Ro chuckles in understanding. “Well, Lizzie, the party is just starting. You get out there and have a damn good time. I’m just glad your migraine lifted.”
“Me too, Ro… me too!” Dipping my head before I slip through the crowd, I weave between the laughter, the music, and the clinking of glasses. The club is alive tonight, bursting with reckless energy. The girls are dressed to kill, the guys throwing back drinks like the world isn’t about to crash down around them when they find out why I amreallyhere, who my brother is, and that I’m trying to avenge his death.
A death theyclearlyhad a part to play in.
Sin joked about me tearing this club apart, and I fear that will be the end result when the truth comes out.
And right now, the thought of that is tearing me apart inside too.
Chapter Fifteen
ELIZABETH
While trying to blend in, I smile when I need to and laugh at jokes that don’t quite reach me. My eyes keep scanning the room, searching for cracks in their armor and moments of vulnerability where truths might slip through.
Sin is standing with a group of men near the far end of the room, his broad shoulders taut, his expression sharp and unreadable. My gaze sweeps over the group as I inch closer, doing my best to remain unnoticed. Jonas McClane catches my attention immediately. His handshake is firm when he greets Sin, his smile polished, but his eyes? They tell a different story. There’s a heaviness there, an exhaustion that no amount of charm can hide. Millie’s father, the name McClane Mining Co., clicks into place in my mind. The jagged edges of this puzzle are starting to take form, though they still slice at my thoughts.
I drift away before I draw any suspicion, blending into the crowd as I approach Millie. She’s leaning against the bar, her face lit up in a way that’s infectious, while she laughs with one of the girls. When she spots me, her smile widens, and she waves me over.
“Elizabeth!” she calls, her voice warm and welcoming. “You look incredible tonight. That dress, girl, Sin must be losing his mind.”
I laugh lightly, brushing off the compliment. “Thanks, Millie. You’re looking stunning yourself.”
She grins, spinning slightly to show off her shimmering silver gown. “Not bad for a last-minute choice, huh?”
“Not bad at all,” I agree, taking the seat next to her, spotting Will staring obviously. “I think Will agrees with me, too,” I add.
Millie’s face brightens red as she avoids eye contact with him. She is clearly embarrassed as her eyes meet mine. “He’s looking… atme?”
Smirking, I reach out, touching her arm for comfort. “Millie, since I arrived to work with the club, the one thing that has been consistent is that Will isalwayslooking at you, honey.” She gnaws on her bottom lip with nerves and has no clue what to do with that information. I let the moment linger before steering the conversation in another direction. “I saw you talking to your dad earlier. He seems to really respect the club.”
Millie’s smile falters for just a second, so brief it’s almost imperceptible. “Yeah… he and the club go way back.” Her hesitation makes my pulse quicken.
There’s something here—something important.
“He seems… different from the other people who come around here,” I say carefully. “Not in a bad way. Just… more polished?”
Millie’s laugh is soft, almost self-deprecating. “That’s Jonas McClane for you.Alwaysthe businessman.” She takes a sip of her drink, her gaze growing distant. “But he owes the club more than he’ll ever admit. We both do.”
I tilt my head, feigning curiosity. “Owe them? What do you mean?”
Millie hesitates, glancing around as though ensuring no one else is listening. Then she leans in slightly, her voice dropping to a lower, more serious tone. “It’s not something we talk about openly. But you already know some of the details of what the club did for me. So I don’t see any reason not to tell you the full story of how the club and my family became involved.”
I nod, my heart pounding as I encourage her to continue, “I’d love to hear it.”
She exhales slowly, her fingers toying with the edge of her champagne flute. “You already know that when I was younger,the Alliance took me as collateral. My dad was in a bind… his mining company, McClane Mining Co., was being targeted. The Alliance wanted the mine for themselves, probably to strip it clean and use the gold to fund their operations. They told my dad he had two choices. Hand over the mine completely to the Alliance or never see me again. I would be the property of the Alliance. I would be the girl they hand around to their men for whatever sick fantasy they wanted. Sex, torture, it didn’t matter. That’s what was on the cards for me.”
My stomach tightens as I listen, the weight of her words pressing down on me like a sledgehammer. “Jesus, Millie… so your dad got the club involved?”
Her eyes flick to mine, shimmering with gratitude and pain. “He did the only thing he could think of. He knew Defiance was at war with the Alliance, that they wouldn’t hesitate to take action. And they didn’t. They found me, Elizabeth. They rescued me without even thinking of hesitating. Without a second thought, it would escalate their war.” I blink, absorbing her words, but she isn’t finished. “It wasn’t only about saving me, though. My dad couldn’t just walk away from a deal with Defiance, leaving them empty-handed. He didn’t feel right…” She pauses, taking another sip before continuing, “He offered them a deal. Once a month, three of the guys go to the mine. There’s a hidden entrance, completely off the books. They take unrecorded gold out, just enough to keep things quiet. It’s how the club funds itself and its operations.Everything. If Dad’s business has no record of the gold coming in, and the club takes it, cashes that gold for money, then they have this steady stream of cash, and they can do whatever they need with it. It’s been working flawlessly for years.”
My breath catches, the implications sinking in.
Illegal gold.
Off-the-record deals.
This is the kind of information that could blow everything wide open.
