Page 55 of Unmasked Anarchy
She frowns.“God.That won’t be easy.He has himself locked in there, angry and brooding.”
My heart twists, but I don’t react.
I am trying not to think about Kael, and how much his betrayal hurts.I get it, a big part of me understands.If he truly believes that I lied to him, I can see why he did what he did.But the other part of me is so hurt that after the time we have spent together, that he didn’t at least try and prove my innocence.He just gave up on me.Didn’t try and stop it.
That is a knife to the heart.
“Did you have anything on when you came here?Like what items of clothes were you wearing?”Mera asks.
“A pair of jeans, they’re the only ones in there.A black tee and a jacket.It could be in anything.My shoes are the converse, old and ratty.”
“I’ll check the seams,” she nods.“Best place to tuck a tracker is in the stitching.Or...”She pauses, looking at the closed window.“Or your phone.”
My stomach drops.Of course, my phone.
“Shit,” I whisper.“Of course.They will have my phone for sure, though.”
“Yeah,” she exhales.“They will.I can get into Wolfe’s office.I’ll do it tonight after lights, when the women are busy logging mileage in the bedrooms and everyone is ten beers deep.”
She stands, offering me a warm smile.
“Thank you,” I say.“I know you’re risking a lot, so I appreciate you helping me.”
She nods.“I don’t like to see anyone accused of something they haven’t done.I hope you’re telling me the truth.”
“I swear it,” I say, holding her eyes.
She nods again, then she’s gone, the door locking behind her.
God, I hope she finds that phone.
Better yet, I hope she finds it bugged so that I can prove to them all just how wrong they are.
~*~*~*~*~
IT’S LATE.
The room is dark and the club is quiet, for now at least.
I jerk up from the mattress at the sound of the door unlocking.Nobody has come in since the normal food delivery once a day.Mera hasn’t returned, nor has she reached out, and I can’t help but fear that means she hasn’t been able to find anything.Or, worse, they caught her and now she can’t help.
The door slams open and Kael strides in, tall and silent, Wolfe a shadow at his back.Kael’s storm-blue eyes lock onto mine, unblinking.He holds out his palm—and in it rests a tiny black device.“Found this in your phone.Either you planted it, or you were bein’ bugged.Which is it?”
My veins surge with molten fury.“I didn’t fucking plant it.I had Mera find it, that’s the only way to prove Gage was listening.If I’d hidden it myself, do you think I’d have asked her to go find it?I’m not an idiot.”
Wolfe exhales, voice low.“We believe you.”
Just like that, they believe me—after everything.
That is a fucking bitter slap to the face.They didn’t bother hearing me out before, and now suddenly, they believe me.
Kael’s gaze doesn’t waver.“We had to know who you’re loyal to.The club comes first.Wasn’t personal.”
Oh, but it was.
To me, it was.
My spine snaps straight, knees locking.My throat flames, every heartbeat pounding betrayal through me, but my face stays icy.None of them get to see me crack.“Yeah,” I whisper, voice jagged.“The club is everything.”
