Page 114 of Steele

“Why do you think I’m here?” I tried to keep my voice calm. Surrounded by three Crawlers that hated my fucking guts and a best friend who believed I’d fucked him over was a precarious position to be in. Fuck. “What are you doing, Kodiak?”

“Making money.”

“By stealing from the mafia?”

He shrugged. “If you would’ve kept your mouth shut, they never would’ve known. But you couldn’t stay out of my business.”

So he knew I’d informed the club. Did I pull my gun? Was I ready to take my chances with three against one? I’d get a shot or two off, but I’d be dead before they hit the ground. I kept my voice calm. Show no fear. “You brought your business into the MC.”

Kodiak surged to his feet. “Nah. Nothing would’ve gone down in the club. You were my brother. You should’ve had my back. What the fuck did you think would happen when you went to the board? Dozer couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Once Tank knew, I was fucked. Tank and Cruz might’ve suspected, but they didn’t have shit on me. No one would’ve known. I could’ve gotten out clean.” His voice rose. Spittle flew from his mouth. “Now, I’m fucked.”

And I think maybe I was, too. He already knew the mafia was after him. And he blamed me. He’d picked up old friendships, Crawlers who’d knew we’d betrayed them. Was this the favor? A way to get back in with the guys who’d rather see us dead?

Skye’s eyes cracked open, and she wiped spit from her mouth. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. Go back to sleep.”

“If you wanted out, you should’ve walked,” I said. “Blade would’ve supported you going nomad. None of us would be in this situation.”

“You were my brother,” Kodiak said. “My best friend. You betrayed the Crawlers, but I never thought you’d betray me.”

“I’m still your brother.”

“Nah. You’re nothing to me. If you were my brother, you would’ve trusted me the way I trusted you. You fucked me when you went to the board.” He shifted his gaze to Noose. “My Crawler brothers haven’t forgotten you fucked them over, too.”

The punch to the ribs came from the left. I doubled over, clenched my side, and heaved from the force of the impact. Noose was on me in a flash. Another blow slammed into my face when he drove his knee up hard. Teeth cracked and blood exploded in my mouth.

“Fucking Hellers,” Noose gritted out. “I’ll send you back to your club in a body bag.”

More punches landed on my body. The beat down was hard and fast. I shifted, attempting to block the blows.

A belt strapped across my throat, and I was shoved onto a hard kitchen chair. I surged up, trying to break Jester’s hold, but Dizzy kicked the back of my leg. My knee popped. Pain ricocheted through my leg, and I crumpled. I reached for my weapon.

“Too late for that,” Noose said, prying it from my hand. “Nice. I’ll use it to kill you.”

Jester tugged on the belt. The leather bit into my neck, compressing against my Adam’s apple.

“Hold him,” Kodiak demanded. “Take his cut.”

Pain wasn’t a part of my life. I wasn’t particularly fond of hearing my bones crunch or feeling the bite of leather against my flesh. But fighting back was in my DNA. I surged up, driving my elbow behind me and ramming into Dizzy’s jaw. I swung hard, my fist cracking against Noose’s mouth. His lip split, and his teeth tore the flesh from my knuckles.

Noose reacted. Several hard blows landed against my ribs.

“Fuck.” Blood gushed from Dizzy’s mouth.

Another hot lick of pain knifed through my side. Fire streaked through me, a scorching sear between my ribs and into my chest. I gasped for breath, but my lungs exploded with excruciating pain. I couldn’t form words. Ah fuck. Did he fucking stab me?

I couldn’t suck in a breath. I tried to grab my ribs. With a twist of his fist, the belt tightened. My vision blurred.

“Are you trying to kill him,” Skye screeched from the couch.

“Nah,” Kodiak said. “But he’ll wish he was dead after we teach him a lesson about what happens to traitors.”

With the belt around my neck, and my head craned back, my arms were twisted behind me and zip-tied to the chair.

Sticky wetness soaked my shirt. I couldn’t tell if it was blood or sweat. Dizzy grabbed his knife—probably the one he’d just had inside me—and sliced through the leather of my cut. With a hard rip, he split the seams. My chest tightened. Jester tossed my cut into the fireplace. Then he cut my shirt from my body, exposing my torso.

“He’s bleeding.” Skye’s words drifted through the fog of my mind. “You’re going to kill him.”