Chapter 24 Aiden
How did I get myself into this?
I sat in the garage, staring at the half-empty beer bottle in my hand, feeling the weight of my entire world pressing down on my chest. The air was thick, suffocating, and the low hum of engines outside barely registered in my mind.
I was losing control.
I hated it.
No—I fucking loved it. And that was a very big problem.
It wasn’t in an obvious, reckless way—the kind that ended with bloody knuckles or a dented bike. No, this was worse. This was a slow, creeping loss, one I couldn’t shake. It settled under my skin, wrapped around my ribs, dug into my spine like it had no intention of leaving.
Because right now, I had no intention of letting her go and I was worried I never would—no matter what it cost me.
She was everywhere—in my head, in my fucking space, on my bike. And no matter how much I tried to shove her out, she kept finding ways back in.
And the worst part?
I wasn’t even fighting it anymore.
The garage door creaked open, and I snapped out of it as Rook stepped inside. His presence crashed through the space like a loaded weapon—tense, heavy, locked on to me—and I wondered if he was already suspicious.
His gaze flicked to the bottle, then back to my face. “Drinking already?” His voice had that sharp edge, the one that usually meant he wasn’t in the mood for bullshit.
I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral.
Rook crossed the room and sat on the stool across from me, leaning forward with a hard look. “We need to talk.”
My stomach dropped. I tightened my grip on the bottle, focusing on the bite of glass against my palm instead of his eyes. If he suspected what I’d done, I’d lose everything. Panic ripped through me, the ground tilting away. This was it.
I was really going to lose it all before I ever really had her.
“The threats are getting worse,” he finally said.
I had to take three deep breaths to steady my breathing.
“Fuck, Rook. How do you not know to not start a sentence with ‘we need to talk’? Has Regan taught you nothing?”
“Why is that a problem? We do need to talk.”
I shook my head, my body relaxing as a smile finally broke. “Try that on Regan and let me know how that goes.”
His eyes narrowed, probably trying to decide if I was bullshitting him. “Is this a real thing I need to try, or are you trying to get me in trouble? What is the problem with talking?”
“Nothing, but twenty bucks says she throws something at you before you get to your next sentence.”
He calmed, tension falling from his shoulders as he grinned.
“Deal, but if it hits me, I’m not paying you.”
“Deal.”
“You good?” Rook asked, taking a closer look at me. “You look like shit.”
“How sweet of you, but I’m fine,” I lied, running a hand through my hair. “Didn’t sleep.”
Rook’s eyes narrowed again, like he didn’t believe a word I was saying, but he didn’t push it.
Instead, he leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. “Back to the threats. I’ve been hearing some shit about the Vault being a hangout for Anderson or his guys, but I can’t get anything one hundred percent accurate on which.
If he’s behind these guys coming after us, we can’t keep waiting for him to come out of hiding.
We know Cross’s guys go there sometimes.
Either way, I think we need to head down there and hang out for a few hours to see if we can get anything. ”
I nearly snarled as I remembered my last run-in with Asher. I didn’t dislike the guy—but I hated that he wanted Evie. “It’s a good place to start. People are always talking there.”
“Either the people we need, or the people who know the ones we need, will be there. Drunk, and partying away their day. They always slip up. We go in tonight, get some drinks, hang out, and see what we can find out.”
“Have you told Asher our plan?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t see the need right now. Outside the pack, all anyone needs to know is we are going for a night out. That’s all. We don’t need whoever is watching us to catch on.”
I nodded, feeling the familiar pull of duty, of responsibility. This was what I should focus on—not Evie, not the fear of being found out, which was eating me alive. It should have been the only thing on my mind.
The threats. The plan. Keeping everyone safe.
“I’ll need you to stick to Evie like fucking glue, though. If we are going right into a mess of people filled with the ones going after her, I want someone on her the entire time.”
“You sure you want me doing it tonight? I’m sure Hero or Mason could.”
He shook his head. “I’m struggling not to lock her up to keep her safe, man. The only person I know who cares about her even a fraction of how much I do is you.”
I shook my head, trying to focus on the plan, but my brain seemed to stick on being on top of Evie all night. I knew my face fell, I knew I was doing a shit job at hiding anything I felt and Rook caught on fast.
“Are you up for this?” Rook asked, his voice low and cautious.
I forced myself to nod. “Yeah. I’m up for it. Not a problem at all.”
He gave me a look like he didn’t believe me, but he didn’t push it further. “All right. We’ll head over tonight. Just be ready.”
The moment Rook left, I let out a long breath, leaning back against the workbench and closing my eyes.
My thoughts were a wild swing from work to Evie.
I couldn’t control her, but I had always controlled my own actions.
I couldn’t even trust myself with that now, either.
I wasn’t sure I even wanted to control it anymore, but I had to find a way to pull it all back and hide it again.
I couldn’t have her.
That’s all there was to it.
I took one more deep breath, thinking I might have a chance to get my thoughts under control, until the door to the garage pushed open.
Evie stormed in, her eyebrow arching once as she looked me over.
“You look like you had a rough night,” she said, her lips tipping up as she went past me toward her office.
“Something like that.”
“I heard we are making it two in a row.”
Did she know I had been up all night thinking about her? Or was she simply happy I was miserable?
“Nothing more than another night of work.”
“We are going to a club. Are you really not planning any time for fun?”
“Is it any of your business if I am? You would have no part of it,” I snapped, regretting my words, but not taking them back.
“Really? I thought we had some unfinished business.”
“No, we don’t.”
She stepped even closer, her voice dropping low, trying to unravel the last threads of my willpower. “We definitely have some unfinished business, and I’m not moving on until it’s finished.”
My chest tightened—the guilt felt like a weight, pressing harder with every thought of her. I wanted to give in, to touch her again and silence that fire she kept stoking. But I knew where this would lead, and it wouldn’t be anywhere good.
“What are you talking about?”
“The blackmail. Obviously.” She gave me a sweet grin. “Maybe a few things we had to skip last night.”
“Evie,” I warned, my voice rough. “This isn’t actually a game. This is my life, and I am not risking it because you are bored.”
“I’m not playing games,” she shot back, her eyes blazing.
I stood up, towering over her now as I glared down. “You are. You’re bored and think this is a fun little side game with your blackmail—with making me insane—but what happens when we get caught, not if . . . when. I lose everything and you run back to your room until your next victim comes around.”
The words were like a mantra now, a bleak reminder that if Rook found out, I would lose my home, my family, my entire life, but the desire for her pulled me in just as hard.
“Rook is protective, but he isn’t dumb. You’re his best friend and best asset, he wouldn’t get rid of you just because of me.”
“You need to stop.” My voice was tight, knowing better. “Stop pushing this. Stop with blackmail threats. Stop with flirting and trying to get my attention. Find a new game with a new player.”
She shook her head, a dark smile tugging at her lips. “Not a chance. You’re too fun, Ace. And if you wanted me to stop, you should have thought about that before playing at all.”
“I’m not doing this with you again,” I said, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew they were a lie. “The blackmail. It’s over.”
She stepped even closer, her breath hot against my neck. “No, it’s not. I’m on a lead and I think I will need your second favor soon. And yes, you are. Because I have a strong suspicion that you can’t resist it now.”
The weight of her words hung in the air between us, thick with tension, and I knew I was screwed. There was no way out of this.
“Tonight,” I demanded. “We are going to the Vault. We have to see what information we can find out about these threats. No partying, nothing but business. And nothing to do with us. Shouldn’t you head home to get ready?”
“First, I’m glad to know there’s an us, and second, it’s noon.”
“Then get to work.”
“Fine. I have to go up front anyway, but now I’m really looking forward to tonight.”
As she turned and walked away, every step of hers left a bruise on my restraint. Walking into Evie’s trap had become a habit.
A trap that I knew I’d set up for myself the second I gave in to her.
And I kept giving in. I was always the one reaching first, touching first, dragging us across that line.
I needed to stop.
Stop pretending this was anything more than her using me—blackmail was the cherry on top for her. She’d be done with me soon, and if I had any sense, I’d get out before that happened.