Page 40 of Secret Betrayals
I haven’t touched Talon. I wouldn’t. No matter how much I wanted to beat his lying, cheating, manipulative ass into the pavement, I wouldn’tstoopto anything petty. That’s not me. I don’t move in shadows. I don’t hide behind threats. I come head-on. You’llsee mebefore you fall. And let’s not forget—I’ve spent more than a decade cleaning uphismesses. Cleaning upthis club’sfuckups. My boys and I have kept them out of shit they don’t evenknowabout.
So miss me with that traitor bullshit.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Malikai’s voice is calm. Too calm. “Our mama didn’t do fuck all to that piece of shit. If she wanted him dead… ifwewanted him dead...”
He steps forward, slow and controlled, eyes cutting through the crowd like scalpels.
“He’d be dead.”
Every head in the room turns toward him.
And suddenlytheylook scared.
Good.
They should be.
Because Malikai doesn’t throw punches, he plays chess. He’ll gut your empire, burn your bank accounts, and make you pray for mercy—and never lift a finger. You don’t want him angry, not even a little. I step in, close to my boys. My hand goes to Sebastian’s shoulder, my fingers brushing Malikai’s back.
They’d burn the world down for me.
Even when they know I’m capable of ending a war with a glance and a whispered word. Still, they stand in front of me like shields.
And they always will.
I shouldn’t have let my guard down. I shouldn’t have relaxed, even for a minute. But I did, and now I’m standing in a room full of wolves that think I’m the enemy.
Lesson learned.
Never again.
Sebastian rises to his full height, chest heaving, fists clenched at his sides, and jaw locked tight. He looks like he’s barely hanging on by a thread soaked in gasoline.
“She didn’t even want to fucking come here,” he spits out, voice hoarse with fury. “Our uncle made her.Forcedher. After everything that prick did—after he tossed her aside for thatputtana—you think she wanted anything to do with this place? Withanyof you?”
His words are knives. And he’s not done cutting.
“Shehatesthis fucking place. Hates what it represents. And standing here now, I can see why. Iget it.” His voice breaks a little, like the weight of it all pushes into his bones. “But despite that, despite her hate for this club, that man, this life—ourmammahas spentseventeen damn yearsdefending it.Defending you.”
He swings his glare across the room, daring anyone to speak. No one does.
“You think this club’s still standing because y’all knew what the fuck you were doing? Because of some brotherhood fairytale?” He laughs. Cold. Bitter. “Shekept you alive. She made deals. Stopped wars. Blocked hits from cartels and syndicates and families who would’ve swallowed this club whole andshit you out without a blink.”
He steps forward, rage radiating from every inch of him.
“Sowhy the fuckwould she suddenly turn around and take out your precious president? Huh? Go ahead, take your time. I’ll wait.”
His voice echoes off the walls, but no one has an answer.
Then Malikai steps in, calm and deadly in a way that makes my skin crawl—and I gave birth to him.
“You really think if she wanted him dead, she’d leave room for doubt? That she’d let himlive long enoughto get to a hospital?” His tone is sharp as steel. “You think she would’ve stopped all those hits on your Prez… your father… this wholesorry-assfamily, just to come in here and start a war?”
He laughs under his breath, like the whole thing beneath him is laughable. Then his eyes lock on Axel.
“My mamma and our family have done ashit-tonof work behind the scenes. Workyoudon’t even know about. You enjoy a nice little empire built on blood and bullets? Well,you’re fucking welcome.” His voice turns into a low growl. “Sofuck you,and your goddamnselective amnesia,you self-righteous piece of shit.”
My chest tightens, a mix of pride and panic twisting in my gut. I never wanted them to know theextentof what I’ve done. The deals I made. The people I hurt. The monsters I kept at bay. But it’s too late now.
