Page 61 of Rogue’s Reckoning

And Willow... God, Willow. Seeing her with Wren, witnessing firsthand what an amazing mother she is, it only makes me love her more. If that's even possible. I told her I love her. The wordsslipped out before I could stop them. But I don't regret it. She deserves to know the truth, even if she's not ready to hear it.

As I'm sitting lost in thought, my phone rings again. I check the caller ID—it's Lorenzo Mariano, the son of Caesar Mariano, a powerful mafia boss who’s part of the Boston Syndicate Elite. Lorenzo and I have been friends for years. His father is an ass, but he’s a great leader.

"Lorenzo, I take it this isn’t a social call?" I say as I answer the call. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to him.

"Rogue, we've got trouble," Lorenzo says, his voice tense. "I've got word that the Shadow Hawks are planning to make a move against the Saints."

I sit up straight, instantly alert. "What? Are you sure?"

"Positive. One of our informants overheard their plans. They’re planning strategic strikes. Saint’s Mechanics, the bars, and the clubhouse. They’re planning to hit them all at once, Rogue, and Lochlann is leading them."

My blood runs cold at the mention of Lochlann's name. That fucker is back. Christ, I thought he’d be dead by now.

"Shit," I mutter. "Thanks for the heads up, Lorenzo. I owe you one."

"Just be careful," Lorenzo warns before hanging up.

I immediately dial Ghost's number, my mind racing. We’ve known the assholes have been back for a while. They tried this shit already, with us taking out their president, Dread. It seems as though they haven’t learned, and now they have Lochlann in charge, I know they'll stop at nothing to take us down. That fucker thinks he’s smart, that he has the upper hand.

Not a fucking chance.

As the phone rings, I can't help but think of Willow and Wren. I have to keep them safe, no matter what. I won't let Lochlann or anyone else threaten my family again.

Ghost picks up on the third ring. "This better be important, brother. It's the middle of the night."

"It is," I say grimly. "The Shadow Hawks have a new president, and I’ll give you three guesses as to who it is."

Ghost's voice immediately sharpens. "Who?"

"Lochlann," I reply grimly. "And he's planning to hit us hard–the mechanics, the bars, the clubhouse. All at once."

Ghost curses loudly. "How reliable is this intel?"

"It came from Lorenzo Mariano. You know his father's got eyes and ears everywhere."

There's a pause as Ghost absorbs this. "Alright, we need to call an emergency meeting. Get everyone to the clubhouse ASAP. We need to prepare."

"On it," I say, already moving to get dressed.

As I hang up, my mind races. The Shadow Hawks are a serious threat, especially with Lochlann at the helm. But more than that, I'm worried about Willow and Wren. If Lochlann finds out about them...

I shake my head, pushing the thought away. I won't let that happen. I'll do whatever it takes to keep my family safe.

I send a text to the brothers, telling them to get their asses to the clubhouse for Church. The majority of them are already here, as I am, but there’s some who aren’t.

As the last brother enters the chapel, I can feel the tension in the air. The brothers are gathered around, their faces grim as they wait for Ghost to call the meeting to order.

Ghost stands at the head of the table, his expression serious. "Alright, brothers. We've got a situation. The Shadow Hawks are planning to hit us, and hit us hard."

Murmurs of anger and concern ripple through the room.

"Their new president is Lochlann," I add, my voice hard. "And he's not fucking around. They're planning to hit our mechanics, bars, and the clubhouse simultaneously."

"Fuck," Sniper growls. "How do we know this?"

"Got the intel from Lorenzo Mariano," I explain. "His sources are solid."

Ghost nods. "We need to prepare for an all-out war, brothers. We can't let these fuckers catch us off guard."

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