“Hope you have good tread on your running shoes, Knight, because you’ll need it.” Seth’s gaze bored into him. “I had thisexact conversation with Andre. Do you want to join him on his extra five-mile runs or run the miles on your own?”
He swallowed hard. “On my own, sir. Andre leaves me in the dust every time we run together.”
“If you sweet-talk her, Iona might run with you. She’s a good match for your pace.” Seth placed his hands on the table and leaned toward Elias. “If you ever pull this stunt again, you will never run yourself out of trouble. Am I making myself clear, Knight?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then let’s hear the details. What is this assignment? Where and when is it supposed to go down?”
He dragged a hand down his face. Man, he didn’t want to do this, but he didn’t have a way out. Guess in this instance, the only way out was through. “My assignment starts tomorrow.”
“No way.” Violet shook her head. “You were shot and just had surgery. You can’t go undercover, especially not alone.”
“The timing is critical, Vi. You don’t know what’s at stake.”
“That’s because you haven’t told us. So spill.
“The FBI asked me to infiltrate a motorcycle club rumored to be preparing to sell a boatload of military weapons and armor-piercing bullets in the next two weeks.”
“How will you do this?” Andre asked. “Aren’t MCs closed to outsiders?”
“They’re selective in the men they allow into the club. That’s why I’ll have to become a prospect and gain entry into the club that way.”
His friends protested, each presenting a different argument for why he couldn’t take on that assignment, especially alone.
He held up his hand. “I have to go.”
“Why does it have to be you?” Iona asked.
“I’m the best qualified.”
“What does that mean? Stop holding back, Elias. The time for that is over.”
He’d have to bare his soul to his friends after all and confess a secret from his past. “I grew up in an MC, and my father is still the major power player.”
Seth frowned. “Which one?”
Would he lose his friends now? “The Reckoners.” Silence fell, and perspiration broke out on his back.
Finally, Grant said, “You’re serious?”
He gave a curt nod. What else could he say? He’d told the men he considered his brothers and their women, and his woman, the absolute truth. Would they reject him for holding back something so important from his past?
Andre shook his head. “Elias, you’re one lucky man to have made it out of that life. The Reckoners aren’t known for letting people walk away.”
He snorted. “They don’t. You don’t leave the MC unless it’s in a body bag.”
“How did you escape?” Iona asked. Under the table, she wrapped her hand around his fist.
He turned his hand over, threaded his fingers through hers, and held on for dear life. “I waited until they had one of their parties. Since my father was the founder of the club, he was always the Master of Ceremonies and responsible for keeping things rolling. He was too busy to keep a close eye on me.
“When everyone in attendance had passed out from drinking, I slipped out the back door and hitched a ride with Seth and his family to MEPS. I had already talked to a recruiter and signed the papers, so the military entrance processing station was the next step to joining the Army. Once we were on the bus to Fort Benning, I was safe. I never told my father that I wanted to enlist in the Army, so he never thought to look for me in the military.”
Elias tightened his grip on Iona’s hand as he turned to face his team leader and long-time friend. “What now?”
Seth’s brows knitted together. “What are you talking about?”
Oh, man. Was Seth going to make him beg to stay with Echo unit? If that was the price of remaining with his genuine family, he’d do it in a heartbeat. “What do I have to do to stay with Echo unit?”
