Page 144 of Sinfully Savage Mafia

Needless to say, hate for their club runs deep.

But not as deep as their pockets because they run a plethora of drugs through their pipelines across the country. They don’t like competition, and neither does the cartel.

And dirty money runs the fucking world, so…

Not guilty.

I squint, shifting in the backseat. “Where are we? And how long have I been out?”

“Headed toward the clubhouse,” Nate says. “You’ve been asleep for seven hours.”

“Jesus,” I mutter. I guess grief really does take a toll on you. My brain just decided to give in to the blissful haze of nothingness. I wish I’d been able to stay for a little while longer.

“I think this is a bad idea,” Rod grumbles under his breath.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, did I?” Nate snaps, hanging a sharp left. I grip the ‘oh, shit’ bar and hang on for my life as he zooms down the secluded dirt road that leads to the clubhouse.

“I really don’t feel like going inside, Nate,” I say. “I don’t want to talk to anyone. I know they all mean well, but?—”

“We’re not going inside,” he snips. “I’m dropping off Rod and Benny, who haven’t seen us since we left the courthouse,” he says in a warning tone, tossing a glance at Rod over his shoulder. Without warning, he skids to a stop half a mile back from the clubhouse. “Get out here,” he orders the guys. “Your bikes are in the woods where we left ’em. Ride up to the clubhouse and stick to the plan.”

I furrow my brow. “What plan? Nate, what the hell are you?—?”

He turns to me, silencing me with a look that clearly says ‘this isn’t the time to run that big mouth.’

I get the message and snap my lips shut.

Rod and Benny exchange a look and Benny grabs me, hugging me tight. He’s always been a good friend. God only knows, he’s bailed me out of plenty of screw-ups in the past couple of years.

“Be good,” he murmurs.

Tears spring to my eyes. It sounds suspiciously like a goodbye.

Oh no, not another one of those…

I don’t know how much more I can take today!

I breathe in his familiar scent of worn leather, beer, and weed, squeezing him and burying my face in his cut until I feel Nate gently push me away from him. I blink back the tears, managing a quivering smile at Rod. “Bye,” I mouth, knowing that if I try to speak, I will erupt into another round of hysterics. And judging by the serious expression on Nate’s face, I know I don’t have that luxury.

The guys scramble out of the car and disappear into the thick green foliage as Nate swings the car around and heads back down the dirt road.

“Nate,” I say. “Tell me what’s going on right now.”

“Jae,” he says, his voice thick. “What happens tonight marks the end of our life here. We leave and never look back, do you understand?”

My heart thuds hard in my chest, tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention despite the balmy breeze flowing in through the car window. “Leave your club?” I say, my voice cracking. “You’re the President! How can you just?—?”

“I’m doing this for you, for us, and for the club.” He slams his hand on the steering wheel. “Jae, the reason why Mom and Dad are dead is because of me, because I fucked up. I made moves that went against the cartel and against the Steel Reapers MC. I thought I was doing something good for the club, but it backfired. This is all on me,” he hisses. “And the only way to make things right is to make sure that when we finally get our justice, they know exactly who served it.”

“And then what? The cartel finds some other schmucks to come and offyou?” My voice rises in panic. “How is that a good plan?”

Nate pulls over on the side of the dark road and turns to look at me in the backseat. “I knew this would happen the day the trial started. That evidence didn’t just magically disappear, Jae. The cartel was never gonna lose this battle. Ever. And no, I can’t singlehandedly take down a cartel, but I can sure as hell cut off their hands and their dicks. Send my own message.”

“Then what?” I whisper.

“Then we disappear and start over somewhere far away from here. I leave the club behind, and they’re protected because they had no involvement at all in what’s about to happen.”

“You’d give up the club? Just like that? You’ve been with these guys for years. They’re your family.”

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