Whatever trouble she’d brought this time was bad.
“Saylor.” Her voice cracked, and she started crying.
The tears came fast, but I could tell they were born from fear, not remorse.
“It was a coincidence,” she blurted out. “Me being in Crossbend at the same time as you. I swear. I conned the wrong guy in a dangerous MC, and they figured it out before I could get away clean. These aren’t the kind of men who let someone pay them back and just walk away. They definitely don’t hand problems over to the cops.”
She peeked at me through wet lashes, but I just crossed my arms over my chest and waited for her to spill all the details of how badly she’d messed up.
“They forced me to pay off my debt by doing a job for them.” She swiped at her eyes, her hands shaking. “I was supposed to seduce and manipulate Century. Get him to spill critical technical secrets and racing information about the Redline Kings. But I drank too much that night. I got sloppy, came on too strong, and they threw me out of The Burnout before I could get anything useful.”
I couldn’t stop the chuckle that slipped past my lips at anyone thinking Levi would betray his club that way. “Yeah, I’m aware of what happened that night.”
I saw a flicker of anger in her eyes before she could mask it, confirming my suspicion that she was putting on an act in the hope of conning me.
“Once I sobered up and realized I’d blown my chance with Century, I panicked. So I ran before they could come for me.”
I stood there listening, disgust rolling through me but not exactly shock. Sutton had spent years creating disasters and expecting everyone else to deal with the consequences. Too many times, that someone had been me.
“I already figured out most of this.” This time, her wide-eyed reaction was actually real. She had thought I was completely in the dark. “Those guys cornered me at the racetrack. They thought I was you.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Her weak, watery apology didn’t sound like she really cared that she’d dragged me into her mess. Yet again.
Something she quickly proved when her expression shifted. She perked up like she’d just had a brilliant idea, and I immediately recognized the conniving look in her eyes.
“You can fix this for both of us. You’re actually close to Century now. You can get the intel they want. It would save us both.”
Taking a deep breath in the hope I’d stay calm, I reminded myself that I shouldn’t be surprised. Sutton had only ever been loyal to herself. She could never understand why I would find her suggestion so disgusting.
Although we were identical twins, this situation proved again that we were opposites. “Are you serious right now? You want me to betray Levi and the Redline Kings after everything he’s done for me? No. I’m done cleaning up your messes, Sutton. You’ll have to find another solution this time.”
“Oh, so now you’re too good to help me? Acting all high and mighty?” she lashed out. “I’ve been watching you, you know. Spending nights at the Redline Kings compound like you belong there. You’re not the innocent little goody-two-shoes youpretend to be. You’re no better than me—just another slut using her body to get what she wants from a man.”
Of course she assumed I was with Levi for what he could do for me. It probably hadn’t even crossed her mind for a second that I was actually falling for him. “You don’t understand what’s happening between Levi and me because you don’t believe real trust and loyalty are even possible. But he’s earned that from me by being honest, protective, and treating me like I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to him.”
Sutton scoffed, her expression twisting with anger. “Family first, Saylor. Or did you forget that part? You’re really just going to abandon your own twin sister?”
“You don’t know the first thing about family, Sutton.” I shook my head, sad that she just didn't get it. “Family isn’t using someone, stealing from them, manipulating them, or demanding they betray the people they love.”
“But you?—”
“No.” I gripped my keys tighter. “Move. I need to leave.”
Before she could escalate, a Redline Kings prospect appeared almost out of nowhere. I realized Levi must have had eyes on me after what happened at the racetrack. A tiny part of me wanted to be annoyed that he hadn’t said anything about it, but a much bigger part was deeply relieved to have the help right now.
The prospect stopped between us. “She asked you to move.”
“This is none of your business,” Sutton snapped.
Not taking the bait, he stepped forward, grabbed her by the biceps, lifted her aside like she weighed nothing, and held her there. “Conversation’s over.”
I gave him a grateful nod. “Thank you.”
I climbed into my car, started the engine, and pulled away without looking back. My hands shook on the steering wheel as I drove toward The Pit. Anger and worry churned together in mychest. I was furious with Sutton, but I also couldn’t shake the fear that she was in real danger.
I wouldn’t betray Levi or risk the Redline Kings for her. But I also couldn’t live with myself if I did nothing and she ended up dead.
