“I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I know. But there’s something I need to tell you, and it can’t wait.”
She studied me for a long moment, then stepped aside.
The box was still on her coffee table. Both cuts visible through the half-open lid. I forced myself not to look at them as I sat down on her couch.
Indira didn’t sit. She stood near the kitchen, arms crossed, watching me with guarded eyes.
“I went to Louisville,” I said. “Club business—the expansion deal we’ve been working on. I flew, which you probably don’t know is a big deal in MC culture. We ride. Flying means you’re desperate.”
“Were you? Desperate?”
“To get back to you.” I met her eyes. “To fix this.”
She didn’t respond, just waited.
“While I was gone, I did a lot of thinking. About what you said. About my first instinct being to control rather than trust.” Itook a breath. “You were right. When I saw those photos of you, my immediate thought wasn’t to tell you everything. It was to manage the situation. Keep you safe through ignorance. That’s not the man I want to be.”
“Photos?” Her voice sharpened. “What photos?”
“That’s what I came to tell you.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “The Wolves—they’re a rival MC. They’ve been trying to undermine us for years. Crystal called them after your confrontation, she gave them one piece of information: that you matter to me.”
Indira’s face went pale.
“They sent us a message. Three photos of you—going into your building, at the coffee shop, in the parking lot at Murphy’s. They’ve been surveilling all the club officers, looking for weaknesses. Probably had dozens of photos of you before Crystal called, but they didn’t know who you were. Just some woman I’d been seen with. Her call told them you mattered.” I paused to let that sink in. “They’re trying to use you as leverage to force us into a deal we can’t make.”
“They...” She shook her head slowly. “People have been following me? Taking pictures?”
“Yes.”
“And you knew about this Saturday night. But Sunday morning, you came to me with vague warnings about a situation.” Her voice hardened. “You saw photos of me being stalked and still didn’t tell me the truth.”
“I know.” I didn’t try to defend myself. “That’s why I’m here now.”
She turned away, staring out the window. When she spoke, her voice was quiet. “What exactly is your club involved in, Jacob?”
This was it. The moment of truth.
“Gun running.” I said it flatly, no hedging. “We transport weapons for private buyers. It’s the main source of the club’s income..”
Indira went very still.
“The ATF has been watching us for years. They haven’t been able to pin anything concrete, but they’re getting closer.” I continued before I could lose my nerve. “The Wolves want to take over our Montana operation. They can’t compete with us, so they’re trying to destabilize us instead. That’s why they targeted you.”
“Gun running.” She said the words like she was testing them. “You run guns.”
“Yes.”
“Illegal weapons.”
“Mostly legal weapons sold through channels that don’t require background checks. But yes, some of them end up in places they shouldn’t.”
She was quiet for a long time. I watched her back, saw the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands gripped her elbows.
“Why are you telling me this now?” she finally asked. “Club business, remember? You couldn’t tell me before.”
“We had an emergency church today. Told the brothers I needed to tell you the truth. That I couldn’t lie to you anymore, even if it meant violating club rules.”
