I didn’t respond. I didn’t defend myself. I just sat there, my hands folded on the table, my expression calm, and let them rage. Because underneath the chaos, underneath the fury and the accusations, I could hear what they weren’t saying.
They’re scared.Scared of what I had done. Scared of what Nano was becoming. Scared that the carefully constructed hierarchy of their club was fracturing under the weight of one stolen fortune and one broken brother.
And fear made men dangerous. But it also made them predictable.
“Enough.”
Morpheus’ voice cut through the noise like a blade, and the room fell silent. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes locked on mine, his expression unreadable. “Bitch, you stole seventy-five million dollars from this club,” he said, his voice low and deadly. “Money that we earned. Money that belonged to us. And now you sit in my church like you have a right to be here.”
I didn’t look away. I didn’t flinch.
“First off, my name is Alexandra, Alex orMs. Bitch. And second, I’m sitting in your church because I was kidnapped and dragged here against my will,” I said, my voice steady despite the way my heart was hammering in my chest. “So excuse me if I don’t play by your rules. If you wanted me dead, even I know you would have killed me already.”
Cerberus slammed his hand on the table. “You don’t get to talk to him like that,bitch.”
“Then shoot me,” I challenged, turning my gaze to him. “Go ahead. Pull the trigger. See what happens to your seventy-five million when I’m dead.”
The room went silent again because they knew I was right. They needed me alive. They needed me to tell them where the money was, how to access it, how to get it back, and as long as I had that leverage, I had power.
“Where the fuck is my money?” Morpheus asked.
“Safe,” I sighed.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting.”
Morpheus’ jaw clenched. “You think you’re in any position to negotiate?”
“I think I’m in the only position that matters,” I snarked. “You want your money back? You need me alive and cooperative. Which means you need to stop threatening to kill me every five seconds and start treating me like someone you want to work with.”
“Work with?” Garrote laughed, the sound harsh and mocking. “You’re a fucking thief. You don’t get to dictate terms.”
“I’m the thief who has your money.” I smirked. “Which makes me the only person in this room who matters right now.”
Morpheus leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve got balls,bitch. I’ll give you that.”
I chuckled. “Haven’t you figured it out? I’m the person who stole seventy-five million dollars from the Brotherhood of Bastards. That makes me the person with the biggest balls in this room.”
“Balls don’t mean shit when you’re outnumbered and outgunned.”
“Then why am I still breathing?” My question hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. Even I knew they couldn’t kill me. Not yet. Not until they had what they wanted, and I was going to use that for everything it was worth.
“What about Nano?” Carver grumbled, his voice cutting through the tension.
The room shifted. I felt it. The way the energy changed, the way the officers exchanged glances, the way Morpheus’ expression darkened. “What about him?” Morpheus asked.
“He’s fucking losing it, Prez,” Carver said bluntly. “You saw what just happened. He went after the club whore for no fucking reason. He’s unstable.”
“He’s always been unstable,” Cerberus stated, leaning back in his chair, shaking his head. “That’s why we keep him behind his computers. His happy place.”
“This is different,” Carver insisted. “This isn’t controlled violence. This is... something else.”
“It’s her,” Garrote growled, jerking his chin toward me. “She’s fucking with his head.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t defend myself because they weren’t wrong.
Iwasfucking with Nano’s head. Or maybe he was fucking with mine. Or maybe we were both so broken that we were destroying each other without even trying.
