Page 48 of Pit

The table is lined with hungry brothers who all turn to me when the door smacks back against the wall. Axel arches a brow, but something about his smug smile makes me zone in on him. “Where is she?”

“Brother, you already know.”

“No,” I yell, balling my fists at my sides.

“She came to me, Pit,” he says, standing. “She asked me to send her home. And we’d already agreed on that, right?”

My chest aches and my heart twists painfully. “No,” I repeat, shaking my head.

“You knew we had to hand her back,” he says calmly.

Fletch heads towards me. “Come on, brother, let’s go somewhere else before you get another beating.” He tries to put his hand on my shoulder, but I shrug him off angrily, spinning on my heel and heading out the kitchen.

“Don’t take him to my office,” Axel calls out. “I don’t need him breaking shit.”

“Jesus, Axel, what’s gotten into you?” yells Lexi, and I hear her footsteps running up behind me.

“Pit,” she calls, “wait.” I push out into the fresh air, inhaling deeply. Fletch appears in my side vision, standing cautiously to my left. Lexi runs in front, spinning to face me and walking backwards.

“You know he’s right,” says Fletch. “She had to go back.”

“I don’t think she’ll go to the police, Pit,” adds Lexi, and I laugh coldly. Trust her to think that’s what’s upsetting me.

“She can’t. We saw to that,” I spit angrily.

“You’re upset she’s gone?” she asks, her voice laced with sadness. “Oh, Pit.”

“I don’t need your pity,” I snap, storming off around the side of the building. I run down the steps and into the empty basement. Maybe a small part of me hoped she’d be hiding here, but when I see she’s not here either, I crouch down and hang my head, allowing the pain to freeze my heart.

Lexi’s footfalls descend the stairs, and I feel her presence in the doorway. “I hate it down here,” she mutters, remaining by the door.

I drop back onto my arse and rest my arms on my raised knees. “It’s not meant to be inviting,” I say. “You shouldn’t be down here anyway, especially not alone without your old man.”

She rolls her eyes. “The rules are stupid.”

I snigger. “Tell him that to his face.”

“Why did she have to go back?” she asks.

“Club business,” I mutter.

“She really liked you.”

I shake my head, staring at the dirty floor and wondering how many people we’ve left down here to bleed out. “It was all an act.”

“It wasn’t.”

“She lured me in so I’d let my guard down and she could run.”

“But she didn’t run, did she? She asked Axel if she could go, and by the sounds of things, you’d already agreed to it.”

“Doesn’t make it . . .” I pause, feeling like a pussy for even thinking the words.

“Hurt any less,” she finishes for me. “So, go and tell her how you feel.”

“He can’t,” comes Axel’s voice, and she turns to look up the steps. “We made a deal with her husband, and The Chaos Demons don’t break deals.”

“Even for a brother?” she demands.

---