Page 43 of Festive

And pacing back and forth is not giving them to me.

All it is doing is making the anger grow inside me like a raging fucking bull.

Cherry steps up to my side, wrapping her arm around me. “You need to sit down. You’re wearing a hole in the floor.”

“I can’t stand around not knowing what happened. Neon, can you pull up the camera footage of the clubhouse from just before Six went down and see if there’s anything suspicious?”

Neon doesn’t waste a second, pulling out his laptop with a speed that sends a jolt of electricity through the room. The tension is suffocating as we all crowd around, eyes glued to the screen while he types furiously, pulling up the security footage. The seconds feel like hours, each of us holding our breath, bracing for what we already know deep down.

The footage flickers to life, and there it is—clear as day. Six sits there, facing Amber, their conversation heated, hismovements agitated. Then, it happens. The moment that flips everything on its head. He turns away for a brief second, and she does it—empties some kind of powder into his drink, quick and deliberate.

We all gasp. My stomach lurches like I’ve been punched, my heart slamming in my chest so hard I hear the blood rushing in my ears. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Bile rises in my throat, and for a split second, the whole world freezes around me, locking me in this nightmare.

“That crazy fucking bitch poisoned him!” My voice is raw, cracking with fury and disbelief. I can’t even process how she could do something like this—to him, to us.

Prinie’s hand covers her mouth, eyes wide and glistening, and Chains immediately bolts up, his face red with rage, fists clenched. His whole body is shaking, and for a moment, I think he might explode.

“Chains, go tell Chills!” I bark, my voice louder than I intended, barely masking the panic clawing its way up my throat.

He nods once, stiff and jerky like he’s barely keeping himself from ripping someone apart.

Like all the brothers are right now.

His legs carry him out of the room fast, but not fast enough. I want to tear the walls down, do something, anything to stop the horror unfolding in front of us.

The knot in my stomach tightens, dread swallowing me whole as the reality sinks in.

This isn’t just some betrayal.

This is an act of war.

And she went aftermyfamily.

If you come after the Walkers, we’re going to make sure you suffer—painfully!

Chains takes off to find Chills and fill her in on theinformation we have found so she can make any medical adjustments she needs to as Wraith cracks his knuckles. “What do you wanna do, Zero?”

“We need to find Amber before she’s lost in the wind. That bitch needs to pay. Texas, Kevlar, go find her and bring her back to the Chamber. We’ll deal with her when Six is back at full speed.”

“You got it,” Texas states.

Kevlar and Texas take off without hesitation, but the second they’re gone, the air in the room feels heavier—thicker. My heart pounds erratically in my chest, each beat a ticking clock, and the anxiety gnaws at my insides. Every breath I take feels shallow like I’m running out of air, but all I can do is stand…

Waiting.

Waiting for news I’m terrified to hear.

Minutes crawl by, each one stretching into an eternity.

I pace the room, rubbing my palms over my bearded chin, through my hair, clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to burn off the nervous energy tearing through me. The walls seem to close in around me, my skin prickling with the weight of it all. My head is a mess, thoughts spinning out of control, imagining every possible scenario.

What if it’s too late?

What if he doesn’t pull through?

The Walker name has been The Houston Defiance legacy for years.

If Koda doesn’t make it, I’m not medically able to take back the chair.

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