“Man, leave it,” Ragnor says, stepping in slightly. “She’s upset.”
That tone, like he’s the calm one, the saviour, lights a fuse in me.
“You’re just gonna fuck your way through the club right in front of me?” I shout, ignoring him. “Like we didn’t mean shit?”
Remi’s eyes meet mine, glassy but steady. Her voice is quiet. “I think Sasha’s waiting for you.”
Something in me snaps. I grab Remi’s wrist, ignoring her sharp intake of breath. “We’re not doing this out here,” I growl, dragging her back towards the door. Ragnor steps forward, but one look from me stops him cold.
Inside, the men turn to watch as we enter.
“Shadow, let me go—”
“Not a chance.” I stop dead in the centre of the room. The noise drops, the brothers sensing the storm. “You all should know who you’re drinking with.”
Axel appears near the bar, brows drawn tight, but I don’t stop.
“This girl,” I spit, pointing to Remi. “She stole from the club. Fromme.She’s working off her debt, so no one touches her, no one hands her cash, and no one trusts a word she says until she’s paid what she owes.”
Murmurs ripple through the room. Remi stiffens beside me, head bowed, but I don’t see it. Not really. I’m too far gone, too busy burning what’s left of us to the ground.
“She thought she could lie, sneak, and still sleep under our roof,” I continue, the words sharp and ugly. “In my bed.” I take a breath. “She betrayed the club, but the only reason she’s still breathing is because she’s working the debt off.”
The room stays silent for a beat, then Axel’s voice cuts through the tension. “That’s enough, Shadow.”
I turn, breathing hard, only now realising how tight my grip still is on her wrist. She’s trembling, eyes bright with tears she refuses to shed. I let go, my hand falling uselessly to my side.
Axel steps forward. “Get her out of here,” he orders quietly. “Now.”
Chapter Twenty
Remi
I don’t fight when Lexi and Rue pull me away. My legs move, but I don’t feel them. The noise of the clubhouse—Shadow’s voice, the brothers’ laughter—fades behind us until it’s just the three of us in one of the side rooms. Lexi closes the door softly.
Rue’s hand lands on my shoulder. “Hey,” she says gently. “Ignore him. He was drunk and angry. He didn’t mean half of it.”
“He meant every word,” I whisper. The tears come before I can stop them, hot and relentless. “And he’s right. I stole. I lied. But I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.”
Rue exchanges a look with Lexi, both of them quiet,waiting.
“It’s my stepfather,” I finally manage, voice shaking. “He’s the reason I left home. He . . . he killed my mum.” The words tumble out before I can swallow them back. “And he passed a debt onto me that he says Mum owed. The guy . . . he threatened me and said he’s come for Shadow. I panicked. I thought if I could just pay him off, he’d leave me alone and then I’d pay the club back and no one would know.”
Lexi crouches beside me, rubbing slow circles over my back. “Why didn’t you come to us, you didn’t have to deal with it alone?”
“It’s the only way I know,” I sniff, forcing a watery smile. “Every time I lean on someone, it goes wrong. Shadow hates me.”
Rue sits on the arm of the couch, voice low. “He doesn’t hate you. He’s angry, yeah, but I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Remi, he’s in love with you.”
“He’s lashing out because he’s hurting,” Lexi adds quietly. “It’s the biker way.”
“And what about me?” My laugh breaks apart. “I’m hurting too. I just watched him stick his tongue down Sasha’s throat.” I shake my head, a shuddering breath escaping me. “I don’t even blame him. She’s stunning.”
“And so are you,” Rue says softly.
I wipe my face and push to my feet. “I have to get my stuff out of his room. I can’t face him again.”
“Leave it with us,” Rue says quickly. “I’ll keep him talking while you two grab your things. Lexi can find you a room.”
