That he was murdered by someone who was supposed to uphold the law.
That these bikers, these criminals I was sent to investigate, have been the ones fighting for justice all along.
“You have my word,” I whisper. “I won’t print anything. Not until this is over. Not until you’ve taken down Rourke and the people he’s working with.”
Sin studies me for a long moment, and then he nods. “Good.”
“Can I ask…” I have to know, I have to push just a little further. “What was he like? Marcus?”
Sin’s expression softens fractionally. “Like I said… good man. Moral to his core. He reminded me of—” He stops himself. “Hereminded me why we do what we do. Why we fight for people who can’t fight for themselves.”
A tear escapes, tracking hot down my cheek. I swipe at it quickly, trying to maintain the façade. “His family… they deserve to know the truth, Sin.”
“They will,” Sin replies. “When it’s safe. When we can give them justice instead of just answers.” I nod, not trusting myself to speak. “This doesn’t leave the Chapel,” Sin says, addressing Ghost and Nitro. “Elizabeth’s word is good with me.”
Nitro still looks wary, but he nods.
Ghost’s expression is unreadable.
As we move toward the door, I turn back to look at Sin. “Thank you,” I whisper. “For telling me. For trying to protect his family.”
Something flickers across his face, relief maybe, or hope. “We’re not the bad guys, wildcat. We’ve been trying to tell you that all along.”
The doors open, and I step back into the clubhouse. But nothing looks the same anymore.
Nothing will ever be the same again.
Because now I know the truth about what happened to Marcus, but for some reason, I wish I were still in the dark. And the biggest truth, the one that sits like a stone in my chest, is that they’re protecting me without knowing it’s me they’re protecting.
I’m Marcus Delaney’s sister.
And I’m standing in a room full of the only people who have been fighting for him.
The only people who know he was murdered.
The only people trying to get him justice.
And I can’t tell them who I am without blowing everything apart.
So, I have to keep lying.
Even though the truth is destroying me from the inside out.
Chapter Twenty
SIN
The Chapel door closes behind Elizabeth with a soft click that sounds too loud in the sudden quiet. The air still vibrates with the weight of what we’ve just told her—the truth about Marcus Delaney, about Rourke, about the corruption that runs through this city like poison through veins.
I watch her walk away through the small window in the door, her shoulders squared but her steps uncertain, like she’s carrying something too heavy and doesn’t know where to set it down. The urge to follow her claws at my chest, but I force myself to stay put. She needs space to process. Hell, after dropping a bomb like that, she deserves it.
Turning back to face my brothers, I find Nitro already pacing, his boots heavy against the hardwood floor. The rhythm is familiar… three steps, pivot, three steps back. He only moves like that when his mind is racing faster than his mouth can keep up. The guy is far too stressed for a man his age. He is going to end up with a heart attack or stroke if he doesn’t stop with all this worrying he does.
“You sure about this, Pres?” He stops mid-stride, his eyes boring into mine. “Telling her everything? Who knows what she’s gonna print?”
My hand slides into my pocket, fingers finding the worn edges of my poker chip. I pull it out, let it catch the dim Chapel light as I flick it between my knuckles. The motion grounds me, keeps my thoughts ordered when everything else wants to spiral.
“She needed to know what happened with Marcus,” I say, my voice steady even as doubt tries to creep in at the edges. “Thatwe’re not the bad guys. And we need her on our side if we’re going to take down Rourke.”
