Page 14 of Rev
Since he didn’t explain beyond that, I introduced myself. “I’m Delaney Crosswell.”
He shifted slightly, keeping me tucked against his side as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Tell me what happened, Delaney.”
I took a shaky breath and gave him the short version, keeping my voice as even as I could manage. I explained working late in the restoration lab, the attack as I was leaving the building, and waking up groggy in what felt like the basement of an old church. I described how I’d been carefully posed like a mourning portrait, the herbs under my hands, and the other woman lying nearby in the same arrangement. The one who I’d come to realize was most definitely dead already.
When I mentioned the Victorian postmortem painting that looked eerily like both of us, his entire body went very still. The gleam in his eyes turned into something more predatory as his jaw tightened.
I continued anyway, telling him about Dr. Kinghorn’s clinical voice as he prepared whatever came next. How detached he sounded. And the way he talked about preservation and keeping things beautiful before the world could ruin them.
Soren barely seemed to even breathe while I spoke. He reminded me of a panther waiting patiently for its prey. Quiet, patient, and utterly lethal. After everything I’d just survived, it should have frightened me.
But his brand of danger felt protective. Like a blade turned outward instead of being aimed at me. Instead of wanting to pull away, I felt strangely anchored by it.
When I finished, he processed everything with unnerving focus. Then the questions started. Each carried an undercurrent of deadly intent. This seemed more like a man gathering information for a hunt than casual curiosity.
Eventually, Soren’s phone buzzed on the nightstand. Still keeping me tucked against him, he reached over to pick it up and glanced at the screen. His expression didn’t change, but I felt the subtle shift in his body as he read the message.
He set the phone down and looked at me again. “I need to step out for a bit. You gonna be okay if I leave you alone?”
I hesitated because I really wanted to ask him to stay right here with his arm around me. But that didn’t seem fair, and I’d have to eventually leave the safety of his embrace. “Yes. I’ll be fine.”
He studied me like he was reading every flicker of uncertainty I tried to hide. Then he dipped his chin. “Rest while I’m gone. This is club business, so I can’t ignore it, no matter how much I want to right now. But you’re safe here. No one gets through these gates unless we want them to. I’ll be back soon.”
He eased away from me slowly, the loss of his body heat more noticeable than I expected. I watched as he stood and pulled on his leather vest, which proclaimed him a member of the Redline Kings MC, a club well-known in the area where I grew up.
After shoving his boots on his feet, he paused at the door and glanced back at me one more time. “You’re safe, Delaney.”
Then he was gone, the door clicking softly shut behind him. I pulled the blanket higher around me, trying to hold on to the warmth he’d left behind, but it was already fading. My heart gave an unsteady thump as the weight of everything settled over me again.
I had just escaped one nightmare and somehow landed in the arms of a Redline King who looked at me like I was already his. Ididn’t know what I’d gotten myself into…but something told me there was no going back now.
6
REV
Itook my time heading into Kane’s office, trying to shake off the protective frustration burning beneath my skin. I hadn’t wanted to leave Delaney alone—every damn cell in my body was straining to get back to her so I could keep her safe and close. But the text Kane sent left no room for delay.
When I walked into his office, I found the prez behind his massive walnut desk, leaning back in his chair, his green eyes watching my approach. Jax leaned against the far wall with a tablet in hand, a thoughtful scowl already deepening his expression, while his black-rimmed glasses reflected the brightness of the screen. Nitro stood near the window, and Edge occupied his usual chair, casually flipping a knife between his fingers, the sharp blade flashing rhythmically under the overhead light.
My eyes flicked briefly to Apex, our newly appointed treasurer, and I nodded, a dry smirk tugging at my mouth as I dropped into the empty chair beside Edge.
“Well, shit,” I drawled, eyeing Apex. “Looks like someone’s moving up in the world.”
He grinned at me, leaning back comfortably as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Bullshit. Was just waiting for you assholes to realize I was always the better choice.”
Nitro snorted softly, and Edge chuckled, shaking his head with dry amusement.
Despite his short time as a Redline King, Apex fit into the room easier than most new patches because he’d already been part of the machinery behind the Redline Holdings and the Kings for years. Before officially patching in, he’d worked as a forensic accountant and race finance strategist, specializing in the kind of quiet financial intelligence work that made dirty money panic when he started digging.
He’d worked with professional racing teams, wealthy investors, and underground circuits long before Kane brought him fully into the fold. The truth was, Tire had already trusted him unofficially for years—using him to audit sponsorship structures, trace missing funds, identify leaks, and clean up vulnerabilities before they became problems.
Apex followed financial trails the same way I followed physical ones, both of us hunting patterns most people never even realized existed. By the time Tyre started to prep for the move to California, there’d only been one man he trusted enough to hand the Florida chapter’s finances over to. The prospect period had mostly been a formality. Apex already knew sensitive club operations, had protected the Kings financially more than once, and had proven his loyalty repeatedly before he ever wore the cut. Honestly, he’d already been a brother long before the patch made it official.
Kane sat forward slightly, his expression in its perpetual scowl as he folded his hands on his desk, focusing the room’s attention. “Let’s get to it.”
I leaned forward, the easy humor fading quickly from my face as I dove straight into business. “Know Jax and Nitro alreadystarted digging into what we have so far. Apex, I’m assuming Kane brought you up to speed?”
Apex nodded, his gaze serious now, locked onto mine. “Yeah. I’m caught up.”
