Those words hit hard because somehow I know she means them. Everly moves to run past me. My hand grips her arm. I lean in and ask, “Did you know Kaylie’s dad was a Devil too?” Ever audibly gasps. I’m not sure if it’s out of shock of knowing or the realization that I know now too. “He’s not listed on the birth certificate, but she told me. Your mother, before she died.” A myriad of emotions swirl in those beautiful eyes before me. Pain. Disappoint. Fear.
Everly squeezes her eyes shut, takes a deep breath, then resumes dragging Kaylie through the clubhouse with me calling after her.
When we hit the common room where everyone else seems to have gathered for breakfast, I try again.
“Everly!” I try. But Everly doesn’t stop, attempting to get as far away from me as possible.
Surprisingly, Everly stops suddenly, storming back to the middle of the room, stomping toward me as she shouts, “You had no right to dig into our lives for information that has nothing to do with you. We’re notyours, Mason. I will not allow our lives to be flipped upside down by another biker.”
I know why she says it, but the dig at me being a biker isn’t what pisses me off. Although the shift in atmosphere tells me her words won’t go unanswered by those within earshot. The room is full of people I love and respect, and their families. All of whom, she’s just disrespected.
“Whoa!” I pause, needing to calm myself and defuse the situation. I’m pissed that she would dismiss what we have, what we could be, so easily. “You’ve always been mine, Ever. Sincethe day at the lake before you bolted from town. You’re just too afraid to admit it.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Only this time, I’m not letting you run.”
“I already told you I don’t want to be with a biker. You want to give up your club and come play house with me and Kaylie?” she yells.
I spot Sadie out of the corner of my eye. If Ever doesn’t shut the hell up, I won’t be able to stop Sadie from attacking her. Not without having to tangle with Hawk.
When I don’t answer right away, Ever laughs humorlessly. “Of course not. The brotherhood comes first.”
I stand stunned and utterly fucking fuming as I watch her storm off with Kaylie and drive away out of the yard shortly after.
I’ll let her go for now. Give her some space to think things through. What I won’t do is stop watching over them. Protecting them. I’m going to get with Hawk and Pres and find out who this fucker is. When I do, I’m going to put his ass in the ground. Then I’m going to claim my woman once and for all. We are, without question, what we've always been.
We’re fucking inevitable.
2
MASON
Four Weeks Later
“It’s too fucking early for this shit,” Jake grumbles as we all pile into the sanctuary for church at six in the morning.
“We’ve got a problem,” Pres starts, addressing the room. It’s my first time sitting at the table in church, and I’d be lying if I said my chest isn’t puffed up with pride. It took a little longer than planned, but I paid my dues and proved myself worthy of the patch that I now wear proudly across my back. This year’s New Year’s Eve party is one I will forever remember.
“Ghost says there’s been a couple of new assholes in town frequenting the strip club. Normally, we would welcome new business. However, one of them wears the mark of the Devil’s Order.”
“Fucking hell.”
“Shit.”
“Jesus.”
Everyone in the room pops off. None of us are happy to find out there are any survivors from the takedown in Florida. Wewere sure after all the fake foster care homes we took out and the ambush to the island that we got them all.
The transition homes for children and teens had nothing to do with foster care placements. They were pickup points for the Devils’ trafficking business. Unfortunately, after we destroyed them, we learned the foster system wasn’t their only supply chain. It did supply a healthy portion of underage kids to their clientele.
“Why won’t those fuckers stay dead?” Jameson complains.
“They’re like fucking cockroaches. You kill one, ten more come out of the walls.” Mack’s face scrunches at Ethan’s description. Our big, badass enforcer, a man I’ve seen and heard do grotesque things to people to protect this club, has a thing about cockroaches. He read somewhere once that one crawled in a man’s ear in Florida and laid an egg, and ever since Mack shudders when he sees or hears the word. He’s the reason the clubhouse stays stocked with traps and roach killer.
“How many are we talking about?” Mack asks Pres.
“Ghost says three so far. Although we don’t have confirmation that they’re all Devils. Only the one with the tattoo has been identified as a member for certain.”
“The other two could be prospects,” Jameson suggests with a shrug.
“Or potential buyers,” Ghost adds.
