Page 23 of Desert Loyalties
Caine cuts in like a jackal. “Then why’d you change your name?”
She hesitates. Just for a second. “I wanted a new start,” she says. Her voice cracks at the edge.
Mickey doesn’t let up. “The messages are gone, but timestamps aren’t. They were all sent while you were off-shift. And the morning of the raid? You just happened to be gone.”
I feel her flinch beside me. My fingers itch to pull her behind me, shield her from the pack.
Locke steps forward. “None of us really know you, sweetheart. You don’t party. You don’t fuck the crew. Then suddenly you’ve got him wrapped around your finger.” He points to me like I’m a damn prize she conned her way into.
Lehi chimes in next. “And you’re an heiress. Osborne Hospitals. Your daddy’s worth millions. Why would a rich girl change her name and bartend at a biker bar?”
I turn sharply. My stare locked on her.
She swallows. Her voice comes small but strong. “None of you know me.” Her chin lifts. She's scared, but defiant. “I’m not standing here while you throw accusations like goddamn cowards. Caine, don’t you have a wife you lie to every day while screwing anything with a pussy?”
Caine’s face darkens, but he doesn’t say a word.
“And you, Lehi?” she throws at him. “Doesn’t your mom still think you’re fighting for your country?”
The room buzzes with rage and shame.
“We all have secrets,” she finishes. “That doesn’t make me a traitor.”
I should be proud of her for fighting back, but all I feel is this tightening in my chest. Rage and fear twisted together. I look at Ranger.
“We’re not fuckin’ doing this,” I say.
His voice is hard. “We have to question her.”
I hate that he’s right. Hate it more that she looks at me with trust.
“No one touches her,” I say. “You want answers, fine. You’ll get them. But it’s me. I’m the one who questions her.”
Ranger holds my stare for a long second. Then he nods.
I turn to Skye, she’s already looking at me, expecting me to step in. To protect her. To get her out of this mess, whatever the hell this is.
And I want to. God, I want to.
But I can’t. Not right now. Not with the entire club watching. Not with the weight of my patch burning on my back and the eyes of my brothers waiting to see if I’ll break rank. I can’t believe I’m doing this.
I don’t say a word as two brothers step up to flank her. My voice feels like glass in my throat when I say, “Get her to the basement.”
She flinches like I struck her. Like the words did more damage than any fist could.
“Drake,” she says, voice cracking. One word. My name. Like a plea. Like a curse.
I can’t even look at her. If I do, I’ll fold.
Ranger doesn’t say anything more, he doesn’t have to. The order’s been given. We all play our roles now.
The brothers reach for her. She jerks away on instinct, like she doesn’t quite believe this is happening.
“I’m not running,” she says, fierce and broken at the same time. “I didn’t do this. And you know it.”
I clench my fists. I do know it. Every part of me knows it. But appearance matters right now. “Just go with them,” I murmur, barely audible. “Don’t make this worse.”
She shakes her head, eyes full of betrayal, lips trembling with a truth I won’t let her speak. And then, with more strength than anyone gives her credit for, she turns on her heel and walks right out of the room flanked by two men twice her size, head held high like a queen being led to the gallows.
