Page 47 of Property of Chux

I frown. “What? Why?”

He exhales, the sound weighted with something I can’t quite place. “Because it means you need me to fix something. And I can’t.”

A lump forms in my throat. “Don’t say that.”

“I have to,” he says, his voice breaking in a way I’ve never heard before. “Ally, I’m sorry, but I can’t save you anymore.”

The words slam into me, knocking the breath from my lungs. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve done everything I could to protect you,” he says. “But this? It’s out of my hands.” He pauses. “I failed you. He found us. I couldn’t keep things in control. There is nothing I can do, but let you go.”

Tears prick my eyes. “No, you didn’t. You could never?—”

“I did,” he interrupts, voice rough. “If I’d been smarter, if I’d seen this coming, I could have stopped it before it got this far. But now… there’s nothing I can do. My influence, my reach—it’s not enough.”

I press a hand to my forehead, my heart pounding. “Then what am I supposed to do?”

For the first time in my life, my grandfather doesn’t have an answer.

But then, his voice lowers, steady but firm. “The Kings, Ally. They’re your only chance now. Chux, his brothers… they’re the only ones who can keep you safe.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, my chest aching. “I don’t want you to give up on me.”

“I’m not giving up,” he says. “I’m trusting someone else to do what I no longer can.”

Silence stretches between us.

Then, softly, he says, “Does he love you?”

I freeze. “What?”

“Chux.” His voice is steady. “Does he love you? I’ve known him for years. The way he looks at you is how I looked at my Sasha.”

I swallow hard. “I don’t know.”

“Then you better hope he does. But I believe he does.” His voice cracks slightly. “Because I believe he does, I know he’ll move heaven and earth to protect you.”

My throat feels tight. “Dedushka…”

“I love you, Ally. Always,” he says. “But this is bigger than me now. Trust the Kings.”

The line goes dead.

I lower the phone, my hands trembling.

Kelly watches me, her face pale. “That… did not go how I expected.”

I nod, staring blankly at the wall. “Yeah.”

Then, in a whisper, “I think I just lost him.”

Kelly doesn’t hesitate—she pulls me into her arms, holding me tight as the truth settles deep in my bones.

The only hope I have left now is Damian.

And the Kings of Anarchy.

CHAPTER 17

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