“You got this, Dillon. You’re not gonna die.”
Archer chuckled. “I won’t let them kill you, Dillon. Besides, that’s not the kind of people we are.”
A vision of Joey lying dead on the floor of the Artillery clubhouse had my feet moving at lightning speed. I didn’t have time to act afraid. I had to run in there and come clean, and hope the Celestial Sons and Scorpio would help me despite what I did to them.
The gravel crunched under my feet as I raced toward the back of the building, throwing open a gate that led to where I could hear voices. Scorpio and Juliette were standing a few feet away, talking to Zodiac, Cap, and Bull.
I raced toward them, and I guess the sound of my charge was enough to make everyone stop and turn my way. My feet dug into the ground as I put on the brakes, stopping only a few inches away from Scorpio and Juliette.
“Whoa, Kid, where’s the fire?” Cap shouted, staring at me with the same wide eyes as everyone else. I felt Archer walk up behind me, and knowing he was there gave me a sense of peace I didn’t have before.
For a moment, I just stood there trying to catch my breath, hoping that when I finally was able to speak, they wouldn’t hate me for what I needed to say.
“I… need… your… help.” Each word felt heavy on my tongue. Who was I to ask for help after what I did to them?
“Slow down and take a few deep breaths. What’s wrong? Why do you look so panicked?” Scorpio questioned.
I met his concerned gaze, and all the guilt I’d been hiding came rushing back at the same time all the fear for Joey coursed through me. She was in danger, and they were my only hope of saving her.
“It’s… it’s… my sister. She’s in major trouble. I’m afraid they’re going to kill her.” The words came out loud, like I was shouting them, but maybe it was just the intensity of the situation, the knowledge I had sitting in the palm of my hand that would change all of their lives forever.
Juliette stepped forward, softening her voice so she didn’t seem intimidating. She was. I had no idea what she would do when I showed her the video. “Okay, Dillon, go slow. Who’s going to kill your sister?”
“The Hell’s Artillery… she’s a sweet butt for them, and has been for the last year.”
Bull crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing on me. Now, that man was definitely intimidating. “Then why is she in trouble?”
I looked at the ground, guilt gnawing at my feet like an angry chihuahua. “Because of me… I–I was trying to get some information.”
“What kind of information?” Tess asked.
My gaze moved over toward the late sheriff’s daughter, and I frowned. “About who killed your father.”
She gasped. “And?”
There was a rock sitting in the dirt just at my feet. I used my shoe to kick it away, looking for the courage to tell them everything they needed to know. “I’m going to tell you, but first, you guys have to help me get my sister Joey out of there. There’s no telling what they’ll do to her once they figure out she’s the rat.”
Zodiac clapped me on the shoulder. “Kid, we’ll help you get your sister out of there, I promise. Now, just take a breath and tell us what you know.” I really hated how he kept calling me kid. At least Archer had enough decency to call me by my name.
My head bobbed in agreement before I sucked in a deep breath, forcing myself to look at the man who’s been nothing but nice to me since I got here. Scorpio met my guilty gaze, and I could tell that he was trying to figure out why I was dragging this out so long.
“Before I tell you everything I know, I need to come clean.” I sighed loudly, then took one more deep, cleansing breath.
Here goes nothing…
“Scorpio, I’m so sorry.” I couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore, not when I was about to tell him the secret that I’d been keeping from all of them.
“I don’t understand. Why are you sorry?” Scorpio asked.
“Because I’m the one who stole your bike.”
It was like a light switch went off in Scorpio’s eyes, and before I knew what was happening, the biker had me by the neck, throwing me up against the side of the building as his fingers dug into my throat.
“What the fuck do you mean, you stole my bike?”
My fingers clawed at his hands, but his grip was firm and punishing. I deserved it, I really did, but that didn’t make the experience any less frightening.
Archer came up behind Scorpio and laid a hand on his arm. “Scorpio, I know the kid fucked up, but listen to him. He had a reason for it, and he didn’t even know the bike was yours.”
