Page 14 of Tracked by Hound (Steel Rebels MC #5)

“I’m a hacker,” Ransom responds, his voice surprisingly firm. I know he’s nervous, but only someone who knows him as well as I do would be able to tell. “I’m a genius with numbers and computers. I can follow any online trail, especially money, but I do a lot of other things too.”

“So how did you know to steal our money? Did you hack the bank?”

“When the president of the Chrome Vipers disappeared and their clubhouse was attacked, I figured it would be a while before anyone tried to access the accounts, so I thought there was no harm in taking some,” he says, managing to sound sorry and a little sheepish.

“I tracked down an account used by the Vipers that had been inactive for a while, and I emptied it. I didn’t know the money actually belonged to the Rebels. ”

“Would that have stopped you?” Ransom’s silence is apparently all the answer Saint needs. “You’re surprisingly honest. I’ll give you that. And I have to say I’m impressed that you’ve managed to come up with over half your debt in one week. Did you steal it from someone else to get it?”

“No,” Ransom responds. “I hacked into some rich guy’s emails until I came across some insider news about an aerospace company on the verge of a big announcement.

I invested in the company’s stock just before the press release, then sold at a profit a few days later.

I guess you could call it insider trading, but I bounced the money around enough that it’s untraceable now. ”

Saint leans back in his chair and studies my brother for a long time before his eyes shift to the quiet man I’ve spent the better part of a week loving, waking up to, and sharing meals with.

I’ve told him secrets I’ve never shared with anyone before, not even Ransom.

Saint must see something in his face that I don’t because he nods in understanding.

“We’ll let you both go.” Both? “Under the condition that you work for the club until the full debt is repaid plus one year.”

Ransom gapes at the man. “You want me to work for the Rebels?”

Saint’s eyes harden. “You have a problem with that?”

“No,” Ransom quickly responds, shaking his head. “I’ll work for you. As long as my sister goes free.”

“We don’t steal from innocent people, but there are other ways for you to work off the rest of your debt.

” Saint’s voice is firm when he speaks. “We don’t trust you, and since you’ll be working around money for the next year or so, you’ll be under close supervision to ensure you behave.

If you steal from us again, I will not spare you. ”

Ransom is already nodding, and by the surprise written on his face, I can tell he didn’t come here expecting to leave with my freedom, let alone a job. “Thank you.”

“You’re both free to go,” Saint says with a wave. “Don’t even think about skipping town. I’ll see you here first thing Monday morning.”

Ransom is bouncing on the balls of his feet, but I don’t share his excitement. When I tear my eyes from the club’s president to Hound, I don’t know what it is I was expecting to see, but it’s not this blank expression on his face.

He heard Saint, right? I’ve just been released, asked to leave, but Hound won’t even look at me.

Please look at me , I silently plead with the man. Ask me to stay. Say or do something to show that this hurts you as much as it hurts me.

I love him.

It’s been my first thought every time we wake up together.

All those times I sat across from him at the dining table or cuddled with him on the couch as we watched trashy TV, I tried to tell him without words that my feelings run deep.

All those secret touches under the sheets and kisses that didn’t just lead to sex meant something to him too, right?

Right?

“Let’s go, CJ,” Ransom says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“I’ll wait while you clean up and grab your things, then we’ll stop by the nursing home to see Nonna.

She got in trouble with the nurses for trying to prank her physical therapist by hiding in a closet.

She got bored and fell asleep, leaving the poor nurses to panic and search for hours before they found her. ”

I smile because it’s expected of me, and I let Ransom drag me out of the office because it would be crazy to resist. I walk alone to the elevator, fighting tears when I press the button to the fifth floor.

I don’t cry when I let myself into Hound’s apartment; the memories of our morning still fill the space.

I sniff back the tears when I walk into the bathroom to shower, using his shampoo and longing to feel him step in behind me and hug me as he often does when I’m showering.

When I step out of the bathroom, the bed sits mockingly in the center of the room, reminding me of what I’ll be missing when I leave.

How could he let me leave?

The tears come then, and I lower myself to the bed, reaching for his pillow as sobs rack my body. My phone vibrates from somewhere in the room, possibly my brother asking what’s taking so long, but I’m not ready to go just yet.

I’ll be thinking of you the entire time.

Hound’s last words brought me comfort when he said them earlier this morning, but now, they haunt me.

When the phone vibrates once more, I force myself up.

My moves are sluggish as I get dressed. I pack my things, sneaking a few of his shirts into my bag.

If he misses them, he’ll gave to come get them.

My heart is heavy when I walk out and the door shuts firmly behind me. Ransom looks worried when he spots me coming out of the elevator, his brows furrowing at my red-rimmed eyes that I don’t bother hiding from him.

“Hey,” he says, looking behind me. “What did that beast do?”

“Nothing,” I say, walking toward his waiting car. “He didn’t do anything at all.”

And that’s the problem.