Page 88 of Wraith

“Like what?”

“Irons has been a thorn in my side lately,” he says.

“The VP?”

“He’s gotten sloppy. Son of a bitch has mishandled this war with the Devils. He’s pushed for things that haven’t served the interests of the club.”

“I can help you with that.”

“Go on,” Moose says, and his voice has gone flat. Wary.

“However you need it handled. Drop hints to law enforcement about his involvement in things. Or handle it more directly. Whatever gets him out of your way so you can get back to business. The real business. Protection, cars, product. Not this blood feud with the Devils that’s costing you members and resources.”

“You’re offering to take out my VP.”

“I’m offering to solve a problem that’s standing between you and what you actually want.” I keep my voice level. Reasonable. “Irons goes away. The war with the Devils cools down. June doesn’t testify. You get your club back and can get back to making money.”

“What do you get out of this?”

“Safety for June. The bounty gone. A guarantee that no one comes after us.” I pause. “And maybe, eventually, a way back in. A seat at the table. Irons’ position, even. Once the dust settles.”

Moose is quiet for a long time. I can almost hear him thinking, calculating, weighing the angles. This is a man who understands strategy. Who knows that sometimes you have to cut off a limb to save the body.

“You’d kill Irons,” he says finally. Not a question. A statement.

“If that’s what it takes.”

“And you can guarantee the girl won’t talk? Won’t decide six months from now that her conscience is bothering her, and she needs to do the right thing?”

The words hit differently than I expect them to. But I push past it.

“I can handle her,” I say. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t talk. Whatever it takes.”

More silence. Then Moose makes a sound that might be a laugh or might be something darker.

“You always were a cold son of a bitch, Wraith. That’s what I liked about you.” He exhales, probably smoke. “All right. Let’s meet. Face to face. Hash out the details. Make sure we’re both clear on what we’re agreeing to here.”

“When and where?”

“I’ll text you the location and the time. Come alone, obviously. And Wraith?” He pauses. “It’s good to have you back in the brotherhood. We need men who understand how to make the hard choices.”

The call ends.

I stand there for a moment, phone in my hand, and let the satisfaction settle over me. I did it. Found the way out. The solution that keeps June safe without putting her in front of judges and defense lawyers and years of trials. Found the way to give us that future she wants without the target that comes with being a rat.

She’ll be angry at first, but she’ll understand, eventually. She’ll see that I did this because I love her. Because I know better than she does what testifying would actually mean for her life. Because I’m willing to do the dark, ugly things necessary to keep her safe and give her the happiness she deserves.

That’s what love is. Protection. Making the hard choices so she doesn’t have to.

I turn back toward the motel room, already planning how I’ll explain it to her in the morning. How I’ll frame it so she sees the logic. How I’ll make her understand that this was the right move.

I’m smiling as I turn around.

Then I see her.

Standing right there. She’s wearing my t-shirt, nothing else, her hair a mess from sleep and sex and the pillow. Her face is unreadable in the shadows, but I can see the rigidity in her posture. The way her arms wrap around herself. The way she’s looking at me.

“I heard everything, Wraith.”