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“Good advice.”
“For weeks, I’ve been trying to find the ovaries to admit to you why I haven’t told you his name.”
The last thing I want to do is open my mouth and say something wrong. I don’t want Opal to shut down from speaking openly with me. I keep my lips zipped, waiting for her to continue.
She pauses a moment before continuing. “Before, I stayed silent because I felt he had the power to stop me. He may be in a position of power, but he only has it if I remain quiet. I’m now aware the authority he has to make good on his threats is no more than what the club can do. I worked with Brandon to figure out what is currently holding me back from confiding in you.”
Opal takes in a big breath, winding herself up for this crucial confrontation. I wait, holding the air in my lungs.
“I’m hesitant to tell you his identity because I fear how you’ll react. The last time I opened up about my past, you went cold on me, nearly destroying us.”
It is as I suspected. Opal fears me backing away after she reveals something deeply personal to her. It’s understandable after I went into self-sabotage mode when she divulged the details of her abuse. I’ve given her every reason to be leery of sharing this key detail with me. It’s part of the reason I pulled the trigger on buying the engagement ring and land for our future house.
Opal needs to see I’m all in before she can feel safe enough to confide in me again.
I kiss the top of Opal’s head, aware of how difficult it was for her to confront me. “It’s okay, baby. I understand.”
She pulls back to look at my face, her brows rising. “You do?”
“Completely. I gave you a reason to doubt my faithfulness when times get rough. This is a sensitive matter, and I haven’t handled these issues well before.”
Opal looks down. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”
I pull her chin back up to make her eyes hold mine. “Don’t be sorry. I’m the one who is sorry. This isn’t on you, but me. My fuck up wasn’t some minor transgression. I blew a hole through your heart over nothing.”
“Your feelings aren’t nothing,” Opal insists.
“True,” I amend. “But I blew my feelings way out of proportion. Had I sat down and talked to you, or anyone, I probably wouldn’t have acted out the way I had. I haven’t done enough to prove to you I’ve learned my lesson. Even though you’ve forgiven me, that doesn’t mean I’ve earned your trust back.”
My gorgeous woman bites her bottom lip. “You’re not upset with me?”
Shaking my head, I say, “No. I’m only upset with myself for making you doubt me.” I squeeze her tight then rise to my feet, pulling her with me. Opal’s not going to drop a name tonight. I haven’t earned it yet. “Come on, Gorgeous. Let’s get some rest.”
She may doubt me now, but a proposal is an excellent way to prove I’m committed and won’t push her away again.
CHAPTERFIFTY-FIVE
LEVI
March 7th,2021
Levi has been scouting the territory surrounding the hundred-acre compound. Trying and failing to find a weak point on the property.
He’s tried having delivery trucks enter the property to sneak him inside, but no vehicle enters the grounds that doesn’t belong to a club member. Sending someone in from Public Works to check gas meters have also been denied access until cleared through the proper channels and escorted onto the property by a biker.
Using FBI resources, Levi asked a cyber agent buddy at the bureau to hack into the compounds surveillance system. The agent tried his best to break through the several firewalls the club security system had in place, but when he broke through one wall, another would replace it.
After several attempts to gain access, the cyber team for the MC must have caught wind of the attempted breach. The last try to hack into the system, accidentally triggered a nasty little Trojan virus to upload into the FBI database. It took Levi’s coworker a whole day to stop the virus from corrupting their systems. Whoever is working intelligence for the MC is dangerously good at their job.
Doing work on the ground under cover of darkness seemed like the next logical step. Multiple times, he nearly walked into the path of a surveillance camera, forcing him to retreat.
After another failed attempt to infiltrate the compound’s property, Levi finds himself back in his government-issued undercover vehicle. He punches the dashboard in frustration.
“FUCK!” He shouts, gripping the steering wheel with both hands. Sneaking onto the compound is impossible. Stakeouts are risky, garnering too much unwanted attention. Waiting it out has proved unfruitful. Olina has yet to leave the property in the last five months since he’s discovered her location. Granted, he doesn’t always have eyes on her, but if she’s leaving the premises, she’s doing it on the days he’s back in Utah.
The VP scum, on the other hand, has left multiple times. Often frequenting a local café to get a steaming cup of coffee before continuing his day to whatever fucking job he’s assigned. It’s not clockwork, but close. Coffee, drink, disposal, ride. But even that has tapered the last few weeks. The more time that slips by without seeing the biker, the more uncomfortable Levi becomes.
Where is he? Has he gone into hiding with Olina?
