Page 39 of Steal

Shock overrides his features.

“I don’t want any questions,” I tell him, “I just want you to do it and do it fast, but make it hurt….”

He clears his throat. “The fact you’re asking me this, knowing your beliefs, I know they did something unforgivable. I’ll do it.” I sigh in relief until he says, “On the condition you have dinner with me….”

I shake my head. “I didn’t come here to negotiate, Steal.”

He nods. “I know, but if you want me to do it?—”

I cut him off and state, “You will still do it,” he raises a brow at my confidence but I continue, “And not just because I asked youdespite the crap you put me through,” he flinches, “but because it’s for Perrie, and that girl….” My eyes tear up. He stands but I put my hand up, not wanting him to touch me. I rasp, “She needs this—Ineed this. I can’t tell you what they did because it means breaking her trust. Heck, my being here is borderline breaking it as it is. Kill them, or I will, because I’ve already got blood on my hands.”

That said, I turn and open the door, where Anchor pushes off the wall instantly and wraps his arm over my shoulders. I bury myself in his chest, but when we get into the mouth of the hallway, and my eyes go to the kitchen door again.

“I’ve fucking wanted you for years….”

I blink, trying to clear the memories I’ve worked so hard to forget, but as we get into the common room, Faith asks, "Did you really think he’d take back a murderer?”

Bitch….

I pause, causing Anchor to stop and wait as I turn toward the bitch wearing way too much makeup for the middle of the day, and state, “Have you stood guard for any more of your old fucks while they assault people?”

Everyone looks at me in shock while Faith pales, and I smirk, “Your time’s ticking, bitch, because, how I see it, karma is out to get you.” Her cheeks redden. I grin. “Tick tock….” I notice Steal standing in the mouth of the hallway, looking at me with pride, but I narrow my eyes at him only for him to smirk at me.

Faith screams, “Why is no one sticking up for me?”

I turn toward the door and Anchor puts his arm back around me.

“Probably because you're more clubwhore than club family at this point with the number of brothers you’ve bedded, including the ones old enough to be your grandfather….”

I see the clubwhores all nod at me, clapping, and the brothers laugh, which is definitely odd, considering they all wanted my head four years ago.

Shaking off the weird feeling, I allow Anchor to walk me to my car, where I kiss his cheek. I climb in my car, but before I can shut the door, he grips it and asks, “When are you going to hear him out?”

I swallow, and grip the steering wheel, then I admit, “I don’t know if I want to.”

He hums. “Youdowant to; you're just scared. Face your fears, Cass, because you are one strong woman. What you did in there is proof of that.”

That said, he kisses my head and shuts my door as my heart pounds.

I’m not strong. I used to see Brute most nights after I killed him, and I’m lying to Steal. Don’t get me wrong, leaving, or pretending to leave, was the right thing to do; I got my career, my safety net with Tanner, and I got to grow as a person instead of being unwanted. But it doesn’t change the fact Steal has a daughter he has no idea about, and it doesn’t change the fact he held a gun to my head and, for years, put his club and ex fuck buddy before me while she created lie after lie, pitting everyone against me.

Shaking my head, I start my car and reverse out of my spot. My eyes catch Steal standing in the doorway with Anchor, who isholding his arm, and the first tear falls as I drive out through the open gate.

As much as my heart wants that man, my head wants to continue putting myself first.

15

Steal – One Week Later

I gently tap my desk, my eyes on the picture of Cass, while Anchor and Pitbull sit in front of me.

“No evidence?” I confirm.

“None,” Pitbull says. “Killian and I made it look like they were in a rush and packed most their important shit, and Piston cleared all camera footage before ensuring all their nasty child pornography shit was easy for the cops to find.”

I nod, relaxing a little bit.

When Cass walked in here demanding I kill the Aldo brothers, two men that have a bad reputation but stayed out of our jurisdiction, I never thought the reason would be because they raped Perrie. One fucker held her down while the other did the deed before swapping places, all because she beat them in the ring.

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