Prologue #2
"That I wouldn't tell anyone what really happened. That I'd keep the secret." Her voice drops to a whisper. "Can you promise that too? Please?"
I should say no.
Should tell her that secrets like this have a way of festering, of eating people alive from the inside.
But looking at her—eighteen years old and shattered, wrapped in an oversized shirt, shaking in the aftermath of the worst night of her life—I can't.
"I promise," I hear myself say. "Your secret's safe with me, Grace. Always."
The relief that crosses her face is almost painful to witness.
"Thank you," she whispers.
I stand, but before I can step back, she reaches out and grabs my hand again.
"Will you..." She hesitates. "Will you stay? Just for a minute? I don't want to be alone."
Every instinct I have is screaming that this is a bad idea.
That I shouldn't be in her bedroom.
That I'm twice her age and her father's Enforcer and there are lines you don't cross.
But I can't leave her like this.
"Yeah," I say, settling into the chair by her desk. "I'll stay."
She pulls her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "I was supposed to marry him," she says quietly. "In three months. Big wedding. Combining the families. Everyone was so excited."
"I know."
"I didn't want to. I told Dad I wasn't ready, that I wanted to finish school first. But he said..." She trails off, fresh tears spilling. "He said sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the family. For the ranch. That Bronco was a good man and I'd learn to love him."
The bitter irony isn't lost on me.
Phantom thought he was securing his daughter's future.
Instead, he handed her to a monster.
"Your dad didn't know," I say, even though the words feel hollow. "He wouldn't have made the deal if he knew what kind of man Bronco really was."
"Doesn't matter." Her voice is flat. "He still sold me."
I don't have a response to that. Because she's right.
We sit in silence for a while, the rain still drumming against the window.
Grace's breathing eventually evens out, though the tears keep coming, silent now.
"Shadow?" she says after a long time.
"Yeah, darlin'?"
"Will things ever feel normal again?"
The question cuts deep because I don't know the answer.
I've seen enough violence, enough trauma in this life to know that some things change you forever.
"I don't know," I admit. "But you're strong, Grace. Stronger than you think. You'll survive this."
"I don't feel strong."
"You are." I lean forward, catching her gaze. "You survived tonight. That takes strength. And you'll keep surviving. Day by day. And I'll..." I hesitate, not sure how to finish that sentence.
"You'll what?" She's watching me closely now.
I'll watch over you.
I'll make sure no one ever hurts you like this again.
I'll protect you even if it means going against your father, against the club, against everything I've sworn loyalty to.
"I'll be here," I say instead. "If you need anything. Someone to talk to. Whatever. I'm here."
She nods slowly, something shifting in her expression. "Thank you. For keeping the secret. For staying. For..." She gestures vaguely. "For treating me like a person and not like I'm broken."
"You're not broken," I say firmly. "What happened to you was wrong, but it doesn't define you. Remember that."
Downstairs, I hear Shiver on the phone.
Calling Phantom.
Delivering the news that the VP is dead.
"I should go," I say, standing. "Let you get some rest."
Grace stands too, and before I can move away, she steps forward and wraps her arms around me.
It's brief, barely a second, but I feel her trembling.
"Thank you," she whispers against my chest.
Then she pulls back, looking young and exhausted and so goddamn vulnerable it makes my chest ache.
I head for the door, but before I leave, I turn back. "Grace?"
"Yeah?"
"This secret—what happened tonight—it dies with me. No one will ever know I helped Shiver. No one will ever know the real reason Bronco died from my end. That's my word."
She nods, relief flooding her features. "Okay."
"And Grace?" I make sure she's looking at me. "You're gonna be okay. Maybe not today, maybe not for a while. But you will be. I promise."
I don't wait for a response.
Just step out into the hallway and close the door softly behind me.
Downstairs, Shiver's finishing up the call.
When he sees me, he ends it quickly. "Dad's on his way back," he says. "He's pissed. Wants to know what the fuck happened."
"Are you sure you don’t want to tell him a rival club did this?" I ask. "You and I heard the commotion, came running, Bronco was already dead."
"No, Shadow. I appreciate it, but no. It’s too messy that way. But what do we say about Grace? I don’t wanna air out her laundry."
"She was upstairs in her room. Didn't hear anything. Didn't see anything."
Shiver nods, then looks at me for a long moment. "Thank you. For helping. For keeping her secret. For..." He trails off.
"She's gonna need someone," I say. "When you're gone. When Phantom exiles you for this."
His jaw tightens. "Yeah. I know. That's why..." He takes a breath. "Watch over her. Please. She's gonna need someone she can trust. And I have a feeling Dad's not gonna let me stick around long enough to be that person."
He's probably right.
Shiver killed the VP.
And when Phantom gets angry, people pay.
"I'll watch over her," I promise. "I swear it."
"And the secret?"
"Dies with me," I repeat. "No one will ever know what really happened tonight. That's my word, brother."
Shiver nods, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
Then he does something unexpected—he pulls me into a brief, hard hug.
"Thank you," he says quietly. "For being the kind of man who keeps his word."
Then he steps back, squaring his shoulders, preparing for Phantom's arrival.
I head to the back office, settling in like I've been there all night.
Working on invoices.
Not involved in the drama unfolding in the main room.
But my mind is upstairs.
With Grace.
Eighteen years old. Shattered. Alone.
And I'm making a promise to myself, one I'll never speak out loud:
I'll protect her. I'll watch over her. I'll keep this secret until the day I die.
I'll give her time to heal. Time to grow. Time to become the woman she's meant to be.
But someday—maybe not soon, maybe not for years—someday I'm going to step out of the shadows I've been hiding in.
Someday I'm going to claim what's been mine since the moment I promised to keep her safe.
She just doesn't know it yet.
Outside, engines roar through the rain. Phantom and the boys returning.
I hear Shiver's voice, steady and strong, delivering our story.
And I sit in the back office, hands steady, mind clear, already planning how to protect Grace from the fallout of tonight.
I've always been good at keeping secrets.
And this one?
This one I'll take to my grave.