He narrows his eyes, not buying it. “You sure? You got that look like you’re ready to hit something.”
Levi just sits back, arms crossed, watching both of us. The air feels tight.
I glance over at Nico, force my voice steady. “It’s nothing. Just tired of surprises.”
Nico snorts. “You mean surprises like finding out Carrie’s working in the damn library, or surprises like Levi getting handsy with her?”
I don’t answer. I just stare at my hands, knuckles white, jaw locked.
Nico leans in. “You ever gonna tell her how you feel, or just keep stewing every time someone else touches her?”
That hits hard. I look up, eyes meeting his. “Drop it, Nico.”
He shrugs, but his look says he won’t. Levi says nothing, but I can tell he’s paying attention.
I don’t sleep much that night. Every time I close my eyes, I see Levi’s smirk, Carrie’s face, the way she looked that first night at Mackey’s when she thought no one was watching. That old anger, the bitterness, it just keeps building. By morning, I’m done waiting.
After count, I head for the law library. The guards barely glance at me.
I spot her at a back table, sorting a stack of battered law books. She looks smaller here, out of place, her hair pulled up and dark circles under her eyes. She’s pretending to focus, but I can see the way her hands shake.
I step up behind her, voice low. “We need to talk.”
She startles, dropping a book. “JC. I—” She won’t look at me, fiddling with a pen, staring at the floor. “Is everything okay?”
I lean over, arms braced on the table, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Don’t play dumb. Why are you really here, Carrie?”
She swallows, finally raising her eyes to mine. I see guilt, nerves, and something else flickering in her stare. “I told you. It’sa job. After everything that happened, I needed work. The ATF helped me get in. That’s all.”
“That’s all?” I press. “You expect me to believe you just walked into a federal prison for a paycheck, no questions asked?”
She flinches, but her voice stays steady. “I didn’t have a choice. You know what it’s like out there for me right now? No one wants to hire the ex-girlfriend of a biker club president under federal investigation. This was the only thing on offer.”
I shake my head. “There’s more to it. You’re hiding something. What are you not telling me?”
Her fingers tremble as she stacks the books, refusing to look up. “I’m not hiding anything, JC. I just…I want to help you guys. All of you.”
“Help us?” I repeat, not hiding my skepticism. “You want to help the men you supposedly set up? The same guys your ex screwed over?”
She lifts her chin, eyes shining with hurt. “I never set you up. You know that, right?”
I stare at her, searching her face for a lie, for anything to make sense of this mess. “If that’s true, why did you look like you were about to run the moment I walked in here?”
She bites her lip, shoulders curling in on themselves. “Because you look at me like you hate me now. Because I hate what’s happened. Because I can’t fix it, and I’m scared I’ll make it worse.”
For a moment, I want to reach out, just touch her, steady her shaking hands. But I stop myself. I have to know. “Why should I trust you?”
Carrie’s voice gets quiet, almost a whisper. “Because I still care what happens to you. To all of you. I never wanted any of this. I just want to make it right.”
I study her, trying to find the truth beneath her fear. She finally meets my eyes, and for a moment I see the old Carrie, the one I wanted, the one I lost.
“You want to make it right?” I ask, voice softer. “Then prove it. Tell me everything. No more secrets.”
She hesitates, breathing shaky. “I can’t. Not yet. But I swear, JC, I’m on your side.”
“How?” The words come out before I can stop them, hard and cold. “Fucking Levi in the library, is that part of you being on our side?”
She freezes, her eyes wide. The color drains from her face. For a second, she can’t seem to breathe.
