Page 45 of Making Choices

“Ambushin’ her is fuckin’ stupid,” I warn Venom as we head inside the main bar after having spent hours going through the footage of Brutus coming and going from Joseph Kingsley’s office that Gabriel somehow managed to get his hands on. “Just pull her aside and warn her that it’s goin’ down in a few minutes. Then, I’ll hang around afterward to suss out Brutus and make sure she’s okay.”

“Can’t.”

My fingers are around his throat and I’ve shoved him against the building before I realise what I’ve done. “Can’t or won’t?”

“Can’t,” Venom confesses in a broken tone. “If I get near her, I’m gonna call it off, and I’ll be puttin’ her in danger by doin’ that.” Despite my height and slight weight advantage, he shoves me off with ease. I step out of arm’s reach in case he goes to swing at me and the rest of our group surges between us. “My head knows I need her safe more than I need her by my side right now, but this is breakin’ at the thought of lettin’ her go.”

My best friend thumps his closed-fist right over his heart, and I wish he’d punched me in the face instead. It’d be easier to accept than watching my best friend drown under the burden of his responsibilities. He’s flailing. Looking for a way out of the plan we’ve all agreed gives us the best opportunity of keeping Cherub safe and flushing out Brutus and his rats.

Not that I should be judging him for his weakness.

Not when I’m the biggest fuck up of us all.

“Look, why don’t I—”

Toker cuts my offer to deal with Cherub cold. “I said I’ll do it. You need an inside man, someone who can tell you what Brutus is up to without makin’ him suspicious. As his nephew, I make the most sense.”

“Nah, I can—”

This time it’s Hunter who speaks over me. “It’s the best way forward. Toker’s got the family connection to lean on, plus he’s the last person anyone’d expect to be a double agent. The old-timers act like he can barely tie his own shoelaces… they’ll never expect him to try to pull off a ruse like this.”

“Still think it should be—”

“No offence intended, Toker, but I agree,” Cub interjects. He doesn’t even look my way as he expands on his reasoning, “It’s not that you’re an actual loose cannon, it’s more how the prez and his faction sees you. He’ll expect Hunter to try somethin’. He’s always known who’s got my loyalty. Toker’s got the benefit of bein’ known as the club’s shit stirrer, plus him and Venom go at it all the bloody time… who better to pull this off?”

Cub doesn’t mention me as an option. He simply folds his arms over his chest and nods as if the matter is settled. As I scan the three men standing between me and my best friend, I realise that they’re all aware of my feelings for Cherub. In their own quiet way, they’ve just laid down the gauntlet and taken me off the field without alerting Venom to my perceived betrayal.

I swallow down the words of aggravation that surge to the tip of my tongue and settle on glaring at my younger brother. Hunter hitches his chin higher and stares me down. I shift my focus to Toker. He lifts his eyebrows at me, then blows me a kiss. When Cub snickers, I don’t bother to give him my attention. He’s obviously spoken to my little brother and believes I’m a fuck-up for harbouring a secret love for my best friend’s girl.

“It’s settled then,” Venom declares.

The pain in his expression is hard to take, yet I force myself to absorb it all. My greatest wish is his worst nightmare. I’d be the person heaping this agony on his head if I took Cherub for my own.

I can’t do that to him.

He’s never done a thing to deserve it.

“You want me to come with you?”

Venom inclines his head as he accepts my offer. “Need you to pull me up if things get outta control.”

As a cohesive unit, we enter the clubhouse. The old-timers hanging with Brutus at the bar barely spare us a glance. My father and Hades raise their beer bottles our way, and Mumma offers me a cheery wave from her table in the corner with Charlie. Tank’s wife, Delia, takes one look at us as she enters from the opposite side of the room and skedaddles out of the bar back in the direction of the sleeping quarters.

“Go and find a seat in the den,” Toker tells Venom. “Don’t say a word to Cherub, just plant your arse and wait for me to start throwin’ hands.”

I try to raise my objections again. “Still think you should warn her.”

Venom doesn’t seem to hear me. He puts his head down, shoves his hands in his pockets, and makes his way toward the den. I watch him go, uncertain if I should follow him or wait for the argument to start. It’s a shit position to be in—a self-induced dilemma—because any other time I’d be on his six without hesitation.

Just like he’d take mine.

“You gonna have his back through this or you plannin’ on plantin’ a knife in it?”

Whirling on Toker, I snatch a handful of his shirt and pull him onto his toes. Nose to nose, I snarl, “You don’t get to question my loyalty.”

“Really?” The dumb prick smirks at me. He lifts his eyebrows as he remarks, “’Cause I’m pretty sure he’d gut you if he found out what you’ve been thinkin’ about doin’ to Cherub.”

“Yeah,” Cub offers in a muted voice as he elbows his way between me and Toker. “Doubt he’d find your brand of loyalty all that appealin’ if he knew how much you’d like to take his place.”

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