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To my surprise, Jade lets her head fall to the side and on mine. My heart skips a beat, my arm tightening around her.
Oh, boy. I thought having her would finally calm the effect she has on me, but I think her willingly giving herself to me is worse. I’m so in love it scares me.
For a second, Kay lets herself go. Head dropping into her hand, she takes a deep breath. Her vulnerability permeates the air, and I feel bad for her. Ethan and I do whatever we want, our responsibilities rarely affecting others.
Kay has the weight of the Kings on her shoulders. The fate of entire families rests on her. Will people eat? Pay their rent? Be able to live another day? That’s what goes on in her mind every day. Money, lives, survival.
She’s been doing so well leading this crew since her father and Sawyer died, but she has no one to turn to.
It recharges me to rest my head on Jade right now. It shows me I’m not on my own. Kay has no one to do that. Ivan is as useless as they come, and she feels nothing for him, only using him because he’s a Wolf.
When Kay wants to give up, she only has herself to keep her going.
Ethan moves closer to Jade and me. His hand rests on her thigh and she wraps her small fingers around it.
“Kay,” I say softly. “We’ll sort this out. We’re here for you.”
She looks up, her face stern, but her words trembling. “Elliot,” she sighs. “If Stan learns we’re the ones who have Jade, he’ll no doubt tell Viktor Volkov. We’re talking about the head of the Bratva Wolves here. He’s ruthless. Nothing matters to him but business. We’ll lose their protection, their money.”
Her gaze drops to her hands. “We’ll loseeverything.” She looks up, her green eyes full of doubt. “Remember what happened when NSC lost the support of the Cosa Nostra? We jumped in, we fought them in the Death Cage, and won the town back. Look at our fucking situation. If she tells them, we’re fucked, and if I give in to her threats, what’s to say we’ll win the fight?” She throws her head back. “I don’t want to lose the North Shore to NSC. I am not going back to a town controlled by the Scotts.”
The petty gangs of the North Shore are unbeatable when they’re supported by big criminal organizations. When things start falling apart, we send two fighters to the Death Cage. Whoever comes out alive, their crew takes over the town. It’s bloody, deadly. It keeps a semblance of order in a town ruled by violence.
NSC used to be backed by the Bianco family from the Cosa Nostra. But then Bianco went to prison, and we jumped on the occasion, kicking NSC while they were down.
We won the last decisive Death Cage fight and took over.
It'll be four years in May. Four years that the Kings rule the North Shore. But NSC is backed by another Cosa Nostra family now. Emma Scott got herself a deal with the Lucianos. Now she’s threatening Kay because she knows if we lose the Bratva protection, the imbalance will be such that we’ll be forced to agree to a fight in the Death Cage. We’ll always send our best fighter…but so will they. And then only fate can decide our future.
“We’re not going to lose the North Shore,” I tell her.
“The only way to have enough money to survive without the Wolves is that fucking robbery,” she grits out. “I can’t force you to go with the plan, Elliot. You’re in or you’re out. We’re talking about ten million in the biggest bank of Silver Falls. If I don’t have someone I can trust, if you fuck up with that manager, we’re done for. Once we’re all in prison, the North Shore will go to NSC all the same.”
Guilt pulls at my chest. I feel Jade’s breathing stuttering before she can get it under control again.
I run my hand through my hair, hating myself for what I’m about to say, yet knowing there’s no other way I could do this. “It’s up to Jade.”
She freezes, her back straightening. “W-what?”
Kay’s gaze goes to Jade. I can see the way she wants to scream at me, but if she wants me on her team, then she needs to give Jade the respect she deserves. No more threatening the woman I love.
For the first time since Jade has been back on the North Shore, the power is in her hands. It’s up to her to see what she’ll do with it.
“He’ll do it,” she rasps. I can feel it takes all of her to agree.
She’s jealous, possessive, so fucking angry inside…but she says yes anyway.
“Are you sure?” I check.
She nods stiffly, then gets up, walking to Kayla. “I’m only doing it because you used to pay for my mom’s treatment, and you paid for her funeral. There must be some sense of family inside you despite what you did to me. I don’t like you. I don’t respect you. Ihateyou for not protecting me when you should have.”
Kay’s eyebrows furrow in confusion.
“But why should everyone be punished because you can’t hold it together?” Jade sneers. “If Elliot wants to support the plan, it’s fine with me. I can kill that banker bitch when we’re done.”
She doesn’t wait for Kay’s reaction, storming back to the hallway. I hear a door slam and already know sheisn’tokay with me doing it, but willing to sacrifice that for the Kings.
“What does she mean she hates you for not protecting her?” Ethan asks. There’s a certain loathing in his voice. Something that truly makes him tick.
