Page 18 of Blade (Spartan Watchmen MC #5)

"Not exactly," Blade clarified. "What if we make Jose think we're complying with his demands, but on our terms? Draw him out into the open where we can control the situation better?"

Irish looked thoughtful. "You're talking about setting a trap."

"I'm talking about turning his trap against him," Blade corrected. "But it would require Lily's cooperation.”

"Then it's off the table," Savage said firmly.

"We'll find another way." All the men were protective of the women. It was in their blood. Didn’t matter who the little belonged to, they were protected. Blade knew Lily. He knew what she was capable of and although he didn’t want her in danger anymore than anyone else did, he knew they could come up with a way to do it while keeping her safe at the same time.

Blade shook his head. "We might not have another way. Not in the timeframe Jose's given us." He met Savage's eyes. "And it's not your call. Or mine. It's Lily's. She deserves the right to choose."

There was a brief silence as both men considered his words.

"He's right," Irish finally acknowledged. "She's not some helpless little thing we need to coddle. She's proven that already. But, if we are to do it, we need to go over the plan until it’s foolproof."

Savage still looked unconvinced. "Taking on a few goons at the cabin is one thing. Deliberately walking into Jose's operation is another level entirely."

"She wouldn't be alone," Blade insisted. "We'd have her back every step of the way. But it has to be her choice."

Before Savage could respond, the door burst open, and Lucky strode in, his imposing figure filling the doorframe. As club president, he radiated authority despite his casual attire.

"Tell me you've seen the video," he said without preamble.

"Just finished," Irish confirmed.

Lucky's eyes found Blade's. "How mobile are you?"

"I can ride," Blade lied immediately.

"Bullshit," Savage countered. "He lost half his blood volume two days ago. Doc said at least a week before he's back on his feet."

Lucky frowned. "We don't have a week. Jose's deadline is firm, and I believe him when he says he'll start targeting our families if we don't comply."

"We're not giving him Lily," Blade stated, his tone leaving no room for debate.

Lucky's eyes narrowed. "No one said anything about giving up the girl. But we need options, and we need them now."

"I was just outlining a potential strategy," Blade began.

A commotion in the hallway interrupted him, raised voices, hurried footsteps. Then the door flew open again, and there she was.

Lily.

She looked different than when he'd last seen her. Stronger, somehow. More determined. Her hair was pulled back in a practical ponytail, and she'd exchanged her usual soft clothing for jeans, boots, and a fitted t-shirt. Rampage towered behind her, looking both apologetic and amused.

"Sorry," the big man offered. "She can be very persuasive when she wants to be."

"What are you doing here?" Blade demanded, though he couldn't keep the relief from his voice at seeing her safe, whole. "You're supposed to be at the cabin."

"And you're supposed to be resting," she countered, moving immediately to his bedside. Her eyes cataloged his appearance, lingering on the bandages visible beneath his hospital gown, the IV in his arm, the pallor of his skin. "You look terrible."

Despite everything, a chuckle escaped him.

"Missed you too, baby girl. But, as soon as I am healthy, you are getting that spanking I promised you. This is twice now you’ve broken the rules.

" His spanking hand was itching to connect with her bare ass.

Every man in the room would take their girl over his knee for doing the same.

Something in her expression softened. She reached out, her hand finding his, squeezing gently. "I know,” she said. “And when you are healthy I might just let you.”

“Let me?” He growled. “There is no letting me. You have it coming.”

All but ignoring his words, she spoke again. “I overheard Rampage on the phone being told about the video,” she said, addressing the room at large, although her eyes never left Blade's face. "About Marcus. About Jose's demands."

The men exchanged looks of surprise.

She turned to face the club president. "Jose wants me. In exchange for Marcus's life."

It wasn't a question, but Lucky nodded anyway. "Yes."

She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "Then that's what he'll get."

"No," Blade said immediately, his hand tightening on hers. "Absolutely not."

"It's not your decision," she told him, echoing his own words from earlier. "It's mine. And I won't let an innocent man die because of me. Not when I can prevent it."

"Lily," Savage began, his tone gentler than usual, "Jose doesn't want to make an exchange. He wants to make an example. If we hand you over, you'll die. Horribly."

"I know exactly what he wants," she said, her voice steady despite the fear that briefly flickered in her eyes. "He made that clear enough. But I also know that I can't live with myself if Marcus dies because of me."

"This isn't on you," Blade insisted. "Jose's actions are his own. His vendetta, his choice to escalate by taking Marcus."

"Maybe," she acknowledged. "But my conscience is my own too. And it won't let me hide while others pay the price for my safety."

The quiet conviction in her voice silenced the room. Even Lucky, never known for his patience, seemed unwilling to interrupt her.

"Besides," she continued, "I'm not suggesting we give Jose what he actually wants. I'm suggesting we use his demands against him."

Blade felt a surge of pride and alarm. She'd reached the same conclusion he had, independently. "You're talking about setting a trap."

She nodded. "Exactly. He thinks I'm some helpless little girl he can torture and kill to satisfy his ego. Let's use that assumption against him."

Lucky studied her with newfound respect. "You understand what you're proposing? The risk involved?"

"Better than most," she confirmed. "I've been in The Rejects hands before. I know what they are capable of. Jose was there when they captured me, I’ve met him in person, unlike anyone else in this room. He’s arrogant. Overconfident. And that makes him vulnerable."

"She's right," Irish chimed in. "Jose's ego is his blind spot. He'll be so focused on getting his hands on Lily that he might not see the trap until it's too late."

Savage still looked skeptical. "It's a huge risk."

"Life is risk," Lily replied simply. "My father taught me that. The question isn't how to avoid risk, it's how to manage it. How to stack the odds in your favor as much as possible."

She turned back to Blade, her eyes full of determination.

"I know you want to protect me. I know that's your instinct, your.

.. nature." The slight hesitation, the way her cheeks colored faintly on the word 'nature,' told him she was thinking of their unspoken dynamic.

The one they'd barely begun to explore before chaos erupted again.

"But sometimes protection means fighting alongside, not shielding from the fight entirely. "

Blade wanted to argue. Wanted to forbid her from putting herself in danger, to lock her away somewhere safe until the threat was eliminated.

But he recognized the steel in her spine, the resolve in her eyes.

This wasn't just bravado or self-sacrifice.

This was a woman making a conscious choice about her own life, her own risks.

And he respected her too much to take that choice from her.

"So what's the plan?" he asked instead, surprising everyone in the room, including himself.

Relief and gratitude flashed across Lily's face. "We meet Jose's demands, sort of. We go to the coordinates he provides, but on our terms. With backup in place, with contingencies. We make him think he's getting what he wants, but we control the situation."

"Easier said than done," Lucky commented. "Jose will be expecting a trap."

"Of course he will," Lily agreed. "But his arrogance will make him believe he can counter whatever we throw at him. We just need to be one step ahead. Give him a trap within a trap."

"Double bluff," Rampage rumbled appreciatively from the doorway. "I like it."

"It might work," Irish conceded. "But it would require perfect execution. Perfect timing."

"And it would put you at actual risk," Blade told Lily, needing her to understand the full implications. "Not theoretical risk. Real danger. If anything goes wrong, if we miscalculate even slightly..."

"I know," she said softly. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take. For Marcus. For the club." Her eyes met his. "For you."

Something in his chest tightened at her words. At the simple courage behind them.

"There's another problem," Savage pointed out. "Blade's in no condition to ride. Doc said at least a week before he's even walking without assistance. Jose specifically demanded that Blade bring you."

"So we work with that," Lily suggested. "We tell Jose that Blade was injured in the last attack. That I'm insisting on coming alone, to spare any more bloodshed. It plays into Jose's ego, the idea that I'm surrendering myself to save others. He'll love that."

"And when you show up without Blade?" Lucky asked skeptically.

"You think Jose will turn down the opportunity to have me in his grasp, just because Blade isn't there to witness it?" Lily countered. "His primary goal is me. Blade's presence is secondary, just his way of ensuring it's personal, of twisting the knife."

Blade hated to admit it, but her assessment was probably accurate. Jose wanted Lily above all else. The rest was window dressing.

"I don't like it," he said finally. "But I can't offer a better alternative. Not one that saves Marcus and keeps you safe."

Lily squeezed his hand. "I don't expect to be completely safe. I just expect to survive. With your help, all of your help," she added, looking around at the assembled men.