Page 28 of The Riders’ Reign

“The brother is… how do you say it? Fair game.”

“I don’t know…” I look around at the others, hoping for some ideas, but none of them seem to know how to react to Hector’s new offer either.

Hector clucks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “The one problem with my offer is we don’t know the location of the mother to return her safely. She’s in a safehouse somewhere, and the information the girl gave Ledger before was incorrect. She wasted a lot of our time and resources with her lies.”

I understand what he’s getting at now. “You want the location of the safehouse.”

“Exactly.” He blows out an annoyed breath.

“And if we are able to get the location of the safehouse, you will guarantee the mother’s safety and transport to the US? And you will leave Camile alone, for good, this time?”

“That’s what I’ve said. It’s a fair offer. It means Camile and her mother will have complete immunity from the cartel. It limits the fighting and the fallout to just the men, the way it should be. I’m a man of my word.”

Somehow, I doubt that.

“You’re going to need to leave it with me,” I tell him. “Camile isn’t here right now, and we need to convince her this is a good deal. You’re asking her to give up her brother’s life.”

“I’m asking her to bring an end to a feud, and secure safety for herself and her mother.”

“A feud you started,” I can’t help throwing back.

He chuckles at that, and the sound infuriates me.

“It’s been ongoing for many years, perhaps even many generations. Who is to say who started what? All the girl needs to know is that she will be safe and so will her mother. I’m aware there is a second brother, yes, but he has cut ties from the family business and has set up his home in Europe. So long as he remains there and does not try to seek revenge, I will also let him live. This is an extremely good deal for the girl. The alternative was her being brought back to Mexico to marry my son, and knowing my son as I do, I’m sure that would not be a pleasant experience for her.”

I grind my teeth. Even though I know Camile marrying Ledger is a physical impossibility, it still makes me rage. I’m thankful she isn’t here to listen to this conversation, though we’re going to need to fill her in on it.

How will she make such an impossible choice? She’s literally going to be signing her brother’s death warrant. I’m sure she loves her mother, but, given the choice, would her mother exchange her son’s life for her own? I doubt she would make that decision. Most parents would always put their children’s lives first, even when those children are grown.

However, it also brings Camile long-term safety and protects the club from reprisals. In a way, there’s a poetic justice to it. Camile was part of a college that basically trains girls for marriage. They are seen as nothing but things to be traded away for alliances. Perhaps it’s fitting that the mother and daughter are the ones given priority this time? Would her brother do anything to save her life? Would her father have? Or is she just an asset to them? I know what I want her to do because I just need her to be safe. But knowing Camile, she’d never agree to end her brother’s life. She’s far too loyal.

Also, how much can we trust Hector? What if Camile gives him the location of the family’s safehouse on the promise he’ll bring her mother to her, and he reneges on that and kills them all?

The only way to prevent that from happening is if we hold on to Ledger until we get her mother into the US, but then what do we do, because we don’t actually have Ledger to exchange for her mother and Ghost.

I want to yell with frustration.

“You’re going to need to give us some time,” I say down the line.

“The offer won’t stand forever,” Hector warns.

“I’m aware.” I glance at the faces of the others, but they’re unreadable.

The line goes dead, and I drag my hand through my hair. Fuck. Now what? We could agree to make the original exchange, just Ledger for Ghost, but we don’t have Ledger to swap. The other club members are going to be more focused on getting Ghost back than worrying about the safety of Camile’s family, or her.

The one thing we have going for us is that we believe we know where Ghost is being held.

Of course, we might be wrong, and if we are and we don’t make the swap, Ghost will be killed.

12

CAMILE

I’m on the back of Ace’s bike, my arms wrapped around his waist and body pressed to his. The motorcycle growls with steady vibrations beneath me as he skillfully maneuvers the machine down the winding mountain roads.

Every time we move between the compound and the hospital, it’s with an entourage of armed bikers, all on high alert at the possibility of another attack. I tell myself it’s unlikely—what would Hector Sanchez gain by trying to kill me?—but it’s still a worry.

I don’t want to leave Jack at the hospital, but I know he’s in good hands. Besides, I expect Vani will want to spend some time with her dad, and I’m going to guess she’d prefer it if I’m not there.