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“Good point,” I conceded and laid my head on her shoulder. “What do I do?”

“Easy. You figure your shit out,” she laughed. “But seriously, you need to act like you just said, you don’t know how you feel about Iron Vows, but you know that Rex doesn’t have your loyalty.” She turned to face me fully. “You know things. Why not tell your husband about the dirt you’ve dug up on him? You’re never going back there, you might as well blow it all the hell up.”

She had a good point, but it didn’t feel that easy. “He’s still my father.”

Dani made a rough sound in the back of her throat. “And? You want him to stick around forever, making your life hell? Dragging Iron Vows into whatever his next shitshow happens to be?” She was so strong, so sure about all of it.

I wished I felt the same.

“No, but it doesn’t feel like an easy choice.”

“Good,” she shot back. “It shouldn’t be easy. I never promised you easy, babe. That’s how you know it’s the right choice.” She held my gaze. “Don’t think for one second that Rex wouldn’t burn this whole fucking thing down out of spite if it suited him.” She folded her arms. “Or if the wind blew the wrong way.”

She wasn’t wrong. She was never wrong about Rex, which was part of why we bonded so easily.

I picked at the grass again, more out of nervous habit than a desire to massacre the blades of grass. “I’ve been thinking about it, actually,” I admitted. “Knox offered to find out where my mom is buried.” Saying the words out loud felt strange in my mouth, like I was speaking a foreign language. Something loosened in my chest. Resolve, maybe. Possibly resignation.

Dani stared at me. “Ivy.”

“I know. It shocked me too.”

Dani’s grin was magnetic. “Just tell him what you suspect to start and see what he does with it.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged it off, still feeling uncertain about everything. “I’m sure it’s all I’ll be thinking about for the foreseeable future.”

Dani barked out a laugh. “Hopefully not all you’re thinking about,” she said, wiggling her brows again.

“Stop,” I laughed. “You’re bad.” Being with Dani again felt normal. It felt right. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, tilting the screen toward Dani.

Rex.

I ignored it until the buzzing stopped. And then it rang again.

Dani rolled her eyes so hard I was surprised she didn’t hurt herself.

I answered.

He didn’t say hello. He was already shouting before I got the phone to my ear, his voice sharp and ugly. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, girl? Telling that arrogant asshole about my business. Remember who you answer to.”

I rolled my eyes again. “I don’t know anything about your business, Rex.”

“Don’t get smart with me,” he muttered. “He knows something and there’s only one way he could know any goddamn thing.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled deeply. I hadn’t said a word to Knox about any of Rex’s business—not yet. I had no idea what he was talking about, and he didn’t slow down long enough to let me tell him, if I even wanted to, which I did not.

“Remember who your blood is,” he snarled. “That biker will fuck you and throw you away.”

Probably, but so would Rex. My so-called blood. I wanted to shout out that he was the one who set up the marriage, but I held my tongue because I knew it wouldn’t do any damn good.

I ended the call and my hands shook at his name flashing on the screen until it faded to black.

I felt Dani’s gaze on me. “You okay?” she asked in a gentle voice.

I nodded slowly, soaking up Rex’s words until they burrowed deep into my bones. My chest was tight, but it wasn’t fear or worry, not even grief. It was more like resolve.

Rex had made his decision.

It was time that I made mine.