Chapter Twenty-Two
August
“Where the fuck is she?” I seethed, stalking Shame as he slowly edged away until his back hit the wall.
“It’s been almost a month since I watched her drive away, Shame, and in that time, you’ve found jack shit.
My woman is out there somewhere, about to give fucking birth.
She’s alone, scared and unable to contact anyone for fucking help. ”
Shame flinched, his eyes darting nervously towards the hallway, as if expecting rescue. My rage simmered just beneath the surface, raw and unyielding, fueled by months of uncertainty and the gnawing ache of fear.
“You promised me answers,” I hissed, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles whitened. “You said you had leads. You said you’d bring her home.”
Shame swallowed hard. “I-I thought I had something. That tip about the old motel on Route 16, but when I got there, she was already gone. There was nothing, not even a note. I swear I’m trying.”
“Trying isn’t good enough.” My voice broke, the sharpness replaced by desperation. “She’s out there, and every night I imagine her alone, scared, wishing I could find her. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. All I want is to know she’s safe.”
The silence was thick, punctuated only by the muffled sounds of the brothers partying, drinking, and having fun.
Shame looked away, guilt etched into every line of his face.
“I’ve got feelers out everywhere. If she turns up, I’ll know,” he offered, but the words felt empty, a lifeline made of smoke.
I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, forcing back the tide of helplessness. My office felt suffocating, the air thick with secrets and the distant laughter of men who had never known real loss. I turned, pacing, needing movement to keep the panic at bay.
Shame lingered in the corner, wringing his hands. “I know you want her found,” he muttered, voice breaking under the pressure. “I know you miss her. But, Bane, you need to keep it together. If she reaches out, if she leaves any trace, I’ll find it. I promise.”
Promises, promises. I’d learned how little they meant these past two months. My mind flicked to the last time I’d held her, the way her shoulders shook as she drove away, the stubborn tilt of her chin. Her absence gnawed at me, relentless as hunger.
I moved to the window, watching shadows flicker across the harbor. Somewhere out there, she was fighting through hell alone, and I was powerless to reach her. Time stretched cruelly, every second scraping across my nerves.
A knock at the door jarred us both. Shame startled, eyes wide, and I felt my pulse hammer in my throat. Hope and dread mingled, sharp as lightning—maybe word, maybe nothing—but I clung to it, because even the faintest possibility was better than the endless silence of not knowing.
I squared my shoulders, ready for anything and nothing, praying that somehow, this would be the moment when everything changed, when the door slammed open and in walked George Stone. Seeing Shame, the man sneered, “Get the fuck out of here.”
Shame didn’t need to be told twice. The second my intern was gone, George slammed the door shut and grinned. “Where the fuck did your parents take that cunt of a sister of yours?”
“Fuck you.”
Shaking his head, George tsked. “Gonna let that one slide ’cause you and my boy are tight, but make no mistakes, August. I have no fucking problem putting your ass in the ground.”
“Who says I’m tight with him? That motherfucker ruined my sister’s life.
He can get fucked, right along with the rest of you fucking Stones.
You and your family are nothing but fucking garbage, and the sooner the whole fucking lot of you die off, the happier I’ll be.
So get the fuck out of my office. I’ve got nothing to fucking say to you. ”
George’s grin only widened, his eyes glinting with the kind of malice that never needed an excuse.
“Careful, August. You’re not untouchable.
You think anyone here’s going to lift a finger for you once you’re no longer useful?
” He leaned forward, knuckles whitening against my desk, every word sharp and deliberate.
“You want to keep breathing, you start remembering who’s in charge. ”
I met his glare, refusing to flinch. He wanted fear, but all I had left was rage—cold, patient, old as the rot in the Stones’ bloodline. “And who the fuck said you’re in charge?”
George threw his head back and laughed. “You think just because Popeye saved you from an ass-beating that you have a say,” the man sneered, then leaned toward me and threatened, “Over my dead fucking body. I’m the motherfucking president of this goddamned club and will be until the day I fucking die.
I make the goddamn rules. You think you are so fucking smart.
That you can take me on and fucking win.
Boy, I’ve been playing this game long before you were a thought in your old man’s nutsack. ”
I didn’t blink. I didn’t give him the satisfaction. Let him rant, let him posture—he was right about one thing: the Stones had always played their games in shadows, and I’d spent too long letting them move my pieces for me. But I was done with that.
He straightened, letting his gaze sweep the room, as if searching for cracks in armor I refused to show. “Watch yourself, August. You’re not as alone as you think—but you’re not half as smart as you believe.”
George’s words hung in the air, heavy with threat and a chilling reminder of the power the Stones held.
I knew he was right about one thing: I wasn’t untouchable.
But the thought of backing down, of letting them control me and my family any longer, ignited a fire in my veins.
“You think I’m afraid of you?” I snarled, stepping closer, my voice low and dangerous.
“You think I care about Montana or your club? You’re all the same—a bunch of sadistic, power-hungry assholes who get off on ruining people’s lives.
” George’s eyes narrowed, his face twisting with anger, but I continued, my words a venomous hiss.
“You may have had your claws in me once, but that time is over. I’m done being your puppet. ”
The older man’s gaze turned icy, his expression hardening into a mask of contempt.
“You’ve always been a cocky little shit, August. But let me remind you—your sister isn’t the only one I can touch.
That pretty little whore of yours, about to pop with your brat—she’s vulnerable too.
Yeah, that’s right, you little shit. I haven’t forgotten about her.
One wrong move, and I’ll make you watch as she suffers. ”
My blood ran cold, my rage turning to ice in my veins. This was the crux of it—the leverage they held over me. I wanted to strike out, to end this man’s life with my bare hands, but I forced myself to stand firm, my gaze unwavering.
“You won’t lay a finger on her,” I said, each word a promise of violence. “Touch her, and I’ll burn this entire club to the ground. I’ll take everything from you, just like you took from me.”
George’s smile was slow and filled with dark satisfaction. “Big words, August. But we both know you won’t act. You’re a man of your word, and your word means nothing if your family isn’t safe. You’ll do what you’re told, just like always.”
I wanted to deny it, to scream that he was wrong, but the truth of his words hit home.
I was trapped, bound by the chains of my own making.
He was right with his threat, heavy and suffocating: I was trapped, just like I’d been all those years ago when he first sunk his claws into me.
But the thought of backing down, of letting him control me again, was like a fire in my veins.
“Get the fuck out,” I bit out, each word a struggle.
“And if you touch a hair on her head, I’ll make it my life’s mission to destroy everything you’ve fucking built, even taking down this motherfucking club.
Because you seem to keep forgetting one thing, asshole.
I know where you buried the bodies.” George’s eyes glittered with a mix of triumph and hatred.
“Don’t threaten me, Bane. Or what happened to your sister will pale in comparison to what I do to that cunt you knocked up. You’re nothing but a means to an end, and don’t you ever forget it.”
With that, he turned and walked out, leaving me standing there, my hands curled into fists at my sides.
I knew he was right. He had always been about power and control, and I’d been a fool to think otherwise.
The weight of my failure pressed down on me as I thought of her, so close to giving birth, and him, with his fingers on every pulse of the club’s dark underbelly.
How could I have been so blind? I sank into my chair, my mind racing, searching for a way out, a way to protect what was mine.
But every path I saw led back to the same truth: I was trapped, and he held all the cards.
The silence of my office closed in around me, suffocating and oppressive. I knew I should move, take action, but I felt paralyzed, my mind spinning in circles. The image of the love of my life driving away, the fear in her eyes, haunted me.
I’d failed her, just like I’d failed my sister.
The weight of it all pressed down, threatening to crush me. I had to find a way to fix this, to protect Diana, even if it meant playing the long game.
But this time, I vowed, it would be different.
This time, I’d be the one holding all the cards.