Chapter Twenty-One
Remi
I fold the clothes I borrowed from Lexi and place them neatly on the end of the bed. For a moment, I just stand there, staring at them, at everything that was supposed to mean safety. A new start. A home.
Then I catch one last look at myself in the mirror. My face is pale, eyes swollen, hair pulled back in a greasy knot. I look like a ghost.
I force myself to move. Down the hallway, down the stairs, each creak of the floorboards sounds too loud, like the building itself is trying to stop me.
It’s exactly ten. Colin isn’t one to be kept waiting.
The yard is still, the air sharp with the promise of rain. A black car idles just beyond the gate, headlights slicing through the gloom. My stomach twists.
He’s here.
I ignore the rain soaking into my white dress and head for the gate, my heart hammering with every step. There’s no turning back now.
He grins when he sees me. “That’s my girl,” he drawls. “Got tired of playing house with the bikers, did you?”
“Do you have it?” My voice is flat, stripped of emotion.
He chuckles, reaching into his coat. A thick envelope appears, and he waves it like a prize. “You always were impatient.”
I snatch it before he can say anything else, peel it open, and see the stacks of notes inside. “Five grand?” I confirm.
He leans closer, his smile never fading. “Five grand for you to come home and play wifey.”
“I just need to settle things first,” I mutter.
He studies me then shrugs. “Don’t keep me waiting, princess.”
The word makes my stomach twist, but I turn and walk back towards the clubhouse anyway, clutching the envelope so tight, it crumples in my hand.
Inside, the noise hits me—music, laughter, bottles clinking—but I push through it all until I reach Axel’s office. He’s behind his desk again, Shadow leaning against the wall beside him. The air between them is already tense when I walk in.
“I came to pay what I owe,” I say, placing the envelope on the desk.
Axel’s brow furrows. “What’s this?”
“Five grand,” I say simply. “What I took, plus extra.”
Shadow moves first, his face full of concern. “Where’d you get that?”
“It doesn’t matter,” I tell him, forcing my tone flat. “What matters is that I’m done. Debt paid. I’m not your problem anymore.”
His jaw clenches. “Remi—”
Axel’s watching me carefully, weighing the envelope with his eyes. “You sure about this?”
I nod. “More sure than I’ve ever been about anything.”
Shadow steps closer, his voice low but dangerous. “Where. Did. You. Get. It?”
I meet his glare head-on, even though my throat’s closing up. “I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you’re asking,” I snap. His eyes don’t budge, and I sigh, “From the only man who ever really wanted me around. Colin.” I turn back to Axel. “So, I’m clear now. I can leave?”
He gives a slight nod.
I turn towards the door. Shadow’s blocking it, his chest rising hard, anger and hurt flashing behind his eyes.
