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An ache consumed me. I wasn’t sure how I would feel if my mother suddenly showed up dead or if I had the opportunity to talk to her again. Maybe that made me as much of a monster as she was.
* * *
Ari and I snuggled up on Gunner’s couch a few hours later, and Teagan sat at the other end. Gunner, Cupcake, Rigs, and a few other men from the MC occupied the living and dining area.
Ari explained about the memory blocker, that Kelly was Crimson, and Samantha was behind the entire criminal ring. Silence hung in the air once she finished providing all the details.
“You wouldn’t have ever found us if Teagan and I didn’t share the Find My iPhone. Thank God,” Ari whispered, choking on her emotions.
“Girl, it saved your life.” Teagan’s eyes welled with tears.
“No shit. From now on, I’m going to watch out for you too,” Ari said, pointing at Teagan.
If I wasn’t mistaken, guilt flashed in Teagan’s gaze momentarily. I wondered if Ari caught it.
“When Teagan nearly busted the door down and we realized you both were missing, I called in a favor to another MC. One of the men has an infrared drone, so he flew it about twenty miles in each direction. That fucker was cool as shit and military grade, and it could cover long distances without any problem. There were two buildings out in the middle of nowhere, and one showed movement inside. We were able to get a count, then we took down the guys guarding the entrance of the abandoned warehouse.”
“How many people were there?” Ari asked.
I tightened my hold around her waist as she leaned against me, her back to my chest.
“Ten or so.” Gunner laughed.
I wondered what happened to them, but I trusted Gunner would tell us later. “And . . . Tiny?” I asked, searching each man’s face as I waited for Gunner’s response.
“No need to worry about him ever again. He broke the code and betrayed us all. You don’t walk away from that kind of sin.”
Teagan’s eyes widened. “I won’t ask.”
“Good. Don’t,” Ari said.
Over the next hour, we continued to discuss everything we’d learned. Samantha’s name never came up, and I didn’t mention it either. I would pull Gunner aside later and find out how he’d decided to deal with her. After all, it was his sister and my mother. It would be hard to bury the past, but I was ready to make a fresh start with Ariana by my side.
“I guess I’ll talk about the elephant in the room,” Ari softly said. “What happened to Psycho?”
“I’ll fill you in on that shit when we don’t have additional ears around.” Gunner tilted his head toward Teagan.
“Sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Let’s get some food in our bellies and some drinks in our glasses,” Gunner said, standing from the barstool.
Chatter erupted throughout the room, and Ari looked up at me. “I love you.” She kissed me, and I allowed myself to get lost in her touch.
“Love you too, baby.” I winked at her then focused on Teagan. “Love you too, Teagan. You’re my hero.”
Teagan’s cheeks flamed red before she burst into tears.
Ari slid across the couch and hugged her best friend as they finally cried together.
ChapterForty-Eight
Ariana
Isat at the desk in my bedroom, grateful to be home with Jagger and the girls after the shit went down with Samantha. It was almost too bizarre to be real.
“I can’t believe it’s nearly Thanksgiving,” I said to Jagger, who was stepping into his jeans. His muscles rippled in his legs, and my gaze skated up to his washboard abs. I could look at them all damn day.
“I’m ready to settle into a schedule again.” Jagger grabbed his grey sweatshirt and pulled it over his head, blocking my view. “And get back on the field.”
