Page 67 of Notorious

Step one—get clean.

Step two—research until you find something, anything, that can help.

***

I’ve been at this for hours.

It’s getting close to four in the morning.

I wish I could see Alpha’s window from mine.

I can see Maverick’s, and I have spotted him a couple of times watching me, and I waved at him to let him know I know he’s watching me. After that, he shut his blinds.

I’m still having trouble finding a link to who might have ordered the hit on Alpha. The only reliable source seems to keep coming back to Rico Rojas. But that doesn’t seem to add up. Why wouldn’t he just send one of his own men to take Alpha out?

The pieces aren’t syncing up in my head.

I keep searching through everything I can find. When I glance across to see Swift’s window open, he’s on his cell. I can’t hear him. It’s too far, but from how he is pacing and talking aggressively animated, it’s easy to see the call is not a good one.

Furrowing my brows, I spin my laptop and start researching club members to see what their links are to Alpha. Searching through their back history, not the shit that Loki has on file, but searches that even Loki can’t find because we birds have access to information Loki wouldn’t even dream of.

It’s how we remain completely hidden—even in broad daylight.

That’s why my backstory checked out flawlessly.

It takes me the next few hours to compile information, but when the red flag waves itself right in front of my face, my eyes light up like a Christmas tree, and I gasp. “Oh, fuuuck.”

Now I know who hired me to take out Alpha.

I pack my shit as quickly as I can.

There is only one thing I can do to make this right.

I have to return to where this all started, retrieve Poppy, and bring her home myself.

Grabbing the essentials I need, the clubhouse is completely closed for the night, and everyone is asleep, I quietly make my way down the stairs of my loft, making sure to take my laptop and all my evidence with me. I can’t have anyone discover what I know while I’m gone.

It will only put Alpha in more danger.

Stepping into the clubhouse, I sneak under the mezzanine level to the armory and open the secure lock with the code I cracked within the first couple of days of my arrival. Then, I quietly grab some supplies.

I move to the key locker, and grab the keys for the van, replacing them with the keys for my motorcycle. Smiling but sighing, I glance over to the hallway for the upstairs bedrooms, knowing Alpha is asleep there.

My heart aches, wishing I could go and say goodbye.

I hate how we left things.

I wish I could explain everything to him.

But it’s better this way.

Iwillget his family back to him, and he will never have to see me again.

Rushing out of the clubhouse to the club’s van, I place my stuff inside, then move over to the gate that Rip is manning. He’s half asleep, so I gently nudge him. He wakes with a start, aiming his gun at me. I raise my hands in surrender while he lets out a long breath. “Whoa, dude, way to barrel roll me over this time of the morning. Wait? Whyareyou up this early?”

I lean in, lowering my voice. “Rip, I need you to help me. But you can’t tell the other guys, not yet anyway.”

He widens his eyes. “Secret mission, gnarly, I’m down. Spill the beans, Betty.”

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