Page 17 of The Devil's Dream

And now, after flashbacks of her leaning over my broken body that night... Everything was different.

There was no more watching her from a distance. I needed her.Soon.

My phone buzzing on the nightstand pulled me from my racing thoughts.

Kane: I can hear you pacing all the way from the clubhouse.

He was full of shit.

And?

Kane: Gym in 20? Unless you're busy brooding. That's your favorite midnight activity, right?

I snorted at his message. Smartass.

Fuck off

Kane: Love you too, sunshine. Now, get your ass down here.

I rubbed my hand across the top of my head then shrugged.

Fuck it.

I needed to hit something, anyway.

Throwing on some sweats and a tee, I headed out the door.

When I arrived at the clubhouse, it was quiet. I wasn’t surprised.

At this hour, everyone was either passed out or still partying it up down at The Pit where all the illegal fights happened.

Entering the gym, Kane was already in the ring, working combinations on the pads Dragon held.

“Look who decided to grace us with his presence,” Kane called out, that shit-eating grin I'd known since childhood spreading across his face. “Thought maybe you got lost.”

I flipped him off as I made my way over and started to wrap my hands. Dragon's eyes tracked my movements, assessing.

“News?” I asked.

Dragon shook his head, helping Kane out of his gloves. “Security footage is shit. But I found something interesting. There was a black SUV that passed the shop three times that day. No plates, though.”

My ears started ringing as a flash of memory played out in my head like a film reel.

Black SUV. Tinted windows. A hard blow to the back of my head.

“Government?” Kane asked, suddenly serious.

“Could be.” Dragon's expression darkened. “Banner wants to meet tomorrow. Says he might have a lead from his military contacts about our Fed friend.”

I nodded, stepping onto the mats.

My ribs still ached but I was done sitting on the sidelines. Pain was a reminder I was still alive.

Kane and I circled each other, falling into the familiar dance we'd done thousands of times. We knew each other's moves like our own.

“Nova's got you twisted up too?” he finally asked, blocking my jab. “Or is it this shit with the Fed keeping you up?”

Another grunt.

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