Page 9

T alon lays beside me, one arm holding me close as I nestle into his shoulder. He smells incredible, and his sweat slicked body is something I could spend hours tangled in. The fire has burned down to embers, casting a faint glow over us. I trace a finger over the ink on his chest, the hard lines of muscle, the scars that tell stories I don’t know yet.

I want to know them all.

“How did you get these?” I ask softly, carefully.

“You sure you want that story.”

My finger trails down a jagged scar just below his chest. “I do. I want to know you. All of you. You know my ugly parts, let me know yours.”

He shifts his weight, turning so I’m still tucked in his arms, but he’s facing me now. “I’m not a good man. Did a lot of things I’m not proud of.”

I meet his gaze. “Haven’t we all? I won’t judge you for who you were, because I can see who you are now.”

He exhales. “Worked as an enforcer for the cartel, doing their dirty work.”

I’m shocked by his revelation, but not entirely surprised that his past was dark. Talon carries his emotions on his face, and I have always seen a darkness behind his expression. Something that tells me he hasn’t always had it good.

“That would have been rough,” I say, pressing my lips together.

“You ain’t wrong. The stories of the things I did, most of them are as ugly as those scars.” He pauses, taking a breath, then continues, his voice low. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

I nod. “I want to know.”

His eyes hold mine, and I see the hesitation there, the war he’s fighting with himself. “My old man was part of the cartel. Killed in a deal gone wrong. I was just a kid, but I watched him die. I watched them all die. By the time I was sixteen, I was running guns, moving product, making sure the leaders knew every single fuckin’ thing that was goin’ on.”

His words are brief, and I know it’s because he doesn’t want to go into detail. “They called me Steel because I was hard. Because I didn’t break. I did things, Nia. Dark things. I was good at it. Worst part, sometimes I liked it.”

A shiver runs through me, but I keep my eyes on his. I can understand being drawn to darkness. “What kind of things?”

He hesitates, then his jaw tightens. “I smuggled girls, drugs, weapons. I put bullets through people’s skulls without thinking twice. Didn’t matter who they were. Didn’t matter who they left behind. I got a reputation for being ruthless.”

I swallow hard, but I don’t believe Talon is bad, just a little bent. I know the kind of world he lives in, and even now, it isn’t without plenty of illegal activities. I lived with people who used their power for bad, and I don’t see that in this club. Maybe his past was different, but that isn’t the man with me now.

“What changed?”

“Caught a shipment in a small town. Thought it’d be easy. Fucking simple. One of the locals decided to be a hero, called the cops. We had to make an example. They took him and his family, made me watch as they burned them alive.”

I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth. My entire body feels goes stiff and my heart feels as though it stops beating.

Talon’s voice is hoarse, like the memory is choking him. “That’s when I knew I had to get out. Can’t live with that. Not families. Not innocent lives.”

“How did you escape?”

“I cut a deal with the Feds. Turned on the cartel, gave them everything I had. Names. Routes. Locations. Enough to take them down or at least hit them hard. Got me a death sentence, but the leader is dead now and bein’ with the club has taken the heat off.”

It scares me knowing that someone could come for Talon. A harsh reality of the world he lives in. My heart aches at the thought, a very real fear.

“Do you regret it?”

“Every fucking day. But I’m tryin’ to do right. Tryin’ to make up for it.” He hesitates, his eyes dark. “I’m still not a good man. I’m not the man you think I am.”

“I’ll be the decider of that,” I say, lightly, offering him a small smile. “You can accept my past, I’m sure I can accept yours.”

He goes quiet.

I know he’s still hesitant, and I know that he could turn and leave at any moment, and there would be nothing I could do about it.

“Have you ever had a wife?”

I ask the question without thought, but I’m terrified of the answer.

“No. But I was in a relationship for a long time. When I left, I left her, too. Needed to start again. Broke her heart, but it was for the best.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Do you think she wonders where you are?”

He grunts. “She knows where I am.”

He doesn’t elaborate, but I get the feeling there is more to that story.

Now isn’t the time to push. Right now, I just want to enjoy this moment, with him.

“Should get back to the party,” he murmurs.

I reach down between us, closing my fingers around his cock. “Oh, I’m not done yet. First, I want you to show me how to suck you.”

His eyes flash with a feral desire that has my blood pumping hard and hot through my veins.

“Fuck me. You never sucked a dick before?”

I shake my head, licking my lips.

“Fuck.”

His voice is hoarse. His dick grows hard in my hands.

“You’ll be the...”

“Death of you?” I finish for him. “So I’ve heard. Now show me how this is done.”

I slide down his body listening to his feral hiss.

Oh yes.

This is what I want.

THE SMELL OF COFFEE fills the air, and I cup my hands around a steaming mug, breathing in the rich aroma. The morning sun is bright, and everything feels a little lighter today. I sit at the outdoor table, trying to wipe the grin off my face, but I know I’m failing miserably.

I’ve never felt this way before.

The guys are slowly gathering, no doubt hungover after last night’s efforts. I have to fight the urge to offer them painkillers and water. Zane is the first to appear, shirtless, his hair a wild mess. Knox follows, a woman trailing behind him, half-naked.

Zane walks over to the table, coffee in hand, and stares down at me, eyes narrowed.

“What?” I ask, trying to sound innocent.

He grins. “Have a good night, did we?”

My cheeks burn, and I duck my head, pretending to focus on my drink. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t,” Zane smirks. “That why you’re sittin’ out here instead of in Steel’s bed?”

I roll my eyes, trying to suppress a smile. “I needed coffee.”

Mera walks over to us, her hair a tangled mess. “And some air. After last night, I’m surprised the girl can even walk.”

I flick a sugar packet at her. “Shut your nasty mouth.”

She laughs.

I’m about to respond when Wolfe appears, moving towards us with an expression that wipes the smile right off my face. It’s intense, and his eyes are fixed on me. My heart skips; there is something about his expression...it looks as though he’s about to tell me someone has died.

He isn’t, is he?

He’s holding a phone in his hand, and his eyes do a quick sweep over us before growling. “Where’s Steel?”

My stomach twists, and I know, even without seeing it, that this is bad. Really fucking bad.

“He’s not here. What is it?” I ask, rising to my feet. “What’s wrong?”

Wolfe’s eyes flick to the others, then back to me. “Where’s Steel?” he repeats, avoiding my question.

“Sleeping still. Wolfe, what’s going on?”

He doesn’t answer, his gaze shifting to the building as if Talon will magically appear. He is avoiding me, and I know it. Taking a step closer to him, I reach out, knowing whatever is on his phone, it is bad.

“Wolfe, please,” I say, my voice firm. “Tell me what’s going on.”

He looks at me, and I see the hesitation in his eyes. Then, finally, he speaks. “Someone sent me this.”

He turns the phone, showing me the screen.

A video.

The world tilts as I see her.

Lily.

She’s pale, too pale, her small body curled up, shivering, her cheeks hollow. My heart stops, then pounds, a wild thumping that drowns out everything else. She looks so sick, so fragile, like she’s barely hanging on. I feel like I’m going to throw up, my stomach twisting violently.

The camera zooms in and out, like someone is trying to get the perfect shot.

“Oh God,” I gasp, pressing a hand to my chest.

My knees buckle, and I feel Mera’s hand on my arm, steadying me, holding me up. The screen flickers, and then I see him—my father. His face fills the screen, and I flinch. His face, always calm, always together, looks right at me, as if I’m in the room with him.

“I know you’re watching this, Nia. You have twenty-four hours to give us what we want, or the child dies. The choice is yours. Miriam told us what you have planned. You’re making a grave mistake. May God have mercy on your soul.”

His voice is cold, so cold, and I know he means every word.

The camera cuts back to Lily, her small frame barely moving.

Wolfe’s voice cuts through the heavy silence. “Breathe, girl.”

I can’t. I can’t do this. “Miriam turned on me,” I yell, my voice a mix of pain and anguish. “She fucking turned on me.”

Mera’s voice is soft but urgent. “Hey, look at me. It’s bad, I know, but we’re going to find a way to get her out. I promise.”

I shake my head, my voice a strangled whisper. “She’s going to die in there. Maybe I should go. Maybe I should...”

Wolfe’s eyes are hard, his voice sharp. “If you go now, you’re givin’ them exactly what they want. You stay put. We’ll get her out.”

I fight back the urge to scream. “But what if—”

“No,” Wolfe cuts me off. “We’ll come up with a plan. Do nothin’ until I tell you to.”

The phone slips from my fingers, hitting the ground with a dull thud. I can’t even find the strength to pick it up, to look at it again. It’s too much. I made a promise that I would keep her safe, and now she is sick and it’s all because I didn’t keep that promise.

I should have gone back.

I should have agreed to help Cyrus.

It could be too late for Lily now.

“Where the fuck is Steel?” Knox barks.

“Get him. Now.”

Wolfe’s voice is a command as he turns to Kael. “Put more men on the perimeter. I don’t trust those fuckers not to pull somethin’. We ain’t safe.”

“Chances are they’ll make a move before we can, because they know we’ll try to do somethin’ after that video,” Knox growls. “We need to be ready.”

They do need to be ready.

But me, I have to make a choice.

Right now, the only thing I want is to get Lily.

I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it’s the wrong thing.

I need to speak to Cyrus. It’s the only way. If I don’t, the club could end up hurt, or worse.

The plan we had is gone, and now I have no choice but to fix it. If I don’t, too many lives will be lost.

It’s no longer worth the risk to the club.

It’s time I took matters into my own hands.