Page 29 of Kash
“Easy, boy,” I say, the wordboyslipping out, grounding us both. His eyes meet mine, full of fear and something deeper, something that makes my chest ache. “Let him talk.”
Mace nods, his gaze steady. “Skinner’s the one running the show. He’s on the Vipers’ payroll, planted the evidence to pin that cop’s murder on you. He’s in deep. We think he’s working with gangs across the country. We also think he’s murdered people himself too. We set a trap in Cresthaven, lure him out with you as bait. I’ve got clean cops ready to move in, arrest him, and as part of it all, clear your name too. But it’s gotta be now.”
Spike shakes his head, his voice rising. “No, Kash, this is crazy. They’ll kill you. You can’t trust a cop, not after everything.”
I look at him, his defiance, his worry, and I feel that same pull I felt when he called meDaddy, when he took everything I gave him and asked for more.
“It’s my decision,” I say, my voice low, final. “I’ve been running too long, Spike. This is my shot to end it. I trust my brothers, and if they trust Mace, that’s enough.”
“We trust him,” Clay says.
“You know me, I hate cops,” Tank adds. “No offense. But this is the right move.”
“No offense taken,” Mace says, a sly smile on his face. “Believe me, I’m putting my entire career on the line here working with yousonsofbitches. I need to know I can rely on you as much as you need the same from me.”
Spike’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t argue, just nods, his eyes locked on mine. “You better come back,” he says, his voice soft but fierce.
Mace steps forward, checking his watch. “We roll out now. Cresthaven, the old warehouse by the pier. Skinner’s expecting you to show, thinks you’re meeting a contact. We’ll be ready.”
I nod, my hand brushing Spike’s arm, a silent promise. “Let’s do this.”
The ride back to Cresthaven is tense, the Harley’s growl a steady pulse beneath us. Spike’s arms are tight around my waist, his board wedged between us again, his silence heavier than the night.
The coordinates from Jace led us to my brothers, to Mace, to this plan, but it’s a gamble.
If Mace is dirty, if this is a setup, I’m walking into a slaughter.
But I’ve got no choice.
The Vipers and Skinner have me cornered, and running’s not an option anymore—not with Spike in my life, and not with the Wolf Riders compromised now too.
We pull into Cresthaven just before dawn, the town quiet, the pier looming like a skeleton against the gray sky. The warehouse is a rusted hulk, tucked behind the dunes, a perfect spot for a trap.
I kill the engine, and Spike slides off, his eyes scanning the shadows.
Clay, Jace, Tank, and Mace are already there, hidden in the surrounding brush, their bikes stashed out of sight.
Mace signals us, his face grim, and I feel the weight of what’s coming.
“Stay back,” I tell Spike, my voice low, stern. “Whatever happens, you don’t get involved.”
He glares at me, his defiance flaring. “I’m not sitting this out, Daddy.”
“Yes, you are,” I snap, grabbing his chin, forcing him to meet my eyes. “You do what I say, boy, or I swear I’ll make you regret it.”
Spike nods, reluctant, and I let him go, my heart heavy.
I step into the warehouse, the air thick with dust and salt, my knife at my belt, a gun that Tank brought for me tucked into my trousers.
The trap’s set—me as bait, Mace and my brothers ready to spring it.
But the second I’m inside, I know it’s gone wrong. Headlights flash, and cops swarm from every corner, their guns drawn.
In the center is Skinner, the corrupt detective, his eyes cold, a smirk on his face…
“Well, well,” Skinner says, his voice dripping with malice. “Kash, the cop-killer. You’re mine.”
Before I can respond, shadows move—Vipers, their leathers marked with that damn snake emblem, guns in hand. It’s a fucking ambush. I dive for cover behind a crate as gunfire erupts, bullets tearing through the air.
