Page 44 of Bully's Darkness
I nod once. “She smuggled in gear.”
“And you didn’t think this would come back on us?” Taz snaps.
“It was a fuck,” I growl, heat rising in my chest. “She was easy. I was bored. Five years inside, fighting to breathe, sometimes you take what comes.”
“You didn’t know she was tied to the Scorpions?” Boss asks quietly.
I glare at him until he drops his gaze. “If I’d known, I sure as shit wouldn’t have touched her. She said she was married. I didn’t ask questions that didn’t concern me.”
“Well, they concern all of us now,” Boss mutters. Guilt coils tight in my chest. All this . . . everything . . . is because of me. And I’ve been blaming Liv.
I groan, tipping my head back to stare at the ceiling.
“It’s no coincidence they’ve turned the heat up this month,” Lords says, “with it being the anniversary of her death.”
“Wait,” Whizz says, scrolling fast. “I told you I found more tied to her death. Payments to the commissioner were just the start. The governor and prison director also got big payouts, but get this . . . Dagger led it all.”
We all freeze.
“He had her fired,” Whizz continues. “Set her tribunal date six months after the dismissal. All of it timed down to the day. Another officer reported the relationship, but no formal file was made. It went to the governor, then the director . . . then to Dagger.” He leans forward, eyes sharp. “He orchestrated the whole thing. He made her suffer. And I don’t think she killed herself—I think he did it and covered it up as suicide. Made it look like her depression took her under.” He shrugs. “But it’s plausible. She was facing a criminal investigation after the tribunal. It’s illegal for a person of authority in a custodial setting to engage in sexual activity with someone in their care, even if consensual. It actually comes under the Sexual Offences Act.”
“Did you know she was dead?” asks Taz.
I give my head a slight shake, the weight of it already adding to the load I’m carrying. My chest pulls tighter.
Taz stands. “Give Pres a minute,” he tells the brothers.
They begin to clear out, and Taz grabs a bottle of whiskey off the shelf. He places two glasses on the table and pours us each a finger. “Well, as your VP, I’m saying you fucked up. But as your mate, I’m high-fiving you cos she was fit.”
I almost smile as I knock the drink back in one and hold the glass out for a second. “She was nice too,” I admit. “I never understood why she did the job. I just thought she was in some kind of trouble and had to pay off a debt. I even thought about offering the club’s help, but then she got reported and all contact stopped.”
“What about Liv?” he asks, drinking his own and topping it up.
“She can’t find out,” I mutter. “She’s already on the edge.” I groan, burying my face in my hands. “I keep fucking it up.”
“They’re only coming for her because they know what she means to you,” he says, his words careful as he meets my eyes.
“What are you saying?”
“If she wasn’t as important, they’d find another way to get to you. One that doesn’t involve her.”
I shake my head. “I’m not letting her go.”
“If you keep fucking up, you might not have a choice.”
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia
The bed dips behind me, and Bully’s arm wraps around my waist. I glance at the bedside clock, noting it’s early evening. I must’ve dozed off. I stretch out, his hand sliding under my shirt just as I remember our fight. He nuzzles my neck, teeth grazing my skin.Typical.Using sex to slip back into my good books.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, and I freeze. Words like that rarely fall from his lips. “I fucked up, Liv. You’re the one person I should never doubt. The one who always has my back.”
I turn in his arms, narrowing my eyes. “You’ve found something out.” His expression is innocent.Tooinnocent. “What have you discovered?” I press.
“Nothing, darlin’,” he murmurs, his lips brushing my shoulder.
“Bully, I know every guilty look you’ve ever worn. So, out with it. Who fucked up?”
