Page 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

THE THUNDER OF bikes rolling out of the lot should’ve drowned out everything else, but it didn’t touch the storm raging inside me.

Lucy was gone.

She hadn’t just slipped away, she’d vanished without a trace, without so much as a shadow left behind. I’d spent hours—too many fucking hours—combing through every lead, every possible route she could’ve taken.

Nothing.

I leaned against the rough wood of the clubhouse, letting it bite into my back like I fucking deserved it. My fists clenched at my sides as Devil walked up, his expression probing, his presence carrying the kind of weight that meant shit had just gotten real.

“You find anything?” he asked.

“No,” I admitted, my jaw tightening until it ached. “She’s smart. Too smart.”

Devil exhaled slowly, the kind of measured breath that meant he was already working through worst-case scenarios. “If she doesn’t want to be found, it’s gonna be damn hard to track her.”

“She’s used to runnin’.”

His brow lifted, gaze locking on me like a vice. “Hope you track her down. Lucy might’ve pissed me off more times than I can count, but the girl had grit, and a helluva head on her shoulders.”

I didn’t answer right away, the weight of my regret pressing down harder than ever. Lucy had warned me. She’d told me I’d regret it. And like a goddamn idiot, I hadn’t listened.

I’d fucked up.

“I’ll find her,” I said finally, my voice hard with conviction.

“I hope you do,” Devil replied, his tone clipped, but something in his eyes told me he understood.

I swallowed the acid in my throat. It was more than just fucking up. I’d destroyed everything.

“I didn’t trust her when she needed me most,” I admitted, my voice barely above a growl. “And now she thinks she’s on her own.”

Devil studied me for a long moment before giving a slow nod. “It’s a hard thing, realizing you lost something you can’t replace.” His voice dropped, heavier, weighted with something personal. “But you still got a shot to fix it.” He paused, then muttered, “Some of us don’t get that chance.”

He didn’t wait for a response—didn’t need one. His words hit the target.

I followed him inside, exhaustion and worry coiling around my ribs like razors. We stepped into the war room, where the brothers were already gathered around the table.

“Spinner needs help spreading out to find Lucy,” Devil said, dropping into his chair at the head of the table.

Gearhead leaned back, arms crossed. “We’re wastin’ time chasin’ her. If she wanted to stay, she would’ve. She made her choice.”

My hands gripped the edge of the table, knuckles whitening, my glare cutting through the room. “She didn’t run ’cause she’s guilty, she ran ’cause I gave her a reason to.”

“She took off,” Chain said, leaning forward in his chair. “Means she don’t wanna be here.”

No. That wasn’t it. She didn’t think she had a place here anymore.

“No,” I snapped, heat flaring in my chest. “It means she thought we didn’t want her here.”

Mystic, leaning against the wall with arms folded, pushed off slightly. His tone was quiet but carried weight. “Doesn’t matter why she ran. If Fang gets his hands on her, it’s over. Lucy might’ve been tough as nails, but Spinner, you fucked up with that Ashlynn stunt. Zeynep and Spinner trust her. That’s enough for me. Spinner’s my brother and yours, or have you forgotten what this brotherhood is about?”

Silence stretched thick across the room. Mystic wasn’t one for dramatics, when he spoke, people shut the hell up and listened.

“We got two priorities,” Devil cut in, breaking the tension in the room. “One—find Lucy. Two—figure out what Drago’s planning. Spinner, you’re leading the search. The rest of you, stay focused. This isn’t over. They’re gonna retaliate for that shipment we torched. Don’t turn your back on anyone .”

I nodded, but it didn’t stop the emptiness hollowing me out from the inside. Goddamn, I missed her. My bed felt like a tomb without her. The loneliness was gnawing at me, eating me alive.

The meeting broke. Chairs scraped back, boots thudded against the floor as brothers moved to prep. I turned to leave, but Gatsby caught my arm. His usual quiet was replaced with something heavier—something that made my gut twist.

“You better find her, Spin,” he said, voice low with a warning edge. “From what I’ve dug up on Fang... he’s not just dangerous—he’s fucking sadistic .”

“I know,” I ground out through clenched teeth.

Gatsby’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’ll help any way I can. But time’s not on your side.”

I clenched my fists, tension rolling through me like a storm ready to tear shit apart. “I’ll beat the shit outta Father Time if he screws me over.”

A faint smirk ghosted across Gatsby’s face. “Good luck.”

Fuck luck. I didn’t need it.

I needed Lucy.

And I’d tear apart the goddamn world to bring her back, whether she hated me or not.

Because losing her?

That wasn’t an option.

I strolled into the garage, staring at my bike.

It was packed, ready to roll. My go-bag strapped down, my weapons within reach. I was ready to tear through hell to find her.

But my head was still spinning, Lucy’s words from that night lodged in my skull like shrapnel.

You’re going to regret this.

I did.

More than she’d ever know.

I swung my leg over the seat, the engine roaring to life beneath me.

As I pulled out of the lot, only one thought ran through my head.

I had to find her.

No matter what.