13
Z ane doesn’t take me to the club, and I’m thankful for that.
If I saw Wolfe right now, I’m not certain what I’d do.
Right now, I need to process what I just heard. I need to let my body adjust to the fact that the one person I actually trusted has been lying to me this whole time. It all makes sense now, why he wanted me out of town, why he had to come with me on this search. It was all so he could keep the truth from me. He was hoping we would find Nia and I would leave town without another question.
All along, he knew exactly what he was doing.
He used me.
That hurts in a way I can’t process. I developed feelings for him, and all along, he had a plan to get rid of me. He used my feelings to his own advantage, making sure I was so distracted by how I felt for him that I wouldn’t question anything else. The pain of knowing that he never gave a single crap about me is crippling.
“What were you doin’ at that prison, Mera? That was a bad fuckin’ idea.”
Zane is speaking, but I’m struggling to hear what he’s saying.
The low hum consuming my brain is blocking out almost everything.
It’s like I’m stuck in a trance that I can’t escape from.
“Mera?”
I turn toward him, blinking slowly, the burn in my nose a stark reminder that I’m fighting tears that I’m afraid if I unleash will never end.
“I needed to see him. I needed answers. How did you know I was there?”
“Wolfe figured you went there. He wanted you returned.”
I just bet he did.
“It isn’t his decision what I do,” I whisper, staring down at my trembling hands.
“Hey,” Zane says, reaching out and taking one of my hands. “What the fuck did he do to you in there?”
“Told me the truth,” I say. “He told me the truth.”
Zane doesn’t say anything, and when I look up at him, I can see something in his gaze, something that absolutely crushes me. It’s guilt. It’s fucking guilt.
“You know,” I hiss, snatching my hand from his. “You all know, don’t you? All along, you’ve all been kind to me, but you all knew what was happening.”
“Look, Rook is our President. Our loyalty is to him. Can’t help who we are. I’m sorry you found out like this, but you gotta know, he was only tryin’ to protect you.”
“Take me there,” I order.
“Mera ...”
“Take me there, Zane, or I’ll find my own fucking way there.”
His jaw ticks and he growls. “You don’t know the story, until you do, you need to calm down.”
I jerk back, my eyes widening. “You have the nerve to tell me to calm down? Wolfe helped my father become the fucking monster that he is. He deserves to rot right next to him. Now, take me there.”
Zane doesn’t say another word, but his eyes remain dark as he climbs onto the motorcycle and starts it up. I get on behind him, the rage in my chest building to a terrifying level. I’ve never felt this kind of anger, not once in all my life. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve felt hurt and betrayal. But never this. This is a rage that I have kept bottled inside for so long, and I’m about to unleash it in a big way.
Wolfe is going to learn that what he did will come back to haunt him.
I will be here to haunt him.
After today, he’s going to wish he never met me.
They all will.
I vow it.
I don’t pay any attention the entire drive back to the compound. In my mind, all I’m thinking about is what I’m going to say, what I’m going to do. The rage inside me is a wildfire, consuming every part of me. How could Wolfe do this to me? The betrayal is a knife twisting in my gut, each revelation cutting deeper than the last. I trusted him, let myself feel something real, and all along he was lying, manipulating my emotions for his own gain.
To protect his own secrets.
The anger is a living thing, clawing at my insides, demanding to be unleashed. I feel it in my chest, a storm ready to break. It frightens me how deep it runs, and I fear I’ll lose control. I can't believe I let myself open up to him. I can’t believe I let my walls down. This fury, it's more than just anger — it's a promise. A promise that I will confront him, make him see the damage he's done.
I try to fight it, try to rationalize with my brain, but my thoughts are a jumbled mess.
I want him to hurt the way he has made me hurt; I want him to feel a second of the pain and fear that I have felt in my life. Maybe then he would understand. Maybe then he would know that what he has done to me can never be undone. He has destroyed another piece of me, and with every little bit that falls away, I become a shell of myself. Soon, there will be nothing left.
Leaning back in the seat, I stare at the biker in front of me.
I know he has a gun shoved down his jeans, I can see it glimmering when his jacket lifts.
It’s crazy to think what I’m thinking right now, but I can’t stop myself.
Wolfe needs to feel a single moment of fear.
He will wish he never met me.
I’m going to ensure that happens.
I DON’T GIVE MY PLAN much thought.
The second Zane’s bike comes to a stop, I move quickly. I reach for the gun in his jeans, jerking it out before throwing my body from the bike. Somehow, I land on my feet and quickly take a few steps back. Already figuring out what I’m doing, Zane has spun around, and his helmet is tossed to the ground as he stares at me, his gaze intense.
“Put that gun down,” he orders, but I can see he’s weary.
I have a weapon, and he doesn’t.
“Sorry,” I say, my voice stone cold. “I need to see Wolfe.”
He puts his hands up. “Can’t let you do that.”
I point the gun at him, and shout, “Get him.”
“What the fuck is goin’ on?”
Wolfe’s voice has me spinning around to face him. He has just walked out of the warehouse and is now standing just behind Zane’s bike, his eyes a mix of confusion and anger.
“I know who you are,” I say, my voice so scarily calm that even I don’t recognize it. “I know what you did.”
Wolfe stares at me for a long, painful moment. I know he’s assessing whether or not I’m telling the truth, or maybe he’s wondering just how much I actually know. Either way, I can see the concern flicker across his features. I have a gun pointed at him, and if I have to, I will pull the fucking trigger.
My hand shakes violently as I keep the gun aimed in his direction, my eyes brimming with tears. My voice cracks when I rasp, “You fucking lied to me. All this time, you knew exactly who my father was, you knew about his past, you knew what was going on, and you used me to keep it covered up. Tell me, Wolfe, does everyone in this fucking club know that you helped a fucking murderer?”
Wolfe stands firm, his expression now unreadable. His voice is clipped when he finally speaks, as if he feels nothing. “Put the fuckin’ gun down and we can talk.”
My heartache pours out, raw and unfiltered. “I fucking trusted you.” My voice breaks and tears roll down my cheeks. “I actually thought you were here to help me, but you were just trying to protect yourself.”
His gaze is unwavering. “I did what I fuckin’ had to do. If you let me speak, I’ll explain it.”
“Explain what?” I scream, a mix of anger and desperation. “That you actually knew my father, that you meant something to him, that you were his little fucking sidekick?”
“Put. The. Gun. Down.”
His voice is laced with deep rage, but I don’t lower the gun. “Does it scare you, knowing that I could pull the trigger and end it all? I mean, it’s in my nature, right? That’s what everyone in this god forsaken town thinks. I could shoot you right now and send you right back where you belong.”
A flash of genuine fear washes across his features, only for a split second. “I will tell you what you need to know, and why I did it, but you gotta put that gun down.”
I jerk it, causing him to take a step back. “Maybe I don’t want to fucking put it down. Maybe, just maybe, I want you to feel for a single second some of the things I’ve felt in my life because of that man.”
Before Wolfe can answer, someone slams into me from the back.
The impact is sudden and brutal, knocking the wind out of me as I crash face-first into the dirt. Pain radiates through my body, a sharp reminder of my already injured hands and knees. My knees scrape against the rough ground, causing a cry to escape my lips.
As I lie there, the weight of betrayal and heartbreak presses down, mixing with the burning pain shooting through me. Tears blur my vision, not just from the hurt but from the overwhelming sense of being shattered, both physically and emotionally. In this moment, I feel utterly broken, as if every ounce of strength has been stripped away, leaving me exposed and fragile in a world that seems so fucking determined to crush my spirit.
The gun has fallen from my hands, and it is quickly snapped up.
“Get her up,” Wolfe orders. “Right fuckin’ now.”
How dare he act like he cares.
I’m hauled to my feet, tears and blood mixing together as they drip off the end of my chin and nose.
“Get her inside,” Talon growls, from beside me. “We’re not fuckin’ savages.”
“She was goin’ to shoot you, Pres.”
The voice comes from the person who knocked me down, but I don’t know who that person is. Quite frankly, I don’t care. The heaviness weighing me down is enough for my knees to buckle and for that person to have to take on all my weight so I don’t fall again. Wolfe steps forward, hauling me into his arms, and carries me inside.
I don’t look at him.
I don’t speak to him.
Hell, I’m not sure I’m even breathing.
Right now, it feels like I could be done with this living thing and be completely okay with it.
I have nothing left, I have nobody in my corner, and my heart has been broken into a thousand tiny pieces.
There is simply nowhere to go from here.
“You gotta let me explain,” Wolfe murmurs low as he places me down on the couch, ordering someone to bring a first-aid kit.
“Go to hell,” I whisper, turning my head away, staring at the pale-yellow sofa and feeling my soul slowly slip from my body.
He doesn’t say anything else.
What is the point?
He knows that nothing he can say will ever make up for what he’s done.
“Here, Pres.”
Kael’s voice fills my ears, but I don’t bother turning.
“Get me warm water, salt, and somethin’ for the pain,” Wolfe orders.
“On it.”
He begins cleaning my knees, and even though they’re throbbing from the impact, I don’t even flinch as he drags the alcohol cleanser over my exposed flesh. I close my eyes, and the tears continue to fall. Everything that has happened today has only solidified the fact that I should never have come back here. I wanted to heal, to find answers, and instead all I have done is damage myself so deeply, I’m afraid there is no coming back.
My therapist would have a field day with this information.
“I didn’t do it to hurt you.”
Wolfe’s voice is a low growl.
“I don’t fucking care,” I croak. “I hate you.”