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Trax ground his teeth. Getting Cheyenne to agree to go back to the club was a long shot, and even if he could conquer the feat, he wasn’t sure he wanted her there. This thing with her was different from anything he’d had before. He’d almost lost it once, and he wasn’t sure he could risk it again. Not even for the club.
If he brought her in, he wanted all the information. He hadn’t fully gained her trust, but he wasn’t about to lose the little she did have.
“Who ya looking at?”
Rourke tightened his lips in a straight line. “Neither one is saying. Something about accusing the wrong person.” Rourke sighed in frustration. “Think about it, man. The only people coming on Friday we got close ties to. It’s fucked thinking one of them took Mick out.”
“Shit.” That was bad. Having an ally being the one to betray the club would be a hard pill to swallow for all of them. They had too many enemies to begin with.
“Just make sure she’s there,” Gage said, rising from the couch and centering himself between him and Rourke. Of all three, Gage had been the most laid-back, often discounted because of it. Too many had taken his easy-going demeanor and counted out his lethal side. He’d bared witness to that mistake once or twice.
But Trax didn’t appreciate the order.
“I’ll think about it.”
Gage cocked a brow and smiled. “Kase wasn’t asking, Trax.”
Trax snorted and balled his hands. “Don’t give a fuck what Kase wants.”
“You should ’cause if you don’t bring her in, he’ll send us back to come get her.”
Trax steeled his chest and stepped forward. “Are you threatening me?”
Gage shrugged. “Take it however the fuck you want, brother. Threat? Friendly advice? A mere suggestion?” Gage grinned. “Whatever gets her ass down to the club.”
Trax stepped forward, and Gage held his ground. One punch to the jaw would send him flying. Gage was strong, but Trax was stronger, and they both knew it. “You like playing bitch boy for Kase?”
Gage curled his lip and snickered, glancing over his shoulder at Rourke. “Bitch boy? Is that what he called me?”
Rourke tensed but gave no reaction. Trax hadn’t expected one. Gage sidestepped Trax, coming to stand next to him, only an inch away. Gage nodded and smirked. “Not a bitch boy, Trax. Just being a brother, something I signed up for, following the lead of the man I voted in as my president. A president who would do anything he could to find the people with blood on their hands.” He lowered his voice. “The blood of his brother, my brother, and in case you forgot, your brother.”
Trax felt the slow burn rise in his chest. His back straightened, and his hands clenched. Gage had struck a nerve. There was no one more loyal to Mick than him, and for it to be questioned threw Trax into a wild, vengeful fury. He slowly turned to Gage, who inched back a step.
Rourke pushed Gage back and blocked him from what would have been a bloody wrath.
“Brother, you got the missing link locked up in your room.” Rourke pointed over Trax’s shoulder. “She saw him, man. She knows. And she’s the only one who can ID him.” Rourke rarely showed emotion, but Trax saw the deepening glimmer of pain in his eyes. “I get what you got with her, I get it, man. And if there was another way to do this, I’d have your back.” He pressed his finger against Trax’s chest. “For you, I’d go head to head with Kase if there was another option. But there isn’t.” He lowered his voice. “We owe it to Mick.”
It was a hard, blasting truth. There was no other option, and they all owed Mick his vengeance. Mick. The man who’d stepped in to be Trax’s only ally when he’d had no one. The man who’d showed him nothing but love and loyalty. Guilt crept in like a burning log, sparking in his chest. Trax stood in the way of Mick’s justice. It was a no-win situation for him. If he followed through with what the club wanted, he’d be going back on his promise to her.
“I gotta sacrifice one for the other.”
Rourke gripped his shoulder. “No.” He tightened his grip. “Ain’t nothing gonna happen to her. I’ll give you my fucking word, brother.”
“Like last time?”
Rourke closed his eyes and sighed. It was fucked up what had happened last night and rocked his trust in not only Kase but all the brothers.
“Listen to me, Kase was wrong, he knows and so does every other member. This thing with Mick has everyone on edge, and it wasn’t handled as it should have been.”
Trax glared at him.
“No one’s denying it, man, not even Kase. He knows he fucked up, misjudged what you got going with Cheyenne. That’s on him, and he will make amends.”
Trax shrugged off Rourke’s hands. “Yeah, okay.”
“Trax.” Rourke furrowed his brows. “He knows, and he’ll fucking fix this with her. Those are his words, not mine. But don’t you forget, you ain’t no fucking angel in this.” He jerked his chin to the hallway, indicating where Cheyenne was. “You wanted this handled a certain way, didn’t work out, but you taking hands to the president or any fucking brother, it goes against everything we are. So, man the fuck up, own the fuck up, and let’s get Mick some fucking justice.”
Truth. Rourke just unleashed on his ass nothing but the truth. Trax gazed down at the carpet. It had been all handled wrong from the very beginning.
