I get out and head inside, anxious to see Reid but knowing I have to do something first. Although Lucien intimidates the hell out of me, I walk down the hall to his office and knock on his door.

  When he yells for me to enter, I push the door open and step inside. Warren and Harco are in with him, and he tells them to leave.

  “Your fuckboy has caused a shitstorm of trouble,” Lucien says, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his seat.

  “That’s why I came to see you first. This is my fault.”

  He shakes his head. “One thing you should know about Reid is that he doesn’t do a fucking thing he doesn’t want to do.”

  “You’re wrong,” I say, and he cocks an eyebrow at me. “He does whatever you order him to do, right?”

  “Sit. Talk.”

  “The first guy...Tonto...the governor...they weren’t the only ones that, um, well, that raped me. Donovan did, too, and Reid just found out. I didn’t intend for him to, but Donovan came to the library where I work. He assaulted me. Said they’ve always been able to find me. Please don’t blame Reid.”

  “He said that? That they’ve always been able to find you?”

  I nod, and he gets up and comes around his desk, taking my hand. He checks my wrist and arm, gently pushing down as if he’s checking for something.

  “Did they do any kind of procedure on you? Insert something?”

  “Birth control in my arm,” I answer. “Oh, and I remember having a bandage on my neck, but I don’t know what happened. It was just there.”

  He gently pulls my hair to the side and inspects the nape of my neck, pressing his fingers in the spot where I remember the bandage being.

  “Son of a fucking bitch. He put a tracker in you.”

  “He what?” I shriek, reaching up and putting my hand to my neck. “Get it out!”

  “Not yet.”

  He’s so calm, collected, and I’m freaking the fuck out. I want to dig my own fingernails into my flesh and claw it out. This whole time I thought I was safe, and he has always known where I was. He’s always had access to me.

  “Now that his son is dead, he’s going to come after us. We need to use everything we have against him. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but that includes you. We can’t let on that we know about the tracker. We can use it to our advantage. You understand that?”

  I slowly nod. I hate it, but I understand it. If they need to set a trap, I’ll be the bait. We don’t know what the governor will do now that Donovan is dead.

  “This stays between us. The damn kid has already fucked things up for us enough.”

  Again, I slowly nod. Lie to Reid. Another thing I hate but understand. But I can’t help but think that if I hadn’t lied to him about Donovan, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Reid

  I sit at the table, the blood washed away from me as I await my fate. I wanted to see Phoenix before I came to church but couldn’t find her. Warren told me it was best to get in here and get this over with. The guys are talking amongst themselves, no doubt discussing what to do with me.

  News of Donovan’s murder broke fast, his body found shortly after I left the scene. The grieving governor has already made a statement, promising a hefty reward for any details that lead to an arrest. It won’t be my arrest. I may have been hasty, but I wasn’t sloppy.

  Lucien walks in, and the room quiets down. He glares at me as he takes his seat at the head of the table. When he bangs the gavel, he wastes no time in getting down to business.

  “I assume you’ve all heard about the murder of Donovan Chaise and you know that Reid is responsible. Reid, you have the table.”

  “Yes, I killed him. He assaulted Phoenix. I don’t need any further reason than that. The governor agreed she wouldn’t be touched. His son broke the agreement.”

  “She isn’t your old lady,” Wiggie says. “You broke your loyalty to the club for a piece of pussy?”

  I clear my throat and swallow. “She’s more than that to me.”

  “We heard his side. First vote is whether or not he deserves repercussions for his actions. If the vote is yay, we’ll vote on what those repercussions are,” Lucien says. “I’ll cast my vote first. If Harper was assaulted, I don’t give a fuck if it was by the Pope, I would kill that motherfucker. Phoenix is Reid’s old lady, the same way Harper is mine. He was taking care of his old lady. My vote as to whether Reid Seraph deserves repercussions for his actions is nay.”

  I snap my head in his direction, truly shocked and honored by his vote. I thought he would throw the fucking gavel at me. At least vote for a beating to teach me a lesson. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve suffered a beating at the hands of this club.

  The rest of the members fall in line. All voting nay. This sense of pride, accomplishment, overwhelms me. I’d say I almost come to tears, but I don’t fucking cry. I’m not a damn pussy.

  “We can expect the governor to pull his business from us. I’m certain Reid didn’t leave behind anything that will link him to the murder, but Chaise will know. I don’t imagine anyone else has made a threat against his son. He’ll be out for blood after that. We’ll get our next shipment from Braga tomorrow, make the deliveries, and then we’ll lay low for a bit. See if this shitstorm will blow over.”

  He adjourns the meeting, and the guys clap, giving me hell while at the same time congratulating me for having an old lady. Lucien pats my back.

  “You fucked us over, kid. But I would’ve done the exact same thing.”

  I nod and then make my way out of the room. I need to find Phoenix, find out if she’s all right. Apologize for leaving her the way I did.

  I go in search of her and find her leaning against the doorframe to my room, phone in hand. I glance down at it to see what she’s doing and frown when I see that she’s watching the press conference from the governor. I take the phone from her and tug her into my room, tossing her phone onto my dresser.

  “Did they kick you out?” she asks, her voice full of worry.

  I don’t answer. Instead, I just kiss her. Her arms snake around my neck, and I wrap mine around her waist, our tongues dancing. I break the kiss and lower myself down to my knees, kneeling in front of her.

  With my hands at her sides, I rest my forehead on her stomach and close my eyes. I curse myself for tearing up. I’m not this person. I don’t get emotional. I do not fucking cry.

  But I killed a man for her. I went against the club, and they understood. I didn’t lose them, and I haven’t lost her.

  “I love you,” I choke out. “Damn, I love you.”

  She takes my hands and drops to her knees so that she’s level with me. I don’t remember a time that I’ve cried since I was a kid. In fact, I don’t remember a time that I’ve cried since I watched that man come into our room when I was at the orphanage.

  But a solitary tear rolls down my cheek, and this fucking incredible woman leans in and kisses it away.

  I didn’t save her. She is completely wrong about that. She has saved me.

  Phoenix

  I never expected to see Reid so vulnerable, so open. I won’t handle this gift he’s giving me carelessly. I will cherish it because I know he doesn’t do it lightly.

  I am dangerously in love with him.

  He killed a man for me today, and that should terrify me. Should make me tremble in fear. And maybe it would, had I not suffered what I did. But I lived through an ordeal most people don’t ever have to face, and I rose from that.

  “I love you,” I whisper as I trace my fingers over his lips.

  He sucks my finger into his mouth, gently biting down on the tip. His hands go to the hem of my shirt and he lifts it up and over my head, trailing his hands back down my body, skimming over my breasts and down my stomach.

  Tears sting my eyes. “I didn’t think we would ever be like this. I always wanted it, but you didn’t look at me this way.”

  He reaches back and pulls his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor with mine. I touch his stomach, my fingers going over the ridges of his abs. All the other guys here have tattoos and piercings, but not him. His skin is unmarked.

  “You were just blind to the way I looked at you, Phoenix.”

  “I’m not blind anymore.”

  He finishes undressing me, and I crawl over to the bed, anxiously awaiting what’s next. When I was in captivity, I started craving sex. Craving the pleasure it gave my body. Craving the release even though I despised the men who gave it to me. My body needed it.

  What I need now is so much more than pleasure. So much more than release. It’s the connection I have with Reid. No one else gave me that. It couldn’t be forced. Couldn’t be taken from me.

  “Spread your legs,” he orders as he unbuttons his pants and pushes them down his legs.

  I do as he says, letting my legs fall apart. His eyes darken as I reach my hand down and touch myself, running my finger between my slickened folds. He wraps his hand around his dick, slowly pumping.

  “More.”

  I slip one finger inside and moan, my eyes never leaving his. I lick my lips, wanting ― no, needing ― more. He must sense my desperation because he grabs my ankles and flips me onto my stomach, pulling me back to the edge of the bed. He grips my hips and bends me over, lining the tip of his dick with my entrance.

  When Reid pushes inside me and starts to move, I know that I won’t ever have this connection with anyone else.

  I’m in pure awe of him as he glides in and out of me, worshiping my body the way I was told he eventually would. He’s made me the goddess of his own personal hell. And I relish in it. I love being his goddess, for he is my god.

  If this is hell, banish me here forever.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Reid

  I light a cigarette and take a long drag, still waiting on the delivery to arrive. They’re two fucking hours late. Warren has already been on the phone with Lucien, and I know Lucien has contacted Braga to see what the hell is going on. We didn’t have any issues before.

  “We have a problem,” Warren says, climbing into the truck. “Let’s go. I’ll fill you in on the way back to the clubhouse.”

  I toss my cigarette down and snuff it out with my boot before getting in the passenger side. Whatever’s going on, it can’t be good. The cartel doesn’t miss deliveries for any reason.

  Before they were working with us, they were dealing to Jimenez, and I highly doubt they made it a common thing to fuck him over on deliveries. It’s just not the way to do business.

  “The delivery was stopped at the border,” Warren explains. “Braga’s men have never fucking been stopped. Has to be the governor.”

  “Shit. Has he even reached out?”

  “To the men responsible for his son’s gruesome death? No.”

  “If we can’t get our shipment, we’re fucked.”

  “No shit. You think those low-level dealers won’t try to snatch up what’s ours? They’ll be chomping at the bit, and you can guarantee there’ll be some bloodshed in the city for whoever wants to be the next ringleader in the drug game.”

  I don’t regret killing Donovan, not in the slightest, but I hate the trouble I’ve caused the club. I knew the governor would find a way to hurt us, but I honestly thought he would try to get at Phoenix or pull his business dealings with us, which would cripple us financially. I didn’t expect him to paralyze us.

  “What’s Lucien saying? What’s the plan?”

  Warren shakes his head. “No fucking idea. If we cross the border, I highly doubt we’ll make it back. The governor will be watching for that.”

  “What about Hell’s Fury?”

  “You are not sending my woman over the line. Get that fucking thought out of your head.”

  “Well, can she at least see what’s shaking with the DEA? She fucking works there for a damn reason.”

  “What the hell do you think she’s been doing?”

  I run a hand through my hair and apologize. I know if it weren’t for Mackenzie, we wouldn’t have gotten back the product we have. Wouldn’t have made good on our deliveries without the DEA on our asses.

  “Let’s just get back, and we’ll figure this shit out.”

  Yeah, figure out how to get ourselves out of the chaos I’ve created. Governor Chaise is on a mission to destroy us, and I get it. I’ve taken away two things from the governor.

  His possession and his son.

  Phoenix

  I take the pickles off of my burger and set them to the side before picking it up and taking a huge bite. Harper immediately picks them up and eats them. Mackenzie chuckles and shakes her head. I’m at the DEA’s office to eat lunch with the two of them. Fletcher is here with us, but he’s eating his lunch outside so the three of us can have some girls’ time.

  “One sec,” Mackenzie says, answering her phone. She walks off to talk privately, and I hand another pickle to Harper.

  “Are you craving those?”

  “Yeah, pretty much anything sour. Or sweet. Or salty,” she says and laughs. “I’m going to be as big as a damn house if I keep this up.”

  “Damn it,” Mackenzie says, returning. Then, in a hushed voice, she says, “The governor stopped the delivery.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  “He’s retaliating,” Harper answers. “Financially crippling the club. Trying to shut us down.”

  “Okay, well, what do we do?”

  “He has a much farther reach than we do. Sure, we have people in our pockets, but he’s the governor.”

  I frown. “So, that’s it? We give up? Aren’t there other clubs? People we can call for help? They have people in their pockets, too, don’t they? What about the DEA?”

  “Shut up,” Mackenzie hisses. “I work here, but they don’t know what I do.”

  “Maybe it’s time they did.”

  She looks pissed, but if it comes down to her keeping her secret or helping the club, I think she should help the club. I’m sure deep down, she feels the same way.

  “Let me ask this. What’s the worst that could happen if the club doesn’t get the delivery? What is the fallout from that?”

  “The other dealers in the city will fight to take their place with the cartel,” Harper answers. “Where we can control that import right now, it will go to someone else, and they may not have our same principles.”

  “Meaning they wouldn’t mind selling to kids, certain areas we consider off-limits,” Mackenzie adds.

  “Is that what the DEA would want? Or do they prefer it under the Sinners’ control?”

  Mackenzie sighs. “That’s a huge risk for me to take.”

  “Would Warren take it for you?”

  She shakes her head. “Reid has rubbed off on you too much.”

  “Don’t do anything you don’t want to do,” Harper says.

  “Phoenix is right. Agent Redmond has made comments about how crimes associated with drugs have decreased, and that has only happened since the Sinners took over Jimenez’s territory. With them being in charge, they’ve cleaned the city up. If he knows there’s a chance of the crime rate going through the roof again, he may want to keep that from happening. I’ll talk to him first and then bring it to Lucien.”

  I hope he’ll be open-minded. As for Lucien, there’s something I want to talk to him about, too. It’s time to bring the governor down. And I know just the way to do it.

  A little game of cat and mouse.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Reid

  We sit around the table, something we seem to do pretty fucking often lately. Anytime there’s an issue we need to discuss, we have church. We have it once a week anyway, but if there’s a vote that needs to happen or a problem arises, we have church. There’s been a lot of fucking problems for us.

  By the time we got to the clubhouse, Phoenix, Mackenzie, and Harper were here with a few of the other Hell’s Fury members. Mackenzie was meeting with Lucien in his office.

  I went straight to Phoenix, threw her over my shoulder, and carried her to my room, where I proceeded to fuck her against my door because I didn’t want to waste the time to take her to my bed. With all the shit going down, I needed to be buried inside her sweet fucking pussy. Needed the distraction.

  I love how she didn’t ask questions, didn’t tell me to stop. She opened herself up to me and let me in. She knew what I needed and gave it to me. Let me take it from her. She’s so damn perfect for me.

  “Who was that with Mackenzie?” Wiggie asks Warren, and I look over to them to see what he’s talking about.

  “DEA agent.”

  “What the fuck? Seriously? Here at the clubhouse?”

  “She’s going to fill us in. Calm your tits.”

  I chuckle, shaking my head. Mackenzie came through for us. There’s no way an agent would be here unless she worked out some sort of deal.

  “All right, listen up,” Lucien says, walking in. “Church is in session.” He takes his rightful seat and slams the gavel down to get everyone’s attention. “As you all know, our delivery from Braga didn’t happen this morning. His shipment was halted at the border. That’s a fucking problem for us. No delivery. No money. That’s not the way I run things. I also don’t appreciate the governor fucking with my business.”

  “What’s the plan?” Wiggie asks.

  “I’m going to bring Mackenzie in. She has a guest with her.”

  Harco gets up and opens the door, letting the two of them in. Mackenzie walks over to where Lucien is sitting, a weary-looking agent at her side.

  “This is Agent Redmond. Redmond, these are my guys,” Lucien introduces him. “He’s going to be working with us. Reluctantly, I might add.”

 

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