Page 160 of Chasing Ruin
My lips part, but no sound comes out.
No scream. No sob.
Nothing.
Nothing but a roaring fire, eating away at the northern part of the building.
Right where Wolf was.
FORTY-FOUR
Ruin
NINE YEARS AGO
“Nah, he does fuck all as the SAA,” I tell Dane. “Dad said he’s considering Ryder for the role next.”
He grunts, kicking at the gravel as he strolls around me.
We’re at our regular spot, an empty plot near the edge of the hill.
After we got caught hunting “beer bottles” last year, Dad built a makeshift range for us here—close to the clubhouse.
Guess he wanted to keep an eye on us before we accidentally killed each other.
“At least Torch is telling you shit,” he mumbles. “I didn’t even know the position was being questioned.”
My smile falters.
I shift slightly, looking up at his annoyed face. Discomfort creeping in.
Savage keeps saying Dane will be the next Prez. That he should start learning the ropes now. Preparing. Watching. Leading.
And I don’t doubt that.
But I don’t understand why he’s being kept in the dark about something that will directly affect him. If Ryder takes onthat role, he won’t just be Savage’s SAA. He’ll be Dane’s, too, someday.
I force the grin back onto my face. “Whatever I know, you’ll know. I promise you that, brother.”
He huffs out a quiet laugh. Not fully amused, but I can tell he needed to hear that.
I lean forward, propping my arm on the tree log. Stretching my arm out again, I go back to shading the rough phoenix wing I started with a Sharpie across my forearm.
“The day I take over this club,” he says after a beat, voice quieter now, “I’m opening a damn tattoo parlor.”
My hand stills.
I’ve thought about it. Hell, I’ve wanted it, but I’ve never said it out loud. Not like that. Not like it could actually be real.
And I never really told him.
“What’re you gonna call it?” I ask, glancing up with a smirk.
He rolls his eyes. “It’s years away, brother.”
I huff, but my mind’s already spinning—images stacking up one after another. A future where he’s sitting at the head of the table as Prez and I’m beside him. Where I take over VP from Dad.
“How about Sin & Tats?” I throw out.
