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I start shaking my head, but he tightens his hold on my hand, his eyes boring into mine. “Let me help you, for once.”
“That ain’t how this works.”
There’s a glint in his eye as he tells me, “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
I pull away, trying to think it through, trying to weigh the dangers of what he’s proposing.
I can’t, not right off the bat. There’s too many things to consider, too many possible outcomes to wade through.
But I know I gotta give him something, because he’s made it clear that he ain’t gonna back down. So, I offer up what I can for now, telling him, “I’ll think about it.”
I see the skepticism in his eyes.
“Fine. But while you’re thinking about it, remember Rox and Ava, yeah? Consider what losing you is gonna do to them.” Intensity flares in his gaze. “And me.”
“All right, real heavy guilt trip received loud and clear.”
“It ain’t a guilt trip,” he tells me. “It’s a reminder that there’s people who really care about you, people who have your back no matter what, people who can help you.”
A heaviness settles over us.
I know what he wants to hear, what he wants me to do, but I ain’t gonna.
“I can’t risk you, Ax. I won’t.”
“Fine. You don’t want my help or the club’s, because you’re worried about us getting caught up in all this with those Gatekeepers assholes, then you’re gonna go to another source. I ain’t letting you give in, sacrifice yourself, or go it alone.”
“Who you talking about? Better not be Spartan and Iron Kings.” He knows I’m having trouble getting on board with the alliance he’s just recently formed with that club.
“Nah. I’m talking about Maverick.”
“What? You’re shittin’ me?”
“Dealer,” he growls.
“Ain’t he supposed to be training?”
He scoffs. “You think he needs this much training? He’s ex-military, a former private security contractor. I’m doing this for the club’s benefit, bringing him in like a probate to keep them happy, reassure him, to get that outsider stigma off him.” He rolls his eyes at me. “Something you ain’t exactly helping with through your comments every time you’re up here around them all. He’s another level. And, you know, putting him with you on this might be just what you need to come around on him and back off on him being brought into the club.”
“You’re a sneaky bastard these days, ain’t you?”
“I gotta be.”
“Look, Ax, even me just being here right now could be risking you. I ain’t gonna—”
He holds up his hand. “It’s done.”
“Ax—”
Stepping up to me, he grasps my arm, hard enough to make it clear that he’s prepared to cross a line to make this happen. A warning rumbles from him. “You know I got the means to keep you here. I don’t wanna go that route with you, but I will, to save you from your stubborn-ass self.”
Our eyes lock.
All I see from him is conviction. He ain’t gonna back down.
But he’s also seeing the hesitation in my eyes, so he pushes, “Dealer, this guy is serious business. He can do things that most others can’t. Just like you. But your hands are tied right now with this threat hanging over you. This is happening.” His grip tightens on my shoulder, making me grunt at the pressure. “I see that look in your eyes. You’re trying to weigh up your options of putting me down, then hightailing it out of here. I’m at my peak right now. You’re tired. You’re worn down and your mind ain’t clear with this threat on you and the personal stuff you’ve been going through that you ain’t been hiding as well as you think. So know there’s no doubt I’m gonna come out on top if your force something here. You sneak off territory and go against me on this, then I’ll tail you wherever you go, if I have to, just to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t turn yourself over to be slaughtered by the likes of Matthew Priest and his Gatekeepers.”
A laugh bursts from me. “You think you can tail me?”
