Page 62 of Property of the Hellfire Riders

“Izzy, you don’t need to convince me, alright?” I say, trying to calm her down.

“I’m not trying to convince you, Tank. I just…” Her words trail off, and her bottom lip begins to tremble. Shit. I fucking hate that she's crying.

“Aw, babe,” I say, at a loss for words.

It’s like my hands are bound behind my back. No part of me thinks she had anything to do with this attack, but Hawk is right. All of the evidence is pointing directly to her being involved. I drop down beside her.

Neither one of us utters a word in the still apartment for a moment, letting the weight of everything settle into our bones.

“Shit’s messy right now, okay? Hawk knows he invited you in, he let you stay here.” I finally say as I wrap my arms around her, bringing her to my chest. “He hasn’t kicked you out yet.”

She lets out a sigh as the tension in her back eases against me.

“I’m so fucked, aren’t I?” she mumbles.

“We’re all fucked, sweetheart. But we’ll figure something out. We always do.” Izzy's body leans against mine, her head resting on my chest, the steady rhythm of her breath matching the pounding of my heart. Her arms are wrapped around my waist, holding on like I’m the last solid thing in a world that’s spinning out of control. I tighten my grip on her, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of her shirt.

Footsteps echo up the stairs as they approach. Based on the pattern of it, I know it’s Vance. I silently curse him for ruining my moment with Izzy.

I kiss her forehead.

“I’ll talk to Hawk for you, alright? I’ll help him cool down. There’s a lot happening right now, and unfortunately, you’re caught right in the eye of the storm. And it’s a hell of a nasty one.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.”

“You can pay me back later.” I smirk, cracking a lame attempt at a joke to lighten the mood.

She rolls her eyes at me. It’s not a smile, but it’s better than a frown.

The door creaks open, breaking the spell. I look up to see Vance standing in the doorway, his eyes locking onto us. There’s a flash of something raw in his gaze—pain, jealousy, annoyance.

He wants to be the one comforting her right now.

“Izzy, Tank,” he says, his voice strained, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. “Everything alright?”

Izzy pulls away from me slightly, but her hand lingers on my arm and her scent on my shirt after she pulls away. I'm immediately slammed with a pang of longing.

“You know it’s not,” I mutter.

A moment of tension stretches out between us, palpable and heavy. Izzy stands between us, caught in the crossfire of our intense gazes. Her eyes shift from Vance to me, sensing the simmering rivalry. Vance’s jaw tightens, and he takes another step closer, his presence a challenge.

“You sure you’re okay, Izzy?” Vance asks, his voice softening as he looks at her, but his eyes still flicker with a mix of concern and something deeper—something possessive.

She nods, her hand brushing mine in a way that sends a jolt of electricity through me. “Yeah, I’m okay. Thanks, Vance.”

His eyes darken slightly, and he steps back, giving us a final look that’s half warning, half resignation. “Good. Let’s get this over with. Hawk wants to meet.” As he walks out, I see the slump in his shoulders, the way his hands clenched into fists.

“It might be a while before we’re back,” I say to Izzy.

“I understand.”

She doesn’t say anything else, and I know Vance is lingering down the hall, probably straining to eavesdrop on our conversation. I start to head out, but Izzy’s hand catches mine.

“Hey, Tank,” she whispers.

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to fix this.”

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