Page 58 of Colt

“I don’t know what you—” I began.

Cash held his hand up to stop me. “Don’t lie, especially to me. You think I haven’t seen this comin’. Saw things had changed between you two the day I got outta jail. I’m not Dad, Freya, I’m not against it. In fact, I think you could do a lot worse. If someone told me I couldn’t be with Cara, I’d fight tooth and nail for her. The problem is, Dad’s laid down the law. It’s you or the club. He can’t have both.”

I stared at him, throat burning and tears glimmering in my eyes. “We know.”

Cash’s eyebrows snapped together as his eyes examined my expression. I saw the second the truth dawned on him. “Colt’s leavin’?”

I gave one nod. “And I’ll follow.”

He heaved out a frustrated sigh. “Shit’s gonna hit the fan, but I’ll back you up, so will Cara. Kit and Kennedy will too. Bowie could go either way, and Layla will follow his cue. Atlas won’t like the rule break, but deep down, he’ll back ya, especially after Sophie makes him see the light.”

My eyes widened at his words.

Cash had obviously mulled it over for a while. People thought he didn’t care, but he was wiser than they knew. He’d make a good president one day.

I took a sip of coffee. “You’ve thought this through?”

My brother cocked an eyebrow. “Before he came down, he launched his cell against the wall ‘cause he saw the messages between you and some rando. Ain’t the actions of a man who doesn’t give a fuck, Freya. Kit saw it too. Colt jumped at the chance to come down here and see to Ed. Didn’t take a rocket scientist to work out he was gonna claim ya.” Cash grinned. “Me and Kit worked it out before the dumb fuck knew himself.”

I ran a hand through my hair, wondering if I’d woken up in an alternative universe.

Colt and I being together broke a cardinal club rule. I knew Cara and the ol’ ladies would be okay with it. I even believed they’d talk their men around, but I never expected so much support from my brothers. It made me warm inside because I recognized something else.

By having my back, they were going against the club.

They were putting me first.

I took Cash’s hand in mine and squeezed. “Thank you.”

“Been without my girl before, Freya, and so has Kit. We know what it’s like to have a piece of ourselves missin’. Wouldn’t wish it on you or him. Colt must have caught big feels if he’s givin’ up the club for ya. That tells me all I need to know. I’d feel better if he came clean to Pop, though.”

“He is,” I assured him. “He wants a last Thanksgiving and Christmas at the club, and we’ll tell Dad in the New Year. We just need to get through until then.”

“If you get caught, it’ll be a hundred times worse,” Cash advised me.

My brother was right, but Colt needed time at the club to say goodbye, and if I was honest, so did I. It had been my home all my life, and I knew once we came clean, I’d lose my place there.

I mean, it was only two months, and we’d be careful not to get caught.

What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Thirteen

Colt

The drive home from Grand Junction was uneventful, though it didn’t stop me feeling unsettled.

Atlas, on the surface, had been his same old bantering self. But, occasionally, I’d glance at him and find his eyes narrowed on me like he was trying to see inside my head.

Admittedly, it freaked me out.

The SAA saw every—fuckin’—thing. He lumbered around cracking jokes—usually at everyone else’s expense—and acted like a dumb fuck. But nobody realized what a sneaky bastard he was until it was too late. Part of the asshole’s MO was to make people underestimate him.

But I knew better.

My stare slid to the passenger seat, and my lips thinned.

Freya had been distracted since we drove away from the vet hospital. After her coffee trip with Cash, she’d withdrawn slightly, like she was deep in thought.

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