Page 124 of Crown of Lies

But before I can voice my agreement, Nico speaks up, his voice quiet but firm. “I think you should destroy it.”

The room instantly goes silent. I stare at him, sure I’ve misheard. “What?”

Nico meets my gaze, his expression resolute. “You heard me. I think you should destroy it.”

“But why?” I ask, stunned. “This could be our ticket out of this mess. It could fix everything.”

Nico shakes his head. “It’s not worth the risk. As long as that marker exists, you’ll never be safe. The Saint, the Syndicate, who knows who else—they’ll all be after you. Destroying it is the only way to get them to back off.”

I’m speechless. Nico is choosing my safety over his own interests, over the potential gain for his club. It’s a gesture I never expected.

“He’s right,” Atlas says, surprising me even more. “Using the marker might solve some problems, but it’ll create a whole lot more. You’ll always be looking over your shoulder, vicious.”

Killian nods slowly. “Yeah, now that I think about it, they’ve got a point. Better to cut our losses and keep you safe.”

I look around at these men, these friends who’ve become like family. Their concern for my well-being touches me deeply.

“So we find it and destroy it,” I say, just to make sure we’re all in agreement. “And hope that puts an end to this whole mess?”

“Sounds like that’s the plan,” Nico nods, along with the other two men.

I feel a wave of relief wash over me. Even after everything, these men have my back. It’s a stark contrast to the tense and uncertain atmosphere that’s been hanging over us lately.

“Are you sure? It could set you guys back even more,” I ask, referring to the clubhouse. I don’t want to keep reminding them of their losses, but it’s been weighing on my mind.

Nico waves off my concerns. “Fuck the clubhouse. We’ll rebuild, but that’s not the point. The point is, we don’t need the Syndicate for that. Together, we’re stronger than any single gang in this city. We don’t need their help.”

“We’ve already shown what we can do,” Atlas adds, his voice steady. “We took down the Young Killers, and we can keep taking their territory, bit by bit. We can use this to send a message.”

I nod, feeling a surge of determination.

Killian speaks up, a similar sort of determined edge to his voice. “Exactly. We don’t need some marker or shady connections to the Syndicate. Our strength is in our numbers, and together, we can make sure no one fucks with us again.”

The weight of his words settles on me, and I realize they’re right. This thing between us is real. It’s not just about survival and revenge anymore. it’s a partnership.

“Okay,” I nod, meeting each of their gazes in turn. “Let’s do it. Together.”

“Damn right,” Nico agrees, a grin spreading across his face.

Atlas pumps his fist. “No more bullshit, no more territory disputes. Just us, running the show.”

Nico’s face softens, and he nods. “Exactly. We take out the competition one by one while we get stronger and stronger. We’ll show this city what we’re made of.”

We fall into an easy discussion of what the future could hold, talking about the territory we could claim and the influence we could wield. It feels good to dream, to imagine a future where we’re not constantly looking over our shoulders.

After a while, Nico checks his watch and interrupts our daydreaming. “We should head out. The guys are expecting us at the new clubhouse.”

“You coming, vicious?” Atlas asks, eyes shining with excitement. It’s obvious this is a big deal to them, this new clubhouse represents a fresh start even if it’s just a temporary location.

I nod, feeling more a part of this team than ever. “Yeah, let’s go.”

36

ATLAS

Quinn’s bikeis still banged up from her crash, so I talked her into riding with me over to the new clubhouse. As she settles in behind me, her arms wrap around my waist, and her body fits flush against mine. I feel her breath on my back and her chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale.

Jesus, am I really supposed to concentrate on driving like this? When all I want to do is pull her right back off this bike and fuck her until the sun comes up?

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