A faint twitch at the corner of his mouth.“Good.”
General drained his mug.“Sooner or later, he’ll overstep.Until then, we need the flash drive and a clearer picture of who’s above him.”
“Teach her the compound.Teach her rules.When she’s ready, teach her to shoot.”Atilla studied me again.“You sure about this chaos you stepped into?”
“I’m sure.”
Silence stretched.
“Well, if he’s patching in, shouldn’t we tell him his new name?”Truth teased.“I picked it.”
“What is it?”I asked.
“Falcon.”
“I probably should have asked when we voted on it, but why Falcon?”Ace questioned.“Not that I’m saying it’s a bad name.Just wondering why you picked it.”
“Because he’s strong, a good hunter, and has the courage of ten men.”Truth leaned back in his seat.“No one seemed to have a better idea.”
Atilla stood.“Get some rest.Tomorrow starts early.”
My mind had pictured beers raised high, brothers slapping my back, maybe even a wild night, when I finally patched in.
Reality handed me cartel shadows instead, plus a woman who flinched at sudden movements while relearning how to fill her lungs with air.
And I wouldn’t trade either.
The weight of the patch rode heavier on my shoulders the farther I got from Spade’s office.Leather pressed between my shoulder blades like a reminder carved into skin instead of stitched on cloth.Full member.No more Prospect rocker.No more waiting to see if I’d earn my place or get bounced out for a bad call.
The clubhouse hummed when I stepped inside.Low voices.The scrape of chairs.The soft thud of boots crossing old wood.Normal sounds, but my attention locked on the common room.
I spotted Jade curled into the corner of the couch, knees tucked up against her chest, hoodie zipped all the way to her chin.One of Casey’s kids slept at her feet amid a fortress of stuffed animals, one small arm draped over a lopsided teddy bear with missing eyes.Across the room, Marci and Solena sat hunched at the table, competing to see who could tear more receipts into strips and land them in the plastic bin between them.Solena flicked a paper scrap, missing by inches, while Marci smirked and mouthed what looked suspiciously close to trash talk.
Jade’s gaze drifted to the window, paused, then snapped back to the room.Over and over.Like she kept checking the edge of the world and reminding herself she wasn’t standing out there alone anymore.
She noticed me and straightened a fraction.Shoulders dropped an inch.Tension didn’t vanish, but it loosened.
That mattered more than she probably realized.
Marci crumpled another receipt and flicked it into the bin.“You look like you want to punch something.”
“Spade’s running the plate,” I said, stopping near the couch.“SUV matches Roth’s style.Could be him or someone close.Gate’s on high alert.”
Solena’s mouth curved.“Is there ever a time when you idiots aren’t on high alert?”
“Only when we’re drunk.”
Jade’s voice slid in soft and dry.“That’s comforting.”
I stepped closer, careful not to wake the kid.“How you holding up?”
Her fingers curled into the sleeves of the hoodie.“Tired.Brain feels like it’s carrying too much.”
A glance at the clock told me the day had run longer than expected.“You want to head back to the house?”
Relief crossed her face before she masked it.“If I stay here much longer, I might drool on their kid.”
Casey stretched and waved us off.“We’ve got her.Go before she wakes up and demands snacks.”
