Page 96 of What Lies Within

I was fucking kidnapped, and vetoing a goddamn private road is their priority?

“Fox made a deal with the Devil’s Breed to move trafficked women up that road.” My uncle peeks at my reaction, curling his nose a little at the expected shock that widens my eyes. “He did it while pretending to act on behalf of the club.”

"Fuck," I breathe, burying my hands in the warmth of my sleeves. "No wonder Daddy killed him."

“Tyke had no choice,” Digger says quietly. “Your uncle was too far gone.”

Not that I mind, really. Uncle Fox and I never saw eye-to-eye. He was an absolute menace to me, and we had no relationship to speak of, so what is there to grieve?

"What if we tell the Devil's Breed we excommunicated him?" I say. “Explain he had no right to agree what he did.”

"Don't work like that, sweetheart. Colors are a promise and a contract. The fact that he had them when he met with the Breed overrules anything decided between officers prior. This fuck up ain’t their problem, it’s ours.”

“Shit.” Daddy really messed up when he let Fox get away with not returning his patch. “The Breed won’t care what road we use, though, right? What happens when they push the contract?”

“We make it too expensive to be viable. Convince them to look elsewhere.”

"That's a bit of a stretch." I swallow, hands flexing over my shin. "They're more likely to try and force our hand, aren't they?" The Devil's Breed has a reputation for violence without justification. Giving them a reason to be mad with us gives them license to be twice as volatile.

“They are.”

“Daddy knows this, doesn’t he?” I whisper. “That he’ll start a war.”

Digger tips his head back and sighs. “Yeah. He does.”

I open my mouth to ask what made him change his stance like this, what made him head toward the very thing he's avoided his entire tenure as president when the door to the yard slides open.

Digger spins in his seat, rising to his feet to face whoever decided the small hours would be a great fucking time to walk into the clubhouse for goddamn one percenters without invitation.

A rush of cold air slides across the floor, tickling my ankles as I set my feet on the ground and prepare to either run out of harm's way or toward the asshole shaking off his hooded jacket as he slides the door shut, back to Digger and I.

“You got business bein’ here?” Digger growls.

The visitor turns, and my stomach flips before thrashing against my heart, waking the dormant organ.

“Fuck off, old man.”

“Deo!” I skirt the sofa and leg it across the room before coming to my senses and slowing to a stop out of reach. “Where have you been?”

He drops his welcoming arms, smile falling from his face as I place a spatial barrier between us. “What’s the matter, babe?”

"Why didn't you answer my messages?" Fuck him if he thinks he can just walk back in here and have me fawn over him like a goddamn simp.

Ineededhim. I needed his reassurance and love, and he fucking walked away.

“Had my hands a little tied up,” he quips, rubbing his wrists as he does. “Came as soon as I could.”

“You were already here,” I remind him. “You came back now because you alreadyleft. Why’d you leave me?”

“You got to ask that?” He smirks.

Fuck him and his goddamn perfect mouth. “I do. Yeah.”

Digger’s faint shadow falls across the cold floor. “Where you been, boy?”

“Doing things you fuckers are too goddamn precious to.”

My uncle steps forward, inches between him and the son of my mother’s new husband. “Stop.” I hold a hand between them, stomach in knots at what Deo’s words could mean.

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