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We walk inside and Zane is the first to notice that I’m carrying a bag. He looks at me with questioning eyes and I blow out a breath. This is going to be fucking torture.
I walk over to him and Harper as Gillian walks right beside me. They both look between us and I nod. “Hey Harper, can you please show Gillian where my room is and drop this bag off in there?”
“What’s going on, Riley?” she asks.
I smile, giving her a wink. “A story for later, sweetheart.”
I give Gillian a hug and I can feel she’s shaking. I kiss below her ear, breathing her in. “You can talk to Harper. I can’t say anything until I talk to the club, that’s how it works. I’ll see you when we’re done. Don’t worry, here you are safe. That I can promise you.”
“Come on, Gillian. Ivy is back there trying to get Alex to sleep. It’s a good birth control reminder,” Harper says.
Gillian grabs her bag from me and follows Harper. I don’t take my eyes off of her until the door closes behind her.
“What the fuck is going on, Riley?” Zane asks.
I slide my eyes to his and frown. “I’m in trouble. We’re all in trouble and I brought the devil to our door.”
His eyes widen and I walk away. Yeah, let’s get this shit over with.
Chapter 8
Riley
* * *
I walk into the room where all decisions in the club are made. For the first time in all the years I’ve been a member, I’m nervous. This room usually brings me comfort. It’s where I’m surrounded by the people I love the most in this world. It’s not always fun or easy, but being around this table means I’m with family. Now I’m walking in and I need to tell them I’ve put us all in danger.
I sit down in my chair and wait. I can feel Brooks staring at me, but I don’t lift my head. I keep my focus on the table. I look at every scratch, stain, and chip in the heavy wood. It’s a reminder of all the hours we’ve spent around it. All the good times and bad. All the problems solved, losses felt, and joys celebrated. This room, this table has been a constant in my life for more than 20 years.
“Well, we’re all here at this ridiculous hour because Riley needs to talk,” Brooks says. I lift my head toward him and he leans back in his chair and extends his arm. “So, talk.”
I nod, feeling like I can’t fucking breath. I look around the table at each of them and swallow roughly. I push down the nerves and fold my hands on the table.
“I fucked up,” I say.
“What did you do now?” Brooks says, shaking his head.
I deserve the jab. I made shit worse with the Raging Devils, but I don’t have it in me to even acknowledge it. I close my eyes briefly trying to steel my nerves.
“Riley, what the fuck, brother? Talk to us,” Zane says.
I open my eyes and just speak. “I had good intentions, but I got mixed up with a federal agent. I did some fucked up shit trying to protect Gillian. But he wants revenge on us, especially Zane. He’s dirty as hell. He was mixed up with Kingsley and the drugs. He wants me to kill Zane. If I don’t I’ll be arrested, Gillian will be killed, and the club will be destroyed,” I rush out.
“What the fuck!” Zane yells.
“Riley, fuck man,” Kace says.
They all continue to show their disappointment and anger, but it’s not until Brooks brings his fists down on the table that we all turn toward him. He’s livid. He’s breathing heavily, his jaw is ticking, his tattooed arms are flexed as he runs his hand through graying hair.
“Start talking,” he hisses. “I want every fucking detail from the second you thought this shit was a good idea until right now!”
I do just that. I tell them everything. From the minute he showed up at Gillian’s, to the shit I did for him, to the warehouse meetings, to his confession of what he really wants, and how I told Gillian it was safe here. They let me talk, they don’t interrupt me at all. The bad thing about that is I can see the disappointment and anger on each of their faces. It makes me feel even worse about it all.
When I finish, I drop my gaze back to the table and shake my head. “I thought I could handle it. I thought I was protecting Gillian. I had no fucking idea this would be about the club. I’m sorry.”
“You never fucking think before you react. You let your emotions get the best of you every fucking time. You should’ve come to us immediately. What the fuck did you think a federal agent wanted?” Brooks growls.
I light a cigarette and turn to look at him. “I thought he wanted to arrest the only woman I’ve ever loved. I thought he was going to take advantage of me, just me, to take care of his dirty work. I thought he would leave Gillian alone and arrest me in the end. I was ready to go down to protect her. That’s what I fucking thought,” I say, shaking my head. “I never would have done anything if I even suspected it had to do with the club.”
