“You owed them money. And you paid with my brother’s freedom.” His eyes harden. “And now you made contact with the Verdugos again, didn’t you? Told them Adora was at the clubhouse.” He sneers. “Just like the filthy rat you are.”
Grizz’s eyes bulge. He jerks against the restraints, but they hold fast. There’s nowhere to go. Then his face goes hollow. Glacial. He knows he wouldn’t be here if we weren’t sure. He knows there’s no escape from this. Either he confesses, or we force it out of him.
“That little bitch should’ve never come back,” he says flatly. “I thought she was done for after what Ghost did to her. But she stuck around like a bad rash. She’s trouble and someone had to make sure she went the fuck away for good.”
I surge forward. Tank’s hand slams down on my shoulder, hard enough to bruise. Fuck. I can’t lose my shit. Not yet. I need to breathe, his time is coming.
Bones doesn’t react. Not a flicker crosses his face.
Grizz flexes uselessly against the ropes. His lip curls. “Look, I wasn’t their bitch. I’m not a fucking rat, I didn’t snitch club business. I just did what I had to do to stay alive.”
“You have to understand, Bones. There was no other way.”
His jaw tightens, his eyes burn. “And everything was fine in the end. The past was gone and buried. Then the little slut just had to come back. Started getting closer to Ghost. You all fell at her feet. All she had to do was stay the fuck away.”
“But even after you lifted the lockdown, she was still around,” he snarls. “What if she knew about me? What if she talked?”
He exhales sharply. “So I called my old cartel contact. Told him about her. I couldn’t take care of her myself. Too risky. Too many eyes.” He shrugs. “But she had to go.”
A muscle jumps in his jaw as he looks at me.
“I’m sorry, Ghost. You’re a good guy. A good brother. You always were.” His voice cracks through the middle. “I just had to save myself.”
Silence crashes down around us, heavy with the weight of his words. We’ve dealt with traitors before, but one of the brothers? Someone so deep in the club? Never.
And Grizz… he was a permanent fixture. The man who always knew your order at the bar and got it to you before you even sat your ass down. He’s had almost thirty years in this club.
Fuck, we haven’t even told Pops yet. He’s going to be devastated.
“Blood in, blood out,” Bones says quietly, moments later.
Grizz’s head snaps up.
“You betrayed your brother. Which means you betrayed the club.” Bones’ gaze sweeps the room. “We are here to witness your confession, your judgment, and your sentence.”
His eyes lock back on Grizz.
“You’ve confessed. Now comes judgment.”
He turns to me, face carved from stone. “This right was earned in blood. What is your judgment, Ghost?”
I step forward, and look Grizz dead in the eyes. Let my monster rise to the surface and bare its teeth.
“My judgment is guilty,” I say coldly, then turn to the brothers. “The sentence is death.”
I face Grizz again. “And I’ll be the one to deliver it.”
For the first time tonight, fear breaks through. His mask shatters. He twists his head toward Bones.
“I failed the club,” he rushes out. “I accept my sentence. But please, Bones. Anyone but him. Please.” His voice trembles. “Just put a bullet in my head. Take it as my dying wish.”
“You don’t get fucking wishes,” I mutter, and slide my boot knife free.
His fear is understandable. I rarely participate in these things. Usually, I just witness whatever is going on. But the times I did participate… let’s just say word spread fast through the club, and even with the life we’re living, some stomachs turned.
He keeps pleading with Bones, with the rest of the brothers, but I tune him out.
He doesn’t belong to us anymore, so I get to work cutting the club tattoo from his shoulder.
