Page 77 of Raze

“Step down, Dev.” I hold in my anger, staring at the girl in front of me who suddenly feels like a stranger.

“Raze, I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you but?—”

“You lied to me.” I frown, feeling betrayed and humiliated in front of all my brothers.

“No, I really did need your help. Something happened and I had to get out of Sacramento, my father used to be a Reaper too, but not anymore. He was the one who told me to come here.”

“Fuck.” I step away from her when it all starts to make sense.

“That’s how they knew we would be where we were on the run. It’s how they knew the clubhouse would be quiet today. You’ve been feeding ‘em information.” I look at her pretty, little face and can’t believe I let it blindside me.

“No, I would never…I love you, Raze, you know that.”

The rage swells inside me as I step into her face.

“I know fuck all about you,” I tell her wishing I could clasp my hands around her throat and fuckin’ choke her for the fool she’s made outta me.

“Raze, don’t do this, hear me out. Kane’s a good guy, he thinks I’m in danger here, he was trying to help me.”

“Kane?” I laugh cruelly, wondering what all the men surrounding me must be thinking of their leader now.

“My brother, he’s been trying to make amends for what our father did and he’s desperate to be one of them. I don’t know why. I see now how different they are to you guys. But if you could just–”

“Get outta my club.” I see how my order shocks her, and in all honesty, it shocks me too. They are words that I never expected to be saying to her. I fell hard and I fell fast. I thought that nothing in this world would be able to come between us, but now I see that Sinner was right. She never loved me. I’ve just been her protection.

Peyton doesn’t move, just stares at me like she’s waiting for me to realize what I’ve said and take it back.

I nod my head toward the door to remind her it’s there when I feel my anger starting to overcome me.

“No, Raze, I’m not leaving, we need to talk about this. There's so much you need to know and when I tell you, you’ll understand.”

“I understand just fine. Now get outta my club,” I repeat, taking her by the arm and dragging her toward the door. I vowed I would never let another woman break my heart, and I was barely back here a month before I failed.

“Raze, please!” she begs, looking so desperate and beautiful that I feel her scratching a scar into my heart. I wanna take her in my arms, wrap her up, and tell her everything’s okay, but I can’t. She’s betrayed me in the worst possible way.

“Griller’s dead because of you. Saul’s been shot, and we’re done.” I shake my head and watch her eyes fill up with tears.

“Raz–”

“Tell your brother if he ever comes here again, I’ll kill him.” I turn my back on her and storm toward the balcony door so I don’t have to face up to all the people I’ve let down.

Ihear someone call after me when I get to my car and although it sounds nothing like him when I spin around and see it isn’t Raze my heart drops back into my stomach.

“Wrath.” I’m surprised that he doesn’t look as mad at me as everyone else is, in fact, he almost looks as if he feels sorry for me.

“You can’t leave town, you have to stay.” He surprises me even more by what he says.

“You heard him, he hates me,” I sob.

“Raze don’t hate you. He hates that you lied to him, it's a huge deal for him and the fact it was over somethin’ important makes it so much worse. Peyton, I don’t know what's gone down but I get the feelin’ you didn’t mean for it to get this far, and I know that you're not lyin’ when you say you're in love with him.”

“I’m not lying, Wrath. You need to make him realize. You need to talk to him.” I see a glimmer of hope and snatch it in my hands.

“I can’t, not while he’s the way he is. He’s mad and frustrated and I’m pretty sure what he just heard has ripped the heart outta his chest, but you're good for him. The way he’s been these past few weeks…” Wrath smiles “…I ain’t ever seen him look that happy and that’s why you can’t leave town. But you do need to give him some space to calm down and think this over.”

“I have nowhere to go.” I shake my head, feeling helpless once again.

“You do. Here.” Wrath reaches into his pocket and takes out a set of keys.

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