Chapter Sixteen
ELIZABETH
Hours Later
The sun is almost ready to rise after what can only be described as one hell of a New Year’s Eve party.
My body is aching in ways I can’t even explain.
I have never had so many orgasms in a row as Sin gave me out in that storage shed, and then here in his bedroom.
I don’t know whether it was the chemistry that Sin and I have been fighting, the buzz of New Year’s Eve, or maybe even the fact that we were fucking on a table loaded with one hundred percent pure gold, but holy hell am I satiated.
The fact that I think I actually really fucking like the guy doesn’t help my situation—at all.
As I sit on the end of his bed, with him completely passed out, I stare at him.
A small smile crosses my lips at how innocent he looks right now—shirt off, lying on his stomach, spread across his bed, mouth open, and a little snore coming out every so often.
He’ll be so hungover today when he wakes up.
My stomach churns with anxiety as my cell vibrates in my hand, and I glance down at the text.
Boss: We’re ready for you now.
Glancing back at Sin, I hesitate. An impending wave of doom floods over me as tears flood my eyes.
I blink them back, sniffing as I stand, and gingerly walk over to him, lean down, placing a tender kiss on his shoulder blade, then turn and hobble out of his bedroom.
My heart is racing like a jackhammer about to explode out of my damn chest.
Standing in the doorway, I turn back, taking one last look at the man I could possibly have made a future with, and exhale. “I’m so sorry, Sin,” I whisper under my breath, then close his door and limp into the middle of the main room.
The clubhouse is a complete mess. There are brothers passed out on the floor.
Beer bottles on every surface. Decorations half-hanging off the walls.
Half-eaten pizza in various states. I feel bad for Ro and the other girls who will have to clean this mess today.
But I have to admit, it was a hell of a lot of fun.
Dodging the comatose bodies, I make my way to the exit as quietly as I can, but a head pops out from behind the bar just as I am about to make my retreat. “Hey, you leaving?” Millie whispers.
Widening my eyes when I look at her, she seems vibrant as anything this morning. “What are you doing awake?” I whisper.
She shrugs, pulling out a jug of orange juice.
“Got thirsty, and seeing as I wasn’t allowed to drink more than two alcoholic drinks last night, unlike everyone else, I’ll have a clear head today.
So, I thought I would get up early and start getting breakfast ready.
Help the girls out because even though they’re on food duty, they’re going to be feeling it this morning too. ”
Slumping my shoulders, I smile at Millie. She is such a kind soul. “You’re so good to these guys.”
She shakes her head. “I literally owe them my life, Elizabeth. I’ll do anything to help them. A little breakfast prep is nothing.”
Guilt wraps its venomous claws around my throat again, making it hard for me to speak, so I simply nod and smile. “Just gonna head home to get cleaned up,” I somehow rasp out.
“ ’Kay, see you soon,” she chimes happily.
I give her a little wave before turning to leave. “Yep… soon,” I reply.
“Oh, and Elizabeth… it’s the first day of a brand-new year. You never know what exciting possibilities could happen for you. New love, new home, new friends… I mean, anything is possible, don’t you think?” she chimes not so subtly.
Weakly smiling, sadness washes over me. But I shrug to placate her. “Anything’s possible. But not without a decent shower.”
She bursts out laughing and shoos me off. “Oh yes, sorry, go, go. Come back when you’re ready. We’re not going anywhere.”
“Have a good January first, Millie,” I tell her.
“You too, Elizabeth.”
Exhaling, I turn and head for my car. Every inch of my body is hurting, and maybe that is what I deserve. The pit of my stomach has fallen so far it’s not even on the floor—it’s in the pits of hell, and the Devil’s hellhounds are playing with it as a chew toy.
Maybe I would have been better off if those coyotes had eaten me in the desert.
As I reach my car, I can’t stop the tears from falling down my cheeks.
I reach up, yanking at my stupid face mask, and rip it off, taking small clumps of my hair with it.
Opening my car door, I throw my mask across to the passenger side and slide in, slamming my car door, probably louder than I should.
Sitting in the driver’s side, my fingers clench onto the wheel as I let myself sob, feeling all the guilt and anguish overwhelm me.
I came to this club to seek vengeance.
My brother’s death is one hundred percent tied to this club.
And I still don’t know what happened, but my bosses want hard evidence of illegal activities the club is involved in.
That’s the story they want.
I have it, and they want it—right now.
Before I could catch my breath, he grabbed me, flipping me onto my stomach across the bench. My gown rode up over my hips, my cheek landing against his leather cut, the scent of smoke and sweat filling my lungs, branding me in this world.
“Yeah,” he growled, pressing my face harder into it. “Breathe me in, wildcat. You’re mine now.”
My hands closed around jagged nuggets of gold, their weight biting into my palms. A perfect reminder of how dangerous this was.
“Look at you,” he snarled, lining himself up again. “Mask on, cheek on my cut, fists full of illegal gold. You’re so fucking dirty for me.”
And the problem is, when I am around Sin, he does something to me.
He makes me forget that there’s this line I’m not supposed to cross.
He makes it impossible for me to remember that he’s dangerous.
That his road name is Sinister for a damn reason.
The memory of last night with Sin replaying over and over in my mind doesn’t make this any easier on me.
We had one night.
That is all we will ever have.
Now, I have a job to do.
Wiping my face, I turn the ignition and pull out of the clubhouse, glancing into the rearview and watching the clubhouse as I pull down the street, leaving a piece of my heart back there with Sin and the rest of the club.
They’re going to hate me for what I am about to do.
Sin will never forgive me.
I don’t know if I will either.
Averting my eyes from the mirror, I keep my eyes fixed on the road ahead.
It doesn’t matter what I think or feel about the club.
They killed Marcus.
I have to focus on that fact to get me through this.
That is the only thing I can think about right now.
I went in there to find a story.
To find information that is newsworthy.
The club is dealing in illegal gold, and civilians are going to be caught in the crosshairs of an imminent war between them and the Hidden Hand Alliance at any time now.
The club is dangerous, and lives are going to be lost.
I have to stop them from killing any more brothers.
Any more sons.
They have given me no choice.
A single tear slides down my face as Marcus’ song switches over on the playlist, “Smoke and Mirrors.”
“Do your goals align with your true self?” I whisper to myself the theme of the song. A question I ask myself constantly. With my heart feeling like it’s about to explode, I turn my car into the station.
My hands shake on the steering wheel as I drive into the nearest parking spot and turn off the ignition. Letting out some long breaths to try and calm myself, I glance in the mirror, hardly recognizing myself.
My makeup from last night is smudged. My hair is all over the place. I look fucking terrible. But if I don’t do this now, I will lose confidence. “This was always your goal… so it has to be your true self, right?” I try to convince myself.
Though I feel like, somehow, I’m lying.
Like, my loyalties have shifted.
But they can’t.
I can’t be loyal to the club.
I have to be loyal to Marcus.
Smoke and mirrors, smoke and mirrors, I repeat in my head to give me the boost I need to do this.
Exhaling, I open my door and slide out of the car, my black flowing dress still on from last night, no panties because Sin tore them off.
I make my way toward the front door of the police station.
There’s hesitation in every single step I take.
My knees feel like they want to give out at any second.
Opening the front doors, I step inside the bustling station, which is already busy for the first day of the year. Drunken revelers are asleep in the lobby, handcuffed, waiting for processing. Cops are walking around waiting for assignments. For being the first thing in the morning, it’s damn busy.
The lieutenant behind the desk glances at me, furrowing her brows. “Jesus, are you okay? Is that a bruise on your neck? Did somebody hurt you?”
Widening my eyes, remembering how Sin sank his teeth into my neck in a moment of pleasure, I wave my hand through the air dismissively. “No, no. It’s nothing like that. I’m okay… but can I please speak to—”
“Good. You’re finally here. You went radio silent. I was beginning to wonder if we needed to send in a team to check on you. You better have information on the club for me?”
He stepped back, the distance a cold rush as he began buttoning his shirt. “It was nice while it lasted, wildcat.”
“Detective Delaney, do you have something to report, or do you just want to stand in my precinct looking like a gothic Harley Quinn all morning?” Special Agent Moretti snaps back at me, her tone clearly unamused.
Swallowing heavily, I pull out the notepad and recorder I’ve been using at the club, guilt wrapping around me like chains, tightening with every breath. Faces flash in my mind—their laughter, their trust, their moments of kindness.
They let me in, and now I’m about to betray them.
Betray him.
My stomach churns, my grip trembling.
This isn’t justice.
It’s a knife in the back, and I’m the one gripping the handle.
I’m so sorry, Sin.
“Yes, ma’am… I do.”