Page 125 of Steel

I take a deep breath, smoothing my hands down my cut and finding my center.

Focusing my rage.

Honing my clarity.

They don’t need me falling apart. For them, I have to keep it together.

“Everyone back to the clubhouse; we need to regroup.” I look around at my men. “Find my family. And if they touch so much as a hair on either of their heads, we’re going to burn this city to the fucking ground.”

35

Tempe

My ears are ringing.

It rattles me awake, and I fight to blink my eyes open. My head hurts, and my body aches from lying on a hard, cold surface.

I plant my palm on the ground and search for my center of gravity when it feels like I’m spinning.

I’m in a basement, or at least somewhere underground. It’s cool, and the only light in the concrete room comes from the far corner.

Pushing myself up, my head spins, and my stomach heaves as I struggle not to vomit. Whatever they stuck in my neck has my head woozy, and it’s definitely not all the way out of my system.

I feel around me as I try to place myself in the room. My hands are free, and from what I can tell, I’m not chained down. But that’s not comforting when I knowthey’d only do that if they didn’t think they were at risk of me breaking out.

My vision clears, and I look around, searching for my brother.

“Austin.” I try to lift, but everything feels heavy, and when I search the room, I don’t see him.

“Don’t worry, he’s taken care of.” Dimitri’s voice comes from the staircase, and he stands up as I blink him into focus. “He’s going to take longer to come to from the sedatives. Being little and all.”

I’d almost think he’s saying it because he cares, but I know better.

“Where is my brother?”

“That’s not something you need to worry about.” Dimitri steps forward, and my hands shake.

His gaze moves to my bare legs, sending a cool chill up my spine. I smooth the bottom of my skirt, uneasy with how he’s watching me.

“Why are we here? Why are you doing this?” My throat is scratchy, so the words come out rough. “I already told you I don’t have whatever it is you sent me to the clubhouse for.”

“And I already told you that didn’t matter.” Dimitri laughs. “You’re still not getting it, are you? We never needed the flash drive to make it out.”

“Flash drive?” My eyebrows pinch.

“Cute.” Dimitri squats down in front of me. “They didn’t even tell you what they found, did they? You just cooperated while they kept you in the dark, doing anythingand everything Steel wanted. I heard you were nice and compliant.”

My teeth grit. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The pictures say otherwise.” His dark eyes gleam.

“Pictures?”

“Let me guess, Steel didn’t tell you about those either. Wouldn’t want you worried someone was watching while he fucked you all over his clubhouse. Turns out you’re a whore just like your mother.”

“Don’t talk about my mother,” I snap.

“Why not? She’s the one who got you into this mess in the first place.”