“What the fuck, kid?”

“Can’t stop,” I call out, swinging myself around Sawyer’s doorway with one arm. The room is still empty, and I take a step back to search out King and see what he’s found when something catches my eye, something I didn’t notice before.

On the nightstand, under the edge of the lamp base, is a slip of rough paper. I hold myself back from swiping everything off the table to get to it, and lift the lamp with a hot hand to pick the note up.

I know you won’t understand, but I have to set things right with Gunter and Eddie. I couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt because of me. Hopefully I’ll see you again real soon.

x Ryan.

The words make less sense the more I read it. Why would she think she had to face this fight alone? Why would she put herself at risk like that?

Because she thinks you’re worth it, dumbass. She thinks you’re worth risking everything for.

I choke back the useless fear clogging my throat and slam the note to my thigh in frustration, crumpling the paper inside my fist. She thinks she needs to set things right for me? Well, baby, you got another thing coming. She’s not the only one who found something worth risking it all for.

I’d walk away from everybody I know, the life I’ve created, and start it all again just to see her smile one more time. She’s warm sunshine on my stormy days, and if it’s going to rain anyway, I may as well have a rainbow.

I bolt from the room, passing Vince on the stairs, and sprint across the common room and down the entrance hall. Ty opens the door as I near, shock clear on his face as I call out ‘no time’ and barrel past him to hunt out King. The president of this rough bunch I’ve come to know as extended family walks toward me from the gate. The worry on his face is clear as day, despite his thick beard and long hair falling over his eyes.

“Her car’s gone,” he announces as I skid to a halt, kicking up dust and stones.

“I know,” I pant. “She left this.” I hand him the note and watch as he reads.

“Just like her fuckin’ old man,” King mutters, handing the paper back. “Too proud to let anyone else help them handle the mess.”

I jam the note in my pocket and turn back to where Ty’s still holding the door open. “You going to share what’s going on?” he calls out as we approach.

“Doin’ this the quiet way has just become redundant,” King says, passing Ty. “Things are about to get real fuckin’ busy around here.” He cups his hands around his mouth as we all enter the common room. “Church, fuckers! Officers have got two minutes to get their asses in there!”

“What the hell’s happened?” Ty asks again.

I turn and look at him, and at the men bee-lining for the meeting room. “It’s a long story and I don’t really have time to explain, brother, but I think you’re about to find out anyway.” I tip my head toward the gathering committee. “Come on. Let’s go work this shit out once and for all so we can both get back to livin’ a life we fuckin’ deserve for a change.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

King throws his feet up on the table in what I’ve come to know as his signature move for ‘let’s kick this off’. Callum shuts the door and takes his seat beside King. Every man in the room is silent, waiting on the meaning of the impromptu session.

“Best-laid plans never work out that way,” King starts. “We all know this. We also know that doin’ shit on the quiet hardly ever works out, either. So it should come as no surprise to you lot that the initial plan to bleed Eddie’s dealers from under him to use for our own advantage hasn’t worked. We’ve also got new complications,” he announces. A murmur circles the table. “Apparently our family isn’t big enough as it is, so we’re yet again goin’ in to help out a friend.” King nods to Vince, giving him the go ahead.

“This got something to do with Tuck bein’ here and young Bronx looking like a startled deer over there?”

“Everything to do with that,” King says. “Tuck’s daughter runs with Eddie’s crew, a discovery we made thanks to our own Casanova here, Bronx.” He gestures to Harris and I in turn. “‘So what?’ you might ask. ‘She ain’t part of our crew, so what’s it got to do with us?’” He chuckles sardonically. “As usual, everything. She’s gone runnin’ back to Eddie and her ex-boyfriend . . . he is an ex now, right?”

I nod.

“Her ex-boyfriend,” King continues, “to try and shift the heat off us. They know we’re involved, thanks to her decision to seek our help trackin’ down Tuck, and she thinks she can do somethin’—God knows what—to make them let that go. What the girl is yet to realize is that men like Eddie don’t let shit like that go. We know that”—the men at the table murmur in agreement—“but she don’t. Our girl Ryan, has, to put it simply, gone runnin’ back to her executioner.” He scrubs his hands over his head before carrying on. “Now, for reasons I won’t go into, Tuck doesn’t need her death on his conscience right now. So, get ready to saddle up, boys, because we’re goin’ to collect.” He nods to Callum.

“Excuse any disrespect,” he says, “but what about our problem? We’ve still got a fuckload of cash to pay the Koreans, and if I’m not mistaken, no way to quickly do it now. What the fuck do we owe the Breed?” He lifts his hand to Harris, indicating no harm.

Harris nods his acknowledgment.

“Some of you may know that Tuck was a prospect here for a long time,” King explains. “Apex fucked him over, to put it bluntly. The whole reason why our clubs don’t get on is because of that. Apex is dead, so we move on. There’s no heat between Tuck and I, so it’s time we buried this fuckin’ shit and started workin’ together instead of runnin’ around cuttin’ of our noses to spite our face.”

Another murmur sweeps the room, dying off as Harris clears his throat. “I’m goin’ to cut it straight for you lot,” he says. “I’m a dyin’ man.” A few of the Saints drop their heads in a sign of respect. “The only thing I want to be sure of before I go is that my baby girl will be safe and happy.” He turns his head, looking me dead in the eye. “And that’s here with you.”

“Share the sentiment, brother,” I assure him.

He nods and turns his attention back to the head of the table.

“Part two of the deal,” King says. “It’s okay with all of you bastards if I bring in non-officers?”

The table nods in acknowledgement, and King rises to open the door, calling out across the common room to Harris’ men. The guys walk in, nodding to the group, and shut the door.

“This shit needs to stop here, and today,” King says, leaning his fists on the tabletop where he stands beside his seat, “I propose we split our resources down the middle and attack both heads of the serpent.”

Harris frowns, crossing his arms over his chest.

“First part is the job for us,” King tells him. “We’ll head in and get Ryan, takin’ down Eddie while we’re there. No point startin’ bloodshed over there if we aren’t going to do the whole job.” He straightens and mirrors Harris, his arms folded over his chest. “Second part’s yours. While we’re knockin’ on Eddie’s door, I need you to take down Carlos. It’s not goin’ to be easy, and I won’t promise that all of us will be here to celebrate tomorrow, but sometimes a man’s just gotta do the thing he fears the most and fuckin’ face his demons head on.”

All eyes dart between the two presidents, waiting on the answer. Something passes between the two men, a calm understanding before Harris pulls in a heavy breath and frowns. “I understand the sentiment behind this, kid, but what you think’s goin’ to happen when they’re both bled out? You’re talkin’ about throwing not one, but two outfits into upheaval.”

“Well aware,” King states.

“Eddie might be a backyard player, only startin’ out in the grand scheme of things, but you’re askin’ me to take down one of the top cartel bosses in the country.”