When you disappeared and never looked back?
When you broke Phantom’s heart and left him bleeding in the rain and then showed up three years later with his child in your arms?
Emilia steps close, her voice low enough that only I can hear.
“I know how you feel,” she whispers. “It’s okay though. No one here is judging. We all make our decisions and it’s okay to come back when we need help.”
My throat tightens so hard I can’t swallow. I can barely think, let alone speak right now.
I nod once.
“Men, I think we need to talk. Let’s give the ladies a minute to catch up while we take care of business.”
Reaper walks off after giving his woman a kiss. Phantom’s gaze flicks toward the hallway, then down toward the stairs that lead to the basement level where Savage Reign do their little huddles. Phantom would laugh at me if I ever told him what I called their meeting room, but I never got the biker life and all the lingo so I use what I use.
Storm holds something in his hand.
The black book.
It looks like it’s been through hell. The edges are warped, and the cover is scraped. The spine is cracked like someone tried to destroy it and failed.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes, baby. And then we will talk.”
Phantom shifts his attention to Reaper and the rest of the men filtering throughout the living room and down the stairs. Faint bruises show on some of their knuckles. Ash’s cheek looks likehe took a good punch to the face and Beast has a bandage on the side of his neck. Storm looks untouched like Phantom, but it was horrible out there tonight. I can’t imagine if this world lost any of them.
Phantom looks back and throws a wink at me and then it’s just me and a room full of women.
I stand there for a second, staring at the space he leaves behind, feeling the cold seep into my bones again.
I have debris and dirt covering me head to toe. My hair smells like smoke. My skin smells like gunpowder. I’m a walking reminder of tonight.
The women surround me before I can get lost in my panic.
Isa presses a Christmas cookie into my hand like she’s feeding a feral animal, and Willow hands me a mug of hot chocolate that warms my fingers instantly.
I stare down at it, stupidly mesmerized by the little marshmallows floating on top.
Normal things shouldn’t exist in my world anymore.
“Drink,” Charli orders gently. “You look like you’re about to fall over.”
I take a sip, and the sweetness hits my tongue, and it almost hurts from being so damn good.
I swallow and glance toward the stairs. “Should we join them?”
Arabella’s gaze is steady. “Not now. Let’s give them some space to put their heads on straight and then we can eat. I heard about what happened tonight. Are you sure you are okay?”
A chill slides down my spine. “How much do you know about what is going on?” she asks in a soft tone.
All of them look at me then, and I realize what they’re really asking.
Can we trust you?
There’s no use in giving half-truths anymore.
“My brother is working behind my father’s back to break up the Euphoria ring from the inside,” I say, the words coming out in a rush now that they’ve started. “He’s been working with a detective for three years, but she can’t do much until he gets more proof. That is where I came in.”
My eyes widen. In all the chaos, I forgot about the video. I make a mental note to reach out to the detective in the morning. “Umm…my brother, Micah, he got too deep and needed help. That’s about all I know from my end.” I tighten my grip on the mug. “But you make it sound like something else is going on here. I never knew the Savages for pushing drugs. Were they fighting tonight to take the drugs from my father and all the other guys? Is that why they were there?”
