"That's a good reason."
"It was. But now?" I shake my head. "Now I look at this club, at the way Storm takes care of his people, the way Lee's working his ass off to earn his patch, the way everyone shows up for each other no matter what. And I think maybe I found the family I was supposed to have all along."
Devil nods slowly. "I get that. I do. Because I feel the same way. Being a cop was about justice, about doing the right thing. But being part of Saint's Outlaws? That's about belonging. About being part of something bigger than yourself."
We're both quiet for a long moment, the weight of what we're saying settling over us. This is dangerous territory. We're talking about abandoning our badges, our careers, everything we've worked for. And for what? A motorcycle club that doesn't even know who we really are?
"We need to start thinking about what the future looks like if we decide not to be cops anymore," I say finally. "Because Harrison's lying to us means he's already thinking about what happens when this operation ends. And we need to be prepared for that."
"Agreed. But Dime?" Devil stands up, coming over to stand next to me. "Whatever we decide, we decide together. We went into this as partners, and we come out of it the same way."
"Together," I echo.
"And we protect the people we love. Allison, Dani, everyone in this club who's become family. That's non-negotiable."
"Non-negotiable," I agree.
There's a knock on the door, and Lee pokes his head in. "Ransom's here for Keegan. Everything good?"
"Yeah, we're good," Devil says. "Thanks for keeping an eye on him."
"No problem."
Lee disappears, and we can hear the sounds of Keegan saying goodbye, the rumble of Ransom's voice, and then the garage door closing. It's just us now, alone with the choice we're going to have to make.
"You want to know the worst part?" I ask.
"What?"
"I don't even feel guilty about it. About thinking of leaving the force, choosing this life over the badge. I should feel guilty, right? After everything, after all the years I spent trying to help people, trying to make a difference."
"But you don't."
"No. I don't." I look at him. "Does that make me a bad person?"
Devil considers this for a moment. "No. It makes you human. We went into this thinking we knew who we were, what we wanted. But people change. Experiences change us. And maybe who we were when we started this operation isn't who we are anymore."
"And you're okay with that?"
"I have to be. Because the alternative is spending the rest of my life pretending to be someone I'm not, and I'm done with that shit." He pulls out his phone again, looking at Harrison's message. "We'll keep working the case. We'll do what he's asking. But we're also going to start planning for a future that might not include a badge."
I nod, feeling something settle in my chest. It's not quite peace, but it's close. It's acceptance, maybe. The understanding that the path I thought I was on might not be the one I'm supposed to walk.
"We should get out of here," I say. "I promised Allison I'd pick her up from school, and you've probably got plans with Dani."
"Yeah, she wants to work on planning that cookout." He grins. "Apparently it's very important that we have the right kind of potato salad."
"Sounds serious."
"You have no idea."
We leave the office, and as we're walking out to our bikes, I feel the weight of the conversation we just had sitting heavy on my shoulders. This is real. We're really considering walking away from everything we've worked for, everything we've been.
But as I start my bike and head toward the school to pick up Allison, I think about what's waiting for me. A woman who loves me, a cat who's taken over my pillow, a home that finally feels like it belongs to me. A life that's real, not just a cover story.
And maybe that's worth more than a badge.
Maybe it's worth everything.
