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T he blood drains from my face as his words hit, each one a jagged, cruel reminder. My hand grips the gun tighter, and I back away, more than willing to kill him if I need to. They’re not keeping me here. I won’t stay. I’d rather die. My father stands firm, his voice a calm, unyielding command. “Put the gun down, Nia.”

Cyrus has already turned, disappearing, and I know my father has ordered him to. I aim the gun at the man who brought me into this world, my voice frantic. “Stay back! I’ll do it. I’ll shoot you.”

My father doesn’t flinch. “You can shoot me, Nia, but it won’t stop what is going to happen. Not even you can control His wishes.”

No.

This can’t be happening.

“I’m not pregnant,” I hiss, my finger trembling against the trigger.

“We’ll find out for certain. I can assure you.”

I’ve made a mistake.

A huge mistake.

Cyrus returns, and with him, he has at least twenty men, all ready to fight. They might not carry weapons, but there are too many of them to shoot. One way or another, someone will get this gun off me. Not easily, though. I keep it pointed at my father.

“I’ll fucking kill you. Do not doubt it.”

“I’m not afraid of death, daughter.”

I’m going to be sick again. The hot vomit is rising in my throat.

“Back down. I’ll start killing everyone you love.”

My father remains calm, unbothered. “Even if you do, you can’t shoot us all. We’ll take you down. One way or another, you’re finished. Release it. Now.”

I feel the world spinning, my mind a tangled mess of fear and rage. “The club will come for me. You know they will. You can’t stop them.”

He takes a step closer, his eyes fixed on me with a terrifying certainty. “The club is no longer my concern. You’re carrying the child. You’re not going anywhere.”

“You need me, without me you will never take them down and they will never stop.”

“I’ll find a way, don’t doubt it. For now, this is more important. My grandchild is the most important.”

The words are a death sentence, and my heart races, wild and uncontrollable. The men rush me without warning, and I scream, the sound ripping from my throat as the gun goes off just before someone slams my body to the ground. The gun skids from my hand, and I watch it slide away, out of reach, out of hope.

“Let me go!” I scream, thrashing as they pin me down, my voice raw and desperate. “No.”

My father’s voice cuts through the chaos, calm and composed, the others holding me with iron grips. “Welcome home, daughter.”

I fight, the world blurring around me, but it’s no use. They’ve won. The weight of their bodies crushes me, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Do not hurt the child,” my father orders. “Do not harm the Savior.”

No.

God.

Please.

No.

The rumbling sound in the distance has everyone stopping what they are doing, and as it nears, I know the sound so well. I know who it is. I could scream with joy, but I don’t. Instead, my head whips up as a large group of bikes comes to a stop outside the gates, the rumbling engines a warning.

They’ve come for me.

My father’s expression doesn’t change; his voice is calm as he barks orders, his eyes never leaving mine. “Secure the gates! Call out the men! Stop them—don’t let them get in!”

The compound erupts into chaos. Men are shouting, running in every direction, the sound of panic loud in the air. I see Cyrus, his face twisted with anger as he gives orders, pointing wildly. They think they can stop this. They think they can stop the club.

They have no fucking idea.

The bikers line up outside the gates, their presence imposing, each one armed and ready. I know this is Talon’s doing, and I know he’s not going to leave here without me. My heart is a wild, desperate mess in my chest, but I feel a flicker of hope.

Wolfe’s voice booms over the compound, a deadly promise in every word. The very sound of it sends shivers up my spine, because it is terrifying. “We know you have her. Release Nia, or we will come in and kill every fuckin’ one of you.”

The men around me hesitate, and I see the doubt in their eyes. They’re not used to this kind of threat, this kind of violence. They don’t know how to handle it. They know they are unarmed, and they know that they can’t stop these bikers if they decided to force their way in.

They’re without options.

My father’s face twists with hatred. “Get her inside!” he shouts, his voice finally cracking with anger. “Do not let them in!”

“They’re armed!” someone yells.

My father’s eyes are cold as he looks at me, then he bellows out into the night sky. “If you enter my compound, I will kill her.”

I already know he won’t, though.

If he thinks I’m pregnant, he would never risk my life. Not when his entire world and truth is based around me having this child. That means he is bluffing, and that also means he doesn’t have a plan. I know it’s risky, but I’m not going to let him try and use that as a way to keep them out. If I wasn’t pregnant, the man would kill me without hesitation, but if I am...no way.

“He’s lying,” I scream, so loudly my voice cracks. “Shoot them.”

A boot flies out and connects with the side of my head, sending my world spinning. I don’t know who kicked me, but it is enough to keep me on the ground as pain radiates through my skull and warm blood rushes down my forehead. I dry heave as my vision blurs, but I fight to keep my eyes open. I can’t let them knock me out, because if they do, I lose any power I have.

“Kill anyone who tries to stop you!” Wolfe’s voice rings out again, and I see a few of the men falter, fear in their eyes. They didn’t think this through. They didn’t think the club would come in with this much force. “Start cutting the wire.”

“Stand your ground!” my father roars. “Do not let them in. Turn on the electric fencing. Move. Now.”

They have a matter of minutes before those fences are turned on, and once they are, the chances of them getting in a slim to none. Come on, Talon. You can do this. I know you can. I push my head off the damp grass, trying to see, but the fence is too far away. The only thing I can see is the lights from the motorbikes blaring through.

My father turns to Cyrus. “Take Nia, get in your car and leave out back. Do not stop. Drive until I find a way to contact you.”

No.

No fucking way.

I won’t let them leave here without me.

“No,” I screech, rolling even though my head pounds. “Do not fucking touch me.”

Cyrus reaches down, hauling me up without hesitation. “Move.”

“Talon,” I scream. “They are taking me out back. Help.”

My voice is loud as I throw it out through the night, and I hear commotion on the other side of the fence as gunshots ring out. They’re shooting now, and they’re not holding back. My father orders Cyrus to move, but I fight. I fight with everything I have. I kick, claw, scratch, and bite, not letting him move me easily.

A hard object comes down over my head, knocking me to the ground.

My entire world spins as I fight to stay awake, my screams turning into nothing more than a choked sob as pain explodes inside me. I won’t give up though, not now, not yet. I push my body up so I’m on my hands and knees and I crawl, but Cyrus is in front of me, his form towering over me as he stares down.

He is about to reach for me when a gunshot rings out, and as if in slow motion, I watch blood splatter from the side of his head as his body falls. He lands beside me and I gasp as I look into his eyes, which are wide open, but there is no life left in them. He’s dead.

Before I know it, I’m being hauled up and a set of strong arms are around me as I’m frantically pulled backwards.

“Let me go,” I scream.

“It’s me.”

Talon’s rough voice, laced with rage and desperation.

I nearly collapse with relief.

They’re here.

They saved me.

TALON’S ARMS ARE TIGHT around me as he hauls me through the chaos, my world still spinning and my body limp. He moves with a fierce determination, each step taking us closer to freedom, to safety. My heart races, wild and unsteady, and the only thing on my mind is Lily.

How will I save her now?

“Nia!” My father’s voice cuts through the night, sharp and commanding, and we turn to see him standing with a group of men, their faces hard and unyielding. They stand behind him, on guard, ready to fight. There are at least twenty of them, and even though they don’t have weapons, the picture is equally as chilling.

Talon whirls, pulling me behind him, his gun raised, eyes locked on my father.

“Fuckin’ back down, or I’ll blow your head off,” he warns in a tone so terrifying, it sends chills down my spine.

My body immediately stiffens, because I know exactly what my father is doing, and I’m not going to let him have the upper hand right now.

“No!” I cry out, my voice desperate. “Don’t shoot. I know for certain that he has ordered those men to kill Lily if he dies. Please, Talon. He wants you to shoot him.”

My father smiles, a cold, calculated smile. “Clever girl, you know me better than I thought.”

Talon’s voice is a low, deadly growl. “Stay the fuck back.”

He starts to move again, pulling me with him, but my father’s voice follows, taunting, mocking. “Why don’t you ask her why she was really here, biker. Ask her for the truth, if she’s honest enough to give it. I didn’t kidnap her, she was here willingly.”

I flinch.

Talon’s grip tightens, and I feel the tension in every muscle, every word he doesn’t say.

“Ask her what she was willing to do for that child,” my father continues, his voice echoing. “She’s not who you think she is. She will burn your world to the ground to save herself. Careful, biker, you think you’re leaving the enemy behind but you’re actually taking her with you.”

My heart sinks, and I see the doubt flicker in Talon’s eyes, but he doesn’t stop. He doesn’t let go.

He pulls me to the gate, his breath hot against my skin. “Get on the fuckin’ bike.”

I don’t hesitate. I scramble on, my limbs heavy and my head still pounding. My face is soaked in blood, I can feel it with every movement, but I do nothing to wipe it away. My eyes blur with tears as he gets on in front of me, the engine roaring to life. Then, he spins the bike around and takes off.

I cling to him, my arms tight around his waist, my father’s words ringing in my ears. The compound fades behind us, and I feel the wind on my face, the roar of the bike cutting through the night. The club surrounds us, a wall of protection, a promise of safety. I want to believe it’s enough, but the doubt in Talon’s eyes plays over and over in my mind.

The ride is a blur, and when we finally reach the compound, the bikes pull in hard and fast. My breath catches as I see Mera rush out, her face a mix of relief and fear. The second we stop, she’s pulling me off the bike and into her arms, her voice a frantic whisper.

“Thank God. I thought...” She pulls back, her eyes wide as she sees the blood on my face. “Jesus, Nia, you’re hurt.”

I nod, my throat tight. “I’ll be okay.”

Mera’s eyes shift, and then widen. She’s looking behind me, her face twisting with confusion.

I turn.

The world stops as I see Talon, a gun pointed at me, his eyes cold and his jaw set in a hard line. Behind him, the others stand, their faces expressionless. I suck in a breath, but I already know that he has figured it out. He knows that I was willing to betray them, and now, the rest of the club does, too. They would have all heard my father’s words.

“Tell me the fuckin’ truth,” Talon roars, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Tell me you weren’t willin’ to hand this entire club over for that child.”

I can barely breathe, the weight of their gazes pinning me in place. I open my mouth, but no words come out. The truth is there, clawing its way up, demanding to be heard. I can’t hide it. Not anymore. I can try and deny it, but what’s the point? They’ll never trust anything I said.

“I had to,” I croak, my voice low. “They were going to kill her.”

The words hang in the air, and I see the anger, the betrayal in their eyes. It’s like a physical blow, and I flinch, my heart shattering.

“What were you goin’ to do?”

Wolfe speaks, his voice clipped as he steps forward.

I shake my head, tears rushing down my cheeks at the pure betrayal in Talon’s eyes.

“Answer the fuckin’ question,” Talon roars, so loudly I flinch.

“They were going to give her medical treatment and then let me take her, free, if I gave them a way to bring the club down. They wanted inside information, things they could use to destroy everyone in here.”

The silence is deafening.

“You stupid fuckin’ girl,” Knox bellows. “In what fuckin’ world did you ever think that man was goin’ to let you go. If we didn’t show up tonight, you wouldn’t have walked.”

I shake my head, my eyes burning as the tears flow. “I made a deal...”

“You were never walkin’ from that compound,” Knox hisses. “How fuckin’ stupid do you think they are? You agreed to somethin’ that was never goin’ to happen, but the fact that you agreed at all is enough for me.”

Could he be right?

Was my father actually going to let me leave? Or was I delusional in thinking I had the upper hand. God, now he is saying it out loud, the crippling shame is nearly enough to make my knees buckle. I made a huge mistake, and now the only people willing to help me, are going to turn their backs to me.

“Were you goin’ to do it?” Kael asks, and his voice isn’t angry, but it is so filled with disappointment that I want to curl up and die.

“Yes,” I whisper, because it’s the truth. I would have done it for Lily. Sure, I might have tried to find another way around it, but in the end, if that’s what it took...I would have done it.

“You don’t come back from this,” Knox barks, stepping forward, his voice full of rage. “Kill her, Rook. Anyone else would be dead already.”

Mera steps closer to me, her hand reaching for my arm. “You are not hurting her, Wolfe. She didn’t do it. She was only trying to help a little girl. Knox just said they wouldn’t have let her go. She wasn’t going to do it.”

“Step back, Mera,” Wolfe orders, his eyes firm and his voice harsh. “This is club business and you do not get to fuckin’ tell me how it works. Whether she got the chance or not ain’t the point. She was more than willin’ to sacrifice everything I love. That is enough.”

“You’re not hurting her,” she fights back, pulling me even closer.

“Step back,” Wolfe roars.

Talon steps forward, one foot in front of the other, until he stops in front of me, pressing a gun to my forehead. The tears are coming, hot and heavy, as I stare into his eyes, the hurt unlike anything I’ve ever felt. “Betray the club, you die. Those are the rules.”

His voice is empty.

Emotionless.

“Talon,” Mera whispers. “Don’t. We both know you care about her.”

“She betrayed us. She dies for that.”

“She was trying to help a child,” Mera pleads. “Wouldn’t you do the same?”

“No, I fuckin’ wouldn’t.”

His hand is shaking and my heart is lodged in my throat, a fear unlike anything I’ve ever felt washing through me. I’m crying, but no sound is coming out. I don’t move my eyes from his, and when the click of the gun alerts me to him preparing it to shoot, I know he’s going to do it.

For this club, he’ll kill me.

A pained cry leaves my throat as my body shakes with the kind of pain I have never felt in my entire life.

It’s in this moment, I realize I have fallen in love with Talon.

It’s also in this moment I realize it isn’t enough.

“Wolfe,” Mera yells. “Stop this.”

Wolfe doesn’t speak.

Nobody does.

He’s going to kill me.

I only have one option left.

“I’m pregnant,” I yell, my voice cracking.

Everything goes still.

“What did you fuckin’ say?” Talon rasps, his hand still trembling.

“I’m pregnant.”

More silence.

Talon steps back, and then he bellows a curse word so loudly it makes me flinch. He spins to Wolfe, and the two of them exchange a look that I don’t quite understand.

“Won’t take the life of a child,” Wolfe growls. “You know that, Steel.”

Talon turns back to me. “You prove it. If it’s true, you’re not goin’ anywhere until we can decide what the fuck we’re goin’ to do with you. That freedom you were willin’ to give everything up for, kiss it goodbye. You’ll never be free again. Not if I have anything to do with it.”

With that, he turns his back to me.

“She’s just a child, Talon,” I whisper, my legs giving out as I fall to my knees. “She doesn’t deserve to stay there. I had no choice.”

He doesn’t face me. “There’s always a fuckin’ choice.”

Then, he disappears into the night, leaving me on my knees in the dirt.

I’ve ruined everything.

There is no coming back from this.