Page 49 of Shadow's Edge

Not the kind from military trucks or med-evac transports. This wasdeeper, rougher, more powerful. It startedsoft, but it grewlouder,stronger, until I couldfeel the vibrations in my bones.

The soldier pushing me hesitated, then gestured toward the edge of the airstrip. “I think they’re here for you.”

I turned my head, my breath catching as I took in theline of motorcycles parked in formation behind the fence. Chrome and steel gleamed under the morning sun, asilent wall of metal and men.

I couldn’t seetheir faces, but I didn’t need to. I knew who they were.

Three figures stood just in front of the lineup,waiting. Watching.

The darkness finally pulled me under, but not before I knew—I wasn’t alone.

Chapter 12

Preacher

The final breach of confidence Duke had done for me was handing me the letter Kyle had given him the day she showed up on his doorstep after finding her mother.

I stared down at the folded paper, taking a slow, measured breath before flipping it over, my gut tightening as I recognized thefamiliar scrawl of Jill’s handwriting.

People always said you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead. Fuck that. She had been avicious, poisonous, psychopathic bitch, and I wasglad she was gone.

Now, all that was left was to see what filth she had left behind—whattwisted, venomous words had ruined everything with Kyle.

I unfolded the letter and read it, almost instantly regretting my decision, but I forced myself to read every word.

I’ve never hated anyone more than I hate you and him. You were meant to be the ticket to everything, but he didn’t care.

He hates you. Hates me. Hates that I didn’t give him a son, and that he got you instead. I tried telling you, but you wouldn’t listen, and now look?

He was fucking that whore Store today, and when I confronted him, he hit me. He told me he was going to kill both of us. He’s never been faithful. Hated having you at the MC because he thought it made him look weak to the men when he got caught fucking a slut while you were around.

And he couldn’t sell the little girls with you there, so he sent you home.

I hate you. You ruined my life. But as your mother, I will do you one favor.

RUN.

That was it?

This insanity, written by someone who was drunk and under the influence of whatever drug she could get, was what had destroyed everything?

Isnorted, my lips twisting in disgust. The whole damn thing read like adrunken, drug-fueled rant, hastily scribbled between gulps of vodka and whatever high she was riding before she put a bullet in her head.

It was sloppy and pathetic. And yet, sadly, it had worked.

Jill had known exactlywhat she was doing. She had timed it perfectly—Kyle would have been at her most vulnerableafter finding her body, her mind already cracked open from years of abuse. She wouldn’t have questioned it, wouldn’t have doubted it. She would have done exactly what Jillwanted.

Run.

What Jill hadn’t expected—what she hadn’t counted on in her fucked-up, narcissistic haze—was that Kyle would run to Duke. I knew where Kyle had been the whole time. I had watched from the shadows, knowing she wassafe, to an extent.

If I had known she wascontracting for the military, though, I would have put astop to it immediately because look where she had ended up.

I crumpled the letter in my fist and shoved it into my pocket before shifting my focus back to the hospital bed beside me. Kyle layunmoving, her face pale against the sterile white sheets. The slow, steady rise and fall of her chest was the onlyreassuranceI had.

She had been in amedically induced coma for two daysnow. The drugs had been stoppedhours ago, but still, she hadn’t woken up. Her leg was broken in two places, three broken ribs, and internal bleeding that had been stabilized but was still afucking risk.

The doctors had debated keeping her under longer, but thepsychiatrist had warned against it. Kyle wasn’t the type to do well in a coma.She needed too much control, too much discipline.The longer she was out, the worse the psychological toll would be when she woke up.

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