Braelynn steps around me. “I found some information that links Turner to known criminals here in Miami.”

Dex glances over his shoulder, his expression hard to read. “I found the same thing when I dug into his financials,” he says, cracking his knuckles. He brings us up to speed with what he’s found, which unsurprisingly is a whole hell of a lot more.

“I'll keep digging,” he promises. “But this isn't going to be easy. Turner's smart—he’s got to have contingency plans for if shit hits the fan.”

“Do what you can,” I tell him. “We'll keep working on our end.”

As we leave the tech room, I feel a sense of apprehension. This is a dangerous game we're playing, but there isn’t another choice. Turner's made it clear he won't stop until he's destroyed everything I care about.

Back in our temporary home on the compound, Braelynn and I spread out the files we've collected while Ryder naps in his playpen, giving us a chance to focus.

“Look at this,” Braelynn says, pointing to a document. “Turner's been involved in several cases where key evidence mysteriously disappeared. And each time, it benefited the defendant.”

I lean in, reading over the information she’s found. “Good catch, baby. This is exactly what we need.”

As we continue to dig, I can't help but feel a sense of pride at how sharp Braelynn is at all of this. She's piecing things together faster than I ever could. But more than that, I'm in awe of how seamlessly she's adapted to this life.

“What are you thinking?” she asks, catching me staring.

I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Just wondering how I got so lucky.”

A blush colors her cheeks, but her eyes are serious when she says, “We’re both lucky.”

I reach out, cupping her face in my hand. “I’m glad you think that because I’m never letting you go.”

Her eyes close.

We stay like this for long moments until her green eyes slowly open, and a smile tips up at the corner of her lips. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

She may think that I’m only kidding around about never letting her go, but I’m not. Now that I’ve had a taste of the good life with Brae and my son, there’s no way in hell I’ll ever let it go.

Dropping my hand, I peck my baby’s upturned lips and pull away. There’s still a lot more work to do.

For the next few hours, we pore over the files, cross-referencing dates and names. It's tedious work, but necessary, and by mid-afternoon, we've built a solid case against Turner, linking him to at least a dozen instances of evidence tampering and obstruction of justice.

“I need to take this to the table,” I say, gathering up our findings. “I need to know how to proceed without bringing any unwanted attention back on us. The last thing we need is any fallout.”

Braelynn nods, her face set with determination. “I'm coming with you.”

I want to argue, to keep her safe and away from club business. But I know better. This is her fight too, and she's earned her place. As much as I know this to be true, that’s not how this is going to play out.

After dropping Ryder off at Sparrow’s house with Sierra, we head to the clubhouse

Before we go inside, I stop and turn Brae so we’re face to face. “I need to talk to you about something before we go inside,” I say, my voice gentle.

She looks at me, confusion in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

I take a deep breath. “You won’t be allowed in church. Club rules. No women are allowed. I know you've been instrumental in uncovering all this evidence, and I couldn't have done it without you, but from this point on, the decisions that have to be made are the club’s.”

I see the disappointment flash across her face, but to her credit, she nods in understanding. “You’re joking, right?”

“Afraid not, baby.”

Her arms cross over her chest. “This is bullshit, and you know it.”

“It might be, but it’s how it is.” She can be mad, but it won’t change anything. Club rules are club rules.

She looks away, sighing heavily. “Fine. But I don’t want to be kept in the dark either.”