Page 35 of Unmasked Anarchy

Maybe for the final time.

8

Igo back to Kael.

What is there to lose now?The question echoes in my mind, a haunting reminder of my situation.I fear what Gage will do, the unpredictable storm that follows in his wake, and I know I am risking the club being here, but I have nowhere else to go.The weight of my choices presses down on me, each step toward the clubhouse heavy with uncertainty.

The second I walk through the front gates, tears streaking my face, one of the guys calls Kael out.The air is thick with tension, the unspoken understanding that something has shifted, that my presence here is a gamble with stakes higher than I can comprehend.As Kael emerges, his eyes meet mine, and in that moment, the world narrows to just the two of us.

There’s a flicker of something in his gaze—concern, anger, maybe even understanding—and it’s enough to make my heart race, a mix of fear and relief that leaves me breathless.I’m standing on the edge, teetering between the safety of the familiar and the unknown path that lies ahead, and all I can do is hope that I’ve made the right choice.

He steps forward and his fingers carefully grip my jaw and he tips my head back.“What did he fuckin’ do?”

“He’s just being himself.But I don’t think I can handle it a second longer.He is going to want blood for me being here, so I understand if you want me to ...”

He cuts me off with a finger to my lips.“Don’t finish that sentence.You slept yet?”

I shake my head.

“Come.”

Kael leads me toward his room in large set of dorms on the compound.Not even a hint of curiosity from the other guys sitting at the chairs and tables in the middle, just a few subtle nods and coffee mug scrapes against the lounge table.I realize as I follow him through the door to his room, I’m shivering.

I’m over tired.

My head is pounding.

And my entire world just blew up.

It’s not surprising.

Kael’s room is bigger than I would have expected, with a large double bed in the middle, the blanket thrown back messily.There is a window above the bed, open and letting a soft breeze in.There is a small kitchenette to the left and a bathroom to the right.It’s quite cozy.

I watch as he walks toward a dresser, pulling it open and rummaging through.No words, just the sound of drawers sticking and sliding, and then he’s handing me a dark t-shirt.It’s his, and I can already smell him on it, making my tummy tighten and my heart weak.

This man has such a strange hold over me.