“Nothing concrete. They had their questions. About the warehouse. About the Emps. About my sudden allegiance to you all. About M…” He stopped to clear his throat. “About Maisey’s death. About the reports we filed. I’m under investigation here.”
“Okay,” Drew said slowly, not moving. “Chief, I’m sensing there’s something else you’re not telling me.”
Howard nodded slowly, his face scrunching up as he looked down at the floor and curled his hat in his hands. “I gotta take one of you in.”
I rocked forward against the bar, my heart sinking as the MC seemed to groan as a collective. Most of the guys holding a beer were draining their bottles. Others were openly staring at the chief as though he’d lost his mind. Me? I could only think of one way to fix the problem.
“A Hound? Or just someone associated with them in this mess tonight?” I asked, ignoring the eyes that flicked to me like I was a magnet.
I stiffened as my thoughts crowded my head all at once. Drew would understand what I meant after the conversation we’d just had, and though I knew he would veto anything to do with me taking culpability, my idea was better than him going back to that soul-sucking prison. He was president, he was king, and he was where he needed to be.
Sutton glanced my way, his eyes full of sympathy for me as he tilted his head to one side and held my gaze. “You’re not big enough for them, Ayda,” he whispered with regret. “You’re not enough. I’m not enough. They want to get to the root of everything bad that’s ever happened around here in the last few years. They want…”
“... Me,” Drew finished for him.
Sutton looked back at Drew and gave him a nod. “The body they found on the Navs’ turf has been linked back to this club. Miguel Hernandez was a member of the Emperor MC, and he was found buried wearing a Hounds of Babylon wrap around his arm. There’s more evidence in place, or so they say, but I haven’t been made privy to it yet. All I’m getting is a lot of threats, nothing concrete. They told me they had plans, Tucker. Big plans. Plans to bring all of you down, including me, my girls, my life...” Sutton swallowed again, the taste of his words almost making him sick as he turned green with regret and his voice choked up. “I can’t… I can’t lose my girls, Drew. I can’t let them lose anything else. They’ve already… I’ve already… we’ve already lost so much. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t. This is bigger than me, than us, than anyth—”
Drew cut him off instantly, his hand landing on Sutton’s shoulder and commanding him into submission.
“It’s okay, brother. I wouldn’t want you to. I understand.”
“Drew,” Jedd called out from somewhere.
“Drew,” I heard Slater say.
“Son,” Harry said weakly.
“No, Drew.” Deeks.
“No fucking way.” Kenny.
No. No. No.The cries went out.
“Do what you have to do, Howard. Do what you have to do,” Drew whispered.
“Wait just a goddamn minute,” I shouted, marching around the bar and avoiding anyone that tried to stop me. “This is blackmail. This is just… It’s like a never-ending fucking cycle. Travis shot his own brother. That fucking psycho took the gun from my hand and shot him in the face.” I pushed my hands into my hair hysteria bubbling under the surface. “I don’t understand, Howard. Even if you take Drew in this won’t ever stop.”
I was shaking as a new wave of adrenaline dumped into my system. Now I looked like a tweaker, my eyes darting around the faces that surrounded us. Our family. My family. They were being attacked from every side, but the mayor… He didn’t do it with guns, knives or fists. He was fighting with bureaucracy and corruption.
Drew’s eyes were closing, even though his body stood strong.
The silent communication was kicking in again. I read it in his expression, in his body language, in the tick of his jaw.
“Come here, Ayda,” he said like there was only the two of us in the room.
I took the few steps toward him—my hands balled flat against his stomach as my forehead landed against his shoulder. I wanted to cry at the injustice of it all. We were outlaws, I supposed, but there was still honor among thieves.We followed a code of our own. Nothing good would come of this. They would make sure Drew did the maximum amount of time. The death sentence was still very much alive in Texas, after all.
I couldn’t lose him.
Not like this.
Not to some power hungry politician who was working under an agenda.
I sucked in a breath, calming myself enough to stop the angry tears from forming.
Drew pressed his lips to the top of my head, taking his time to kiss me and take a few breaths as his hands worked the length of my hair like they’d done so many times in bed before.
“Do you know what the perks of being my first love are?” he asked, not waiting for me to answer. “The world can take me away from you, but they can nevertake me awayfrom you. The world can try to tear us apart, but they’ll never win because it’s deeper than that. Baby, we’re bigger than that,” he breathed against my head. “I have to go, though. I have to go and do this. It’s part of my job. It’s who I am, darlin’.”
