Page 126 of Vegas Daddies

They flash badges.

I make out the engraving.

Federal Bureau.

Department of Justice.

Fuck.

The FBI?

The tall one yanks Levi’s hands behind his back before I have time to intervene.

“NO!” The word explodes out of my mouth.

I reach forward but bounce back, the second officer tearing me away. “Stay out of this please, miss.”

“He didn’t do anything—Vlad is the leader of the Bratva-Vegas syndicate!” I say.

“Vladimir Petrov is the club owner of Ursula and Hook,”says the officer whostillwon’t free me from his fucking tight grasp.

I yank again.

Daddy steps up. “My daughter speaks the truth. Let the boy go.”

“Sorry, Peter.” The officer loosens his grip and turns around to face my father. “It’s the law. Homicide is homicide. See this as a blessing.” He winks. “It saves you a job, doesn’t it?”

“No.” Daddy’s eyes harden. “This is all wrong. Levi saved our lives.”

“Maybe you guys don’t think this far ahead,” Lifesaver says, “but this young man has prevented countless deaths that Vlad probably had lined up. Bratva leaders don’t benefit the ecosystem. Come on. Use your brain.”

The tall officer once-overs Lifesaver. “Outlaw motorcyclists don’t contribute positively to the ecosystem either.”

Click!go the pair of handcuffs around Levi’s wrists.

I shut my eyes.

This isn’t happening.

“Alright, time to go,” says the smaller officer.

Together, they sandwich Levi, each taking a wrist as they begin to escort him up the first flight of stairs. “The rest of you stay out of trouble unless you want to join him.”

Tears obscure my vision, breath shallowing. Six hands wrap around my body, each one doing their best to soothe me, but the first boy to set me off on my own path is being escorted to prison formurder. He cheated and kidnapped and committed all sorts of criminal acts, but watching him leave feels like a farewell to my younger self. I see her receding into the horizon, except the sky is black and dingy, and decorated, not with shades of orange, but giantFBIlogos.

I set off upstairs after them.

Bright lights fill the main room, and flashing blue lights outside send dancing projections into the club.

“WAIT!” I run after them.

The tall one turns around.

“How do you know that he?—?”

“Did it? We received video evidence a few minutes ago.”

I extend my gaze to Levi. He shakes his head.

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