Page 61 of Property of the Hellfire Riders

“You’ve lied to us before, Izzy,” I say, my voice harsh even to my own ears. “Why should I believe you now?”

Tears begin to fall, but she stands her ground, refusing to look away. “Because I had no choice then. I’m only trying to find my best friend. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I’m trying to fix it. Just give me a chance. Hawk,” she says softly. “I know I’ve messed up. But if you don’t believe me, if you don’t trust me, then we’re all screwed. I need you to believe me.”

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. I can’t ignore the pull I feel towards her, the instinct to protect her despite everything. She reminds me of years long ago. When I had hoped to make this world a better place. She wants that to.

I don’t want to be the one that hurts her. I never want to be that, but this shit is far too deep for her to be wading in.

Slowly, I rein in the fury threatening to consume my judgment. “Fine, I’ll give you one chance to prove your innocence. But if you fuck with me…” I stick my finger into her chest, pushing, “you won’t leave me with many options, Izzy. I won’t be able to stop the punishment that you will deserve.”

“Someone’s after us both,” she whispers, catching my hand with hers. “I’m going to prove to you that I didn’t betray you, Vance or Tank.”

“If you didn’t lead the feds here, then who did?”

I think…” she chews on her bottom lip, shaking her head. Her eyes dart around as her mind races, piecing together her thoughts. “Laina had this folder with all this information she gathered on you.”

“Me?”

“The Hellfire Riders. She spent months gathering data and evidence to link you to the Puppeteer, but it’s an outlandish theory. I even told her that, but she was determined.”

“Where’s that folder?” I ask, my voice tight with urgency.

She stiffens then, as though a bolt of lightning has struck through her. “Reynolds.”

“The hell did you just say?” I snap, my anger flaring.

“I gave it to Detective Reynolds. But—but I didn’t know…that was before I came here. Before I met any of you.”

Once more, that familiar taste of anger bubbles in my chest, ready to erupt. If Reynolds has that folder, it’s only a matter of time before he strikes again. He’s had it out for us for years, and I’ve been wanting nothing more than to make that sack of shit pig pay for what he’s done. “You led the fucking wolf to our doorstep, Isabella. You think that’s going to fly with me? With Tank and Vance?”

“No, but I thought you were a killer, Hawk. I thought you had Laina.”

“Great job. Fucking great job, private eye. You’ve put our entire club at risk for a fucking hunch!” I growl.

Pain flickers in her eyes. “I know, I was wrong. God, I was so wrong about you.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? I don’t know what the hell to believe with you!”

“Wait, please listen to me?—”

“There’s nothing to fucking listen to, Izzy! You’ve dug us a grave so deep, we’ll be lucky if we crawl out of it alive.”

Her eyes widen with desperation, tears glistening but not falling. I watch her with a mix of anger and something I can’t quite name. “We’re not done here,” I say, my voice low and dangerous. “But right now, we have bigger problems.”

14

TANK

“He thinks I did this,” Izzy cries, running her hands furiously through her hair as she cries, holding her face in her hands. It guts me to see her like this. I wish I had the power to take away her pain, but I can’t.

God, I feel completely torn between my allegiance to the club and my feelings for this woman.

“He’s right to be pissed, babe,” I say, watching her intently.

“I know!” she sighs, teetering on the edge of a breakdown. “I get it, okay? I fucking get it! I thought I was doing the right thing at first. I was trying to save Laina. You guys were the bad guys.”

“The bad guys?” I tilt my head to the side, incredulous.

“Don’t start acting innocent now, okay?” She collapses onto the couch. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? I can’t take it back. But I swear to God, I was only trying to help find Laina. I didn’t think Reynolds would go this far.”

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