Page 68 of Scorched King

I laughed, agreeing that we both needed rest. We had plenty of time in front of us to talk—or fuck.

Within minutes I felt her drifting off to sleep, her breathing evened out, and her heartbeat slowed. For the first time in years, a quiet peace settled over me. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, my arms holding her tight. She fit perfectly there, like she was made for this.

Made forme.

As I settled in and tried to relax, I realized my bedroom felt different with her in it. It wasn’t just a fortress of solitude with every element in here designed to cater to my fight or run instincts.

She made it feel like a home. A sanctuary for the two of us where maybe I didn’t have to only be the president of a motorcycle club.

Her sudden soft snore brought a smile to my lips as I contemplated our future. I’d protect our life together, no matter what came next.

I was just starting to doze off when a sudden noise jolted me awake, my whole body going on high alert. I froze, straining to catch the faintest sound. There it was again. A soft knock at the door.

I slipped out of bed and pulled on my jeans. A glance back at Sasha showed her curled up under the covers, her eyes still closed. Not taking any chances with safety, I grabbed my gun from the nightstand, tucking it into the waistband of my pants.

If this wasn’t urgent, I was going to kill whoever stood outside that door.

I made my way through the quiet cabin, my steps silent, my senses sharper than ever. Irritation growing as I got closer to the door. I peered through the peephole, my brow pinching as I saw who stood on the other side.Fuck.

I wasn’t going to be able to shoot first. I unlocked the door, pulling it open.

“Axel,” I growled, my voice hard as steel. “This better be good.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

JD

The metallic scent hit me first. Blood on the doorstep. Not the first time and wouldn’t be the last. Axel stood in the darkness, a grim expression on his face.

“It’s done.” His voice carried the burden of execution. Dark circles shadowed his eyes. “Tel’s handling the last of the details to make sure all of this is locked down and finished forever.”

“What about that shit with Zook’s accounts? I can’t believe how close we got to making the wrong decision.”

“Clean. Cash set it all up through some elaborate routing system to frame Zook. Tel said it was genius, really. Would have worked too if he hadn’t gotten sloppy near the end of it.”

My jaw clenched. Leadership weighed heavy tonight. Cash’s betrayal cut deep. Not just to me, but for every brother who’d trusted him.

“Any other loose ends?” I kept my voice low, conscious of Sasha resting in my room.

“If we can find her, Chel’s getting a tail. If she makes a move, we’ll know.” Axel leaned against the doorframe. “Bear’s got eyes on her old man too. That drug operation won’t last long and then he can slither back to Seattle where he belongs.”

I nodded, processing the information. The club would need time to heal from this wound. Trust, once broken, left scars deeper than any knife.

“How’s she holding up?” Axel glanced toward my bedroom.

“She’s strong.” Pride roughened my voice. “Stronger than any of us realized.”

Axel straightened. “You did right by her.” A ghost of a smile quirked at his mouth before turning grim again. “Club’s solid on this one. Everyone knows Cash made his choice.”

My trigger finger twitched as the memory of Cash’s hands around Sasha’s throat flashed through my mind.No regrets.

“Get some rest. Tomorrow we’re back to rebuilding. There’s still a lot of work to do.”

“Yeah.” He pushed off the doorframe. “Meeting at noon. Time to vote on some changes. This kind of shit ends here.”

His boots thudded down the steps as I closed the door. The cabin fell silent except for the soft hum of the heating system and the steady fall of rain on the tin roof.

There was a lot of work and a long road ahead of us.

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