It’s about justice. Truth. Exposing corruption that’s poisoned this city for too long.
The night before the sting, the clubhouse is tense but ready. Brothers sharpen their focus with the kind of quiet determination that comes before a battle. Some clean weapons. Others review the plan one more time. A few just sit in silence, preparing mentally for what’s coming.
I stand out in front of the clubhouse, watching the desert beyond our gates. The city lights of Vegas glow in the distance, that beautiful, corrupt beast that we’re about to try and tame.
Behind me, the clubhouse doors open. I don’t need to turn to know it’s Victoria. I’d recognize her footsteps anywhere now.
“Can’t sleep either?” she asks, coming to stand beside me.
“Too much riding on tomorrow.”
She takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. It’s a simple gesture, but it means everything. “We’re ready. The plan is solid.”
“Plans don’t survive contact with the enemy.”
“Good thing we’ve got you, then. You always think three steps ahead.”
I turn to face her, needing to see her expression in the dim light. “Whatever happens tomorrow—”
“Don’t.” She puts a finger to my lips. “We’re both coming out of this. Both of us. Together. Remember?”
I kiss her finger, then her palm, then pull her into my arms. One more night together, knowing a few hours changes everything. Knowing that by this time tomorrow, we’ll either have won or lost all that matters.
Inside, I hear Bear’s rumble as he addresses the younger brothers. Ghost’s quiet voice runs through the communication protocols one final time. Nitro’s flute, hauntingly beautiful, plays something that sounds like both a prayer and a war song.
This ismyfamily.
Mybrothers.
Myclub.
And tomorrow, we fight for all of it.
I pull Victoria closer, breathing in her scent. “I love you, wildcat. Whatever happens, remember that.”
“I love you, too,” she whispers back. “Now take me inside. I want tonight to be about us, not tomorrow.”
I lead her to my room, closing the door on the world outside.
Tomorrow we face Rourke, the Alliance, and everything that’s been building toward this moment.
But tonight?
Tonight is ours.
And I intend to make sure she knows exactly how much she means to me—with every touch, every kiss, every whispered promise in the dark.
The poker chip sits on my nightstand, catching the moonlight through the window. Tomorrow it’ll be back in my pocket, my touchstone during the chaos to come.
But for now, all that matters is the woman in my arms and the future we’re fighting to build together.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
SIN
The Next Morning
Pre-dawn light bleeds across the warehouse district like a bruise. The industrial zone is quiet, abandoned this time of morning, nothing but rusted metal and cracked concrete stretching into the darkness.
