Page 17 of Echoes of Temptation

“Maybe she needed money,” Colt says.

“She doesn’t,” Blackhawk laughs. “Her parents have more than enough money for many lifetimes. Maddy is a trust fund baby. She only works because she loves her fucking job. Not because she needs money.”

He’s not wrong about that. They’re loaded. After calling her parents, I told them I didn’t want the money and to never contact me again. I don’t care how much money they offered me. I don’t take on guilty clients.

“Then why not simply pay back the money if she was so afraid for her life?” Viper asks.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Bitsy glares at her husband. “She doesn’t owe that man a damn dime. She was scared for her life and didn’t understand why he was after her. She’s the victim in this.”

Viper sighs and sits down on one of the stools at the bar. He’s learned not to talk back these past two weeks. He’s already terrified that Bitsy is going to leave him. Venom has had the same thoughts about his woman. They are beyond pissed at us.

But they’ll get over it.

“She’s been missing since she left,” Blackhawk tells us.

My heart beats a bit louder at that statement but I ignore it. She probably got what she deserved and is lying somewhere with a bullet between her eyes.

I ignore the pain in my gut at the thought.

“Her parents called me a few days ago asking if she was with me,” he continues. “I’ve checked her apartment and even went to her school. She hasn’t been there. I swear on everything in my soul, if she is dead because you fuckers refused to believe her, then I won’t rest until you’re all underground.”

“Might not be the best idea to threaten an entire club while in their territory, brother,” Blaze growls.

“It’s a fucking promise.”

Before the club attacks as one, Knox steps forward.

“My loyalty lies with this club,” he tells Blackhawk. “But where they have my loyalty, they don’t have my heart right now. As long as it doesn’t affect my club, what can I do to help?”

“Damn it, Knox,” Steel shouts. “You will not help this fucker.”

“I’m going to say this one time, Steel,” he says, using his real name and not calling him Sir. He’s pissed. “Maddy is my friend. I don’t care that I only knew her for a week. I don’t care what the evidence says against her. I believe with my gut that she’s innocent. While I would never betray my club, I won’t just sit by when there’s something I might be able to do to help find her.”

He glances at Ghost and waits. One single order from his President and Knox will step down from his crazy ideas and go back to his office and focus on his job.

Ghost simply nods, causing Knox to exhale a sigh of relief.

“I know you would never do anything to put this club in danger,” he tells him softly. “I’m not sure I believe the same thing that you and the girls do, but I trust you to make your own decisions, Knox.”

“Thank you, Pres,” he smiles.

“Thank you for believing in my girl,” Blackhawk tells Knox, Bitsy, and Sophie.

“Someone has to,” Sophia sniffs. “She trusted everyone in this room and most of them betrayed her.”

“She was just starting to walk around without looking over her shoulder,” Knox adds. “She felt safe and secure knowing that King was out each day trying to find a way to protect her.”

“She never thought for a single second that he would use hurtful words towards her with the intent of making her soul bleed,” Bitsy says, glaring in my direction. “She trusted him and the rest of these fuckers completely. If there ever comes another time when someone seeks this club for protection, I’ll be sure to send them to the Phantoms instead.”

Okay, that hurt.

“What the fuck, woman?” Viper says, eyes wide with shock. “I’m your husband. Your loyalty should be to this club.”

“I may be your wife, Viper,” she growls. “But I was a Phantom first. And if this is how the Obsidians treat those who come asking for help then I want nothing to do with this damn club. Loyalty, honor, family, and respect. That’s what it means to be a brotherhood. To be a club. You all have loyalty, family, and respect down to a T when it comes to one another. But I see no honor in any of you.”

No one says a word. Bitsy was harsh, but there was a truth behind her words. I shouldn’t have been so cruel to Madeline no matter how pissed off I was.

Blackhawk reaches into his pocket when his phone beeps.

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