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Silently, I slide off the bed, taking Gauge’s hand. He gives mine a gentle squeeze, leading me out to the others.
When we enter the spacious living room, all eyes are on us, which does nothing to ease my mounting anxiety. I cling to Gauge, needing his support if I’m about to get my thoughts out.
“Take your time,” Gauge whispers, showing no signs of leaving my side.
The men say nothing, but their body language is tense. I look for softer faces to focus on and find Jo sitting with Tank. She gives me a reassuring smile.
Squaring my shoulders, I address my family. “I don’t want the crew to kill Levi.”
The room groans, clearly annoyed. I expected some to be upset, but the whole crew? I thought they’d be relieved to not murder someone. Atlas mutters something about vetoing my vote. Reaper is blustering profanities, acting like I spoiled the party. Even Punk, who is more light-hearted than the rest, is shaking his head in disapproval.
But Gauge is by far the most displeased. He says nothing, staring at the ground like he’s contemplating all the ways to end Levi’s existence.
“Just hear me out, okay? I realize Levi has put our VP and the rest of the club in a horrendous position by setting him up for murder and kidnapping. I also know that none of this would have happened had I not joined the MC. This is on me whether or not we want to admit it.”
“Don’t you dare say that, Opal.” Gauge’s anger is barely contained. “None of this is your fault. This is his fault, and his only.”
“My silence brought this to our doorstep.”
Gauge looks like he wants to argue, but I place my fingertips gently over his lips to stop him.
“I’m not saying to let Levi’s transgressions slip, but for me to report what he has done to me to his superiors. If I confess about what he did to me, it will put his creditability on the line. My cold case will be closed. His involvement with my missing person’s case will be questioned. His superiors will learn he didn’t disclose his relationship with my mother at the time of my disappearance or his personal connection to me. The crew is safe from being accused of Shelly’s murder since there are plenty of eyewitnesses who can corroborate everyone’s whereabouts who remained back home or went on assignment. The FBI can pull my mom’s phone records to link her connection to Levi. He may argue they remained in contact because of my case, but it wouldn’t take much to get records from before I ran away.”
The guys aren’t saying anything, but it’s clear the wheels are turning in their heads.
A shudder runs through me as I brave myself for my next words. “There’s no statute of limitations on rape cases against minors in Utah, meaning a victim of child sexual abuse can file a civil action against the abuser at any time—believe me, I know. I’ve googled it a million times. I hate talking about what he did to me, hate remembering it more than anything, but I will talk to stop him.”
Gauge balks, gripping me tight. “Opal, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’ll file charges against him to buy us enough time to prove he killed my mother.”
The guys murmur among themselves.
Chase rubs his bearded chin thoughtfully. “If Opal files a civil action against Levi, the feds will remove him from Shelly’s murder case.”
“And with Opal being Shelly’s next of kin, she could request to have her mother’s phone records. We could gather enough information for Opal to present to the FBI to at least put the spotlight on Levi and off us,” Ziggy adds.
“Then thatmotherfuckeris behind bars,” Brass says smugly. “And you know how much inmates love a child-molesting cop on their turf.”
Another shudder runs through me as the guys chuckle at a very unsavory future awaiting Levi behind bars.
Atlas looks around the room. “All those in favor, say Aye, Aye.”
The crew rumbles a low, “Aye, Aye.”
Well, almost all of them.
Gauge is wound so tight, the veins in his thick neck stand at attention, pulsing angrily against his taut skin. His face is a dark red, reflecting his rage.
Atlas sees his brother’s tension as well. “Gauge?”
“No,” he growls deep in his throat, clutching me tighter. “The fucker hurt my woman for years, and you think he should get three square meals a day while living out the rest of his days in a six-by-eight cell? I don’t care if a greeting train lines up behind him on day one. He needs a bullet in his skull.”
I look at Atlas nervously to see if he’ll allow it. Gauge’s best friend studies him intently. “You would be suspect number one in his murder investigation.”
“Not without a body,” Gauge retorts. “They would never find his remains.”
“I can’t allow it, bro. It’s too risky. Cases have gone to trial without a body before.”
