“I saved my sister.” Jackal meets my eyes. “Dad was going to marry you off to Marcus Stone. I couldn’t let that happen.”
“But you left.” The words come out angry now. “You left months ago. You weren’t even here.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for that.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Dad sent me out of state to start a new chapter. Said it was time for me to build something of my own. I believed him. Went willingly.”
“So what changed?” Ash asks.
“I started getting suspicious. Dad was acting strange before I left. Secretive. Making calls he didn’t want anyone to hear.” Jackal paces. “So I started digging. Made some calls. Asked questions. Found out Dad had debts. Massive debts.”
“What kind of debts?” Titan asks.
“Gambling mostly. Some bad business deals. He owed money to people you don’t want to owe money to.” Jackal stops pacing. Looks at me. “And he made a deal to clear those debts. He traded you to Marcus Stone.”
The room spins. “What?”
“There was no alliance, Bonnie. No plan for peace between the clubs. That was a lie Dad told everyone to make the marriage seem noble.” Jackal’s voice hardens. “Marcus agreed to clear Dad’s debts in exchange for you. That’s it. That’s the deal.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Dad said it was to end the war. To bring peace?—”
“He lied. The war was never going to end. Marcus wasn’t interested in peace. He was interested in you.” Jackal moves closer. “Dad sold you to save himself. And he was going to let everyone believe it was for the good of the club.”
Titan curses under his breath. Ghost, who’s been silent this whole time, mutters, “Shit.”
I can’t speak.
My father sold me. Not for the club. Not for peace. For debt.
“How do you know all this?” Ash asks.
“I spent months digging.” Jackal crosses his arms. “Once I had proof, I knew I had to act fast. You were days away from marrying Marcus. So I went to the feds. Gave them everything they needed to arrest Dad.”
“You could’ve just told me,” I say quietly. “You could’ve come to me with this information instead of?—”
“There wasn’t time. The wedding was in a week. Dad had you locked down tight. I couldn’t get to you without him knowing.” Jackal kneels in front of me. “So I did the only thing I could. I got him arrested. Stopped the wedding. Saved you.”
“But you let me think—” My voice breaks. “You let me think Dad was trying to protect the club. That he was making a sacrifice for peace.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. But I couldn’t tell you the truth until now. Until the war was over and you were safe.”
Ash’s hand finds mine. Squeezes.
“So there was never going to be peace,” I say slowly. “Even if I’d married Marcus. Even if I’d gone through with it, the war would’ve continued.”
“Yes.” Jackal’s voice is gentle. “Dad lied to you. To everyone. The marriage wasn’t about ending anything. It was about paying his debts.”
The weight of it crashes over me. Everything I thought I knew. Everything I believed about why this happened.
All of it was a lie.
35
GHOST
The silence in Ash’s office is crushing.
I watch Bonnie from the doorway, where I’ve caught the tail end of their conversation. Jamie didn’t want me walking around yet, but I’m stubborn, and I needed to see Bonnie. To know she’s okay.
She’s gone completely still. Pale. Staring at nothing while the truth sinks in like poison.
