Page 90 of Matrix

“Yes, but at what cost? We almost died in New Orleans. I can’t do this anymore.”

“What are you saying?”

“I think Angie and I should leave the clubhouse.”

“What? Why? The FBI has already proven they can’t protect her. They couldn’t even find her. We did that.” I fist my hands, struggling to control my frustration.

“I know. But your life, club life, it’s too risky.”

“For Angela? Or for you?”

“Both of us,” she whispers.

If she’d punched me in the throat, I would have been less shocked. I thought everything was going well between us. I can’t believe she’s doing this to me. To us. Is she actually dumping me? We were supposed to be happy together. How did we go from that to this so quickly?

“Daisy, you’re not thinking straight. We can get through anything together.”

“Not this, Matrix. I can’t go to the FBI with the motorcycle club by my side. They need to take her accusations seriously.”

“And you don’t think they’ll do that if we’re with you?” Her logic makes absolutely no sense, but I don’t want to keep arguing with her.“Fine. Don’t bring us. But don’t freak out and break things off with me because you’re afraid of what the Feds will think. We’re in this together. You’re my ride-or-die woman.”

“I wanted to be.” Her voice cracks.“But my sister has to come first.”

“She will.” Desperation fills my tone because she’s slipping away, and I don’t know how to stop it.“Babe, you don’t have to do this alone. I’ll stay in the background. The other club guys don’t have to be a part of this.”

“What you want is impossible. As long as we’re connected, it’s a potential liability. I can’t risk it. Blackstone has to pay for what he did. No one is going to stand in my way, not even you. I want justice for my sister, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.”

“You’re wrong. You need me by your side. Not because you can’t do this alone but because you know I can support you in a way no one else can. If you want to deny that, so be it. But I’m not buying this crap for a second.” I pull open the door and step into the hall.“When you come to your senses and realize we’re better together than apart, you know where to find me.”

I slam the door and stomp past everyone’s stunned faces. Outside, I grab my helmet and straddle my bike. I’ve got to get the fuck out of here before I say something I’ll regret. Daisy’s obviously freaking out because Angela’s going to testify. I don’t blame her for being scared, but I didn’t expect this. Maybe our relationship wasn’t as solid as I thought. Could I really have been so wrong about it? I don’t think so. I meant what I said. She’s my ride-or-die woman, and we belong together. I just hope she realizes it before it’s too late.

Chapter 22: Daisy

I stare at the door Matrix just slammed. He doesn’t understand the trouble I’m in. Although I haven’t called my boss yet, I already know how it’s going to go. Agent Vale will be furious that I hung up on him in New Orleans. I just need to explain to him why I did it. My motives and instincts were spot on; after all, we found Angie when the FBI couldn’t. But Vale’s going to be pissed off, and really, I can’t blame him. I basically went AWOL.

Reaching under the dresser, I pull a duct-taped burner phone off the bottom. It’s my last untraceable phone, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t stay at the clubhouse anymore. The information Angie has is too important. Even though it’s killing me to leave the club behind, it’s what I have to do right now. The fact that my heart’s breaking into a million pieces isn’t something I can focus on. Later, I’ll have time to grieve. Until then, I’ve got to take action and help Angie bring Blackstone to justice.

My stomach churns as I punch in Agent Vale’s number. He answers on the second ring.“Vale.”

“It’s Agent Banner.”

“What the fuck, Banner? I’ve got men looking for you all over the city.”

“New Orleans?”

“Where the hell else would you be?” he asks.

“I’m back in Montana.”

“What? I just wasted tons of time and manpower scouring those damn swamps searching for you.”

“Why were you checking the swamps?”

“When you didn’t call me back, I figured you were captured by the cartel.”

“Well, I’m fine. Better than that, even. I found my sister, and Matrix helped me rescue her. She’s with us—me—at the clubhouse.”

“I’m sending a car immediately. Are they holding you prisoner? Should my agents expect a fight?” His gruff voice sends a shiver of fear down my spine. I’m sure he’d love to get a shot at killing these men. He’s never liked them, and I’ve made the target on their backs even bigger with my disappearing act.

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