Page 79 of City of Salvation

“Nah. Not a real good idea to kill outlaw MC members. Most find themselves in a shallow grave for that.”

Fuck. What’s going to happen to her?

“Val, you’ve saved my ass twice now. You can’t take the blame for this,” I said, remembering all the help she’d given me when I first rolled into town.

She batted a hand my way. “Ah. Don’t worry about it. I’ll collect on it eventually. And I’ll be fine, his president owes me a favor. Now, get the fuck out of here, girl. May I suggest, out of town,mija?” She jutted her chin toward Boe. “Since it looks like you’ve got two motorcycle clubs after you.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold. “He said that Pres agreed not to trade me.” The words felt weak. Val’s scoff confirmed my thoughts.

“Baby, if what he said was true and you’re not an Old Lady, then you don’t mean shit to the club. Their president probably extended afavorto whoever your boy is. But after this…” Her eyes slid to Boe’s cut, the club rocker standing out like a beacon.

A taunt.

She was right. Boe was a member of the Skeletons of Society—a brother. It would be his word against mine. Val’s, too, but I wasn’t sure how much her testament would mean to his president.

I wasn’t worried about what would happen to me.

I was worried about what this would do for Dex. The club was his family, the thing that gave him hope after Kelly. Me being here was fucking up the thing he loved most, the thing he needed most.

Fuck, and Ryan.

How would I live with myself knowing I’d brought more devastation to her doorstep? That I was the catalyst for the people she loved and cared for being subject to more bloodshed? Okay, I got that they were in the cartel and bloodshed was par for the course, but this fight wasn’t one they’d asked for.

A chuckle bordering on a sob slipped through. She’d be pissed I was making these decisions for her—they both would. But neither of them would look at this objectively.

Tears rolled down my face, and I didn’t move to wipe them away. I’d allow myself to mourn, if only for a little while. Another life I never got to live, lost, and more dreams I would never get to accomplish. This time, though, there was also love I’d never get to explore.

This city had been both our salvations.

And I would leave it in a heartbeat if it meant Dex could stay where he’d made a family.

“Val, can you take me to an airport?” I choked out, as salty drops fell to the floor.

CHAPTER 33

DEX

“ARIANA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE”<—DEX AND GUNNER WHEN SCAR POPS UP RANDOMLY

The ride was supposedto help release the fucking rock that was sitting on my chest and slowly suffocating me. I

’d tried to lock away Nikki’s rejection and fall into the feel of the road under my tires, but those fucking words kept banging against the barrier, wearing it down.

I’d finally decided I wanted to attempt the whole relationship thing, so of course I’d fallen in love with the one woman who didn’t want anything to do with anyone. Hell, I didn’t even know her real name. Not that I gave a shit—I loved her anyway. I’d take her past if she wanted to give it to me, but all I cared about was her present, and her future.

But that wasn’t enough for her.

Or, more accurately, that was too much.

I jumped at Gunner’s voice coming from behind where I still sat on my ride. “Hey, you okay?” he asked, looking at me with concern.

“Yeah. I’m cool. Just fucking tired, you know?” I took the bottled beer he’d brought me. “Didn’t think you’d be back for a while. How’d it go?”

Gunner had pretty much burned every bridge he’d had with the FBI, but there were a few informants who liked him more now that the government wasn’t paying him.

One of those dudes ran odd jobs for some of the smaller organizations around Tucson. Bastard was a wealth of knowledge—for the right price.

“From the looks of it, the Reapers are lying low. My guy says the club is split, some of them wanna make a move whether they have the Russians’ backing or not. The smarter half knows they will be obliterated if they go against usandthe cartel.”

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