Page 49 of Declan

We’re all here now. The core of the Shattered Souls MC. Every one of us with blood on our hands and demons in our rearview.

Hux clearshis throat and sits forward, the room going still.

“We’ve got an issue,” he says. “The underground fight scene is getting sloppy. Too much heat, too many eyes. We need to tighten it up, or pull the plug.”

I shift in my seat, leaning forward. “We pull the plug, we lose the income. A big chunk of it.”

Kaden nods slowly. “He’s not wrong. The bets, the fighters, the draw, it keeps us running. Especially when Twisted Souls has an off night or two.”

“We could tighten the circle,” Lex suggests, his voice smooth but deadly serious. “Make sure it’s invite only, not just word of mouth.”

“I like that,” Elias says, fingers drumming against the table. “We weed out the rats that way. Keep it clean.”

“And what about Jason’s father?” Wesley asks. “He’s gonna be asking questions.”

My jaw tightens. Just mentioning his name has my hands fisting at my side. If I found out today he put his hands on Lena, I would’ve killed him myself and taken the heat from the club for the money owed.

“He’s not nosing around yet, but we’ll keep a close eye,” Hux says flatly. “He pushes, we cut him out. Permanently.”

There’s no mistaking the meaning behind it. And no one disagrees. Cop or not, we can’t allow that kind of trouble coming at us.

Kaden turns his gaze to me. “You good with that, Declan?”

I nod. “I’m good.”

But inside, I’m miles away. Because while we’re talking about underground fights and cleaning up messes, all I can think about is the woman I left in my bed this morning. The way her hairspread across my pillow. The sound of her laugh. The fucking light in her eyes.

I’m playing a dangerous game, sitting across from Wesley like nothing’s changed. Like I didn’t just take something I can never give back.

“Alright,” Hux says, pushing back from the table. “Lex, I want you to handle security. New checkpoints. Tight eyes on everyone who walks through the door.”

Lex nods once.

“Elias, you’re on the fighters. The old and new. We always have someone who owes us and we need to make sure no one knows we’re looking for them when they go missing.”

“You got it.”

I know that comment is aimed toward me because of what I did with Jason and his father. I fucked up and I own that shit.

“Kaden and I will deal with the money. Declan?—”

My head snaps up.

“—you and Wesley handle the fights. Matchups, scheduling, making sure it runs smooth.”

“Done,” we both say.

As the meeting starts to break up, I catch Wesley watching me. His grin has slipped just slightly, and his eyes narrow. I hold his stare, forcing a smirk onto my lips.

But inside, I’m already preparing for the moment he finds out.

Because he will.

And when he does, all hell’s going to break loose.

Right now, though, I need to focus on the club. Twisted Souls and the fight club are our bread and butter. Our cash flow. Our foundation. Without them, everything crumbles and lately, it’s obvious, partly my fault, that shit isn’t running as smooth as it should be. Too many distractions. Too many crossed wires. My head’s been half somewhere else, and that’s not how this club operates. Not under Hux, not with the Shattered Souls.

We were made to be sharper than this.

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