my breath, and my heart is about to explode from my chest. This has to be a nightmare. This can’t be real.

“My primary goal as governor will be to ensure the safety of all our families. Every child in Montana deserves to feel like they can walk the streets without being accosted. I’ll make sure our northern borders are safe. I’ll ensure that every police force in the state has the weapons they need to protect us.” Blackstone pauses for dramatic effect before staring right into the camera. “I’m cleaning up Montana. We, Governor Adams and I, have a plan to lock up the criminals riding through our streets. Governor Adams will be starting the program today. I’ll be continuing it when I become the new governor, with his blessing, of course.”

Adams smiles and slaps Blackstone on the back. Blackstone gives him a saccharine smile before returning his attention to the cameras. He looks directly into them. It’s almost as if he’s looking at me as he finishes his speech. “Together, we’ll get every last one of them. And when that happens, vengeance will be mine.”

“Holy fuck,” Talon says. “Holy fuck. He just called us out. Right? You all heard that, right? He’s coming for us.”

“Let him,” Reaper growls.

“This is bad.” Matrix is whiter than I’ve ever seen him. Perspiration settles in the dent above his lips.

The phone rings. Assuming it’s Nina, I don’t bother looking at the caller ID. “What?”

“Is, uh, someone named Scar there?” a timid female voice asks.

“You got me.” I grip the phone impatiently.

“This is nurse Jasmine Chen from the hospital. I was calling to let you know your fiancée is awake.”

“My what?” It takes a second for me to remember the lie I told the other nurse. “Right. Fiancée. She’s conscious?”