Page 5 of Ruthless Sin

"He doesn't need to know," I say sharply, but Crow just raises his eyebrows.

"Brother, two Outlaws got their asses handed to them in neutral territory. This isn't staying quiet."

"I should go," Angel says, grabbing her jacket. When I move to get my keys, she holds up her hand. "Alone. I need to talk to him first, calm him down."

"Angel—"

"No, Ruthless." She cuts me off, her voice soft but firm. "Let me handle this my way. If you show up with me, it'll only make things worse."

She's right, but every fiber of my being rebels against letting her leave alone. She must see it in my face because she steps closer, reaching up to touch my cheek where the cut has stopped bleeding.

"I'll be fine," she whispers. "But we need to be smart about this."

Before I can respond, she climbs on my bike and presses a quick kiss to my lips. Then she's gone, the garage door closing behind her with a finality that makes my chest ache.

"Brother," Crow says after a moment, "you are so fucked."

I run a hand through my hair, turning to face him. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Look, I know Hellfire's been different since he started dating Chloe. Hell, we all noticed how much calmer he is these days." Crow hops up on my workbench, shaking his head. "But he'sstill Hellfire. And you're still the guy he explicitly warned to stay away from his daughter."

"You heard about that?"

"Everyone heard about that. The walls have ears in the clubhouse, and Hellfire wasn't exactly quiet about it." He pulls out a pack of cigarettes, offering me one. "What are you gonna do?"

I take the cigarette, lighting it with hands that aren't quite steady. "I don't know."

But that's a lie. I know exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to fight for her, consequences be damned. Because the taste of her is still on my lips, and the feel of her body against mine is burned into my memory, and some things are worth risking everything for.

"You love her?" Crow asks quietly.

I take a long drag of the cigarette, letting the smoke fill my lungs before answering. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Then you're not just fucked," he says, clapping me on the shoulder. "You're completely and utterly screwed."

I can't help but laugh at Crow's assessment, "You're not wrong, brother. But you're not exactly in a position to talk."

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Crow narrows his eyes, taking a drag of his own cigarette.

"Come on," I turn to face him, leaning against the workbench. "We all see how you look at Emma when you think no one's watching."

Crow nearly chokes on the smoke. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right. So, you weren't staring at her like a starving man at Christmas dinner two months ago? And two weeks ago at the bonfire, you didn't almost walk into a tree because she was dancing with the girls?" I smirk as his face reddens. "Even Hellfire noticed that one, brother. Asked if you were drunk already."

"Fuck off," he mutters, but there's a flush creeping up his neck. "That's... that's different."

"How? Because she's your brother's best friend?" I shake my head, pouring us each a shot from the whiskey bottle I keep in the garage. "At least Angel isn't practically family to me."

Crow downs the shot in one go, grimacing. "Christ, I thought I was being subtle."

"About as subtle as a kick to the teeth," I pour him another. "The way you volunteered to help her move into her new apartment? Spent the whole day carrying boxes and furniture when you hate that domestic shit?"

"She needed help," he defends weakly. "And Wrath was busy with club business."

"And a month ago? When you drove across town at midnight because her car broke down, even though your brother's garage was closer?"

"Emma's off limits," he says firmly, but I can hear the pain beneath the conviction. "Wrath would kill me. They've been best friends since we arrived in Cedar Falls. He's protective as hell. You've seen how he gets when guys hit on her at the clubhouse."

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