Page 37 of Lies Beneath Secrets

“No!” I yell and try to wiggle out of his grip. Again, not getting anywhere. King laughs some more behind me but suddenly stops and lets his hand drop away. I look up toward Conner once again to see him holding a gun. It’s pointed right at King.

“I said let her go,” Conner demands, his tone sharp. The hand holding the weapon doesn’t shake; it stays steady, trained on its target. Sounds of chairs scraping across the floor fill the room. When I look around, I find some of the men have their own guns pointed at Conner.

“You’re outnumbered, Con,” King says, still not moving away from me. “How do you see this playing out?”

“With a bullet in your head if you don’t get the fuck off her.” His thumb pulls back the hammer with a click. “I could give a shit what happens after that.” Conner keeps his gaze trained on King, who, after a moment, releases his grip on my head but still doesn’t make the move to step back.

“She still has to go,” King states. “And this is the second time you refused to let me kill her. Defying your president’s orders can bring on some consequences.”

“Give her to me,” Conner says, earning a room full of laughter.

“Give her to you? Like she’s a stray cat or something?” King laughs, then steps away completely. I take that as my chance to get up from the table and get as far away as I can. To my surprise, he allows it, and I move to the closest corner I can find, which isn’t very far from him. Then I have the chance to really take in the whole scene in front of me. Still a little blurry without my glasses, but I can see enough. Seven men stand around the table. Three of them have guns pointed at Conner. Two are only holding them, then there’s Conner and King.

“She can earn her place in the club,” Conner then says. I look over at King, who tilts his head to the side, seemingly considering Conner’s words.

“Let’s vote on it.” I hear another voice join in. I realize who that is—Knox. Two of the men holding the guns nod a little, then seem to look toward King for approval.

“Fine,” King relents. “Put your fucking guns away,” King barks out and sits back in his chair. They go around the table after everyone follows suit and cast their votes. Live or die, each one says. In the end,livewins out by one vote.

King grabs something from the table, a small mallet of some kind I don’t remember seeing. “Looks like we got us a new prospect.” He smacks the table with the mallet, then reaches down to the floor and tosses me my clothes. “Saved by your guardian fucking angel again.” He smirks and walks out of the room.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN

Con

“They’re gone,” I say once everyone has left the room. My blood is still boiling, and damn it if I weren’t in a room full of men who would put a bullet in both of our heads, I would have shot King right then and there. “Are you okay?” I ask, immediately regretting the question. No fucking way is she okay.

“Am I okay?” she whispers. “Am I okay!” She repeats, raising her voice a little louder as she snatches her clothes from the floor. In jerky movements, she pulls on her underwear, jeans, and tries to get her tee shirt to cover her breasts by tying it in the front. “I don’t even know how to explain how much I’mnotokay!” Tears stream down her face, and her breathing picks up. “You…” She pauses and looks up at me. “You’re in a biker gang?”

“Club,” I correct her. “I’m part of a club. Have been since I was nineteen.” There’s no need to lie about any of it now. “I was there the night King broke into your apartment. We were looking for someone and tracked him there.”

“Gabe,” she says, giving me pause. I glance around the room, unsure if we should have this conversation.

“How do you know his name?”

“I had seen him once before, only briefly, visiting my mom. We never spoke. So, when he showed up at my apartment, I let him in.” I never once thought she would have known Gabe. “He was beaten pretty badly, so I went to get my first aid kit. That’s when that guy, King, broke in. It only took him seconds to kill Gabe, then he was on me.”

“Did Gabe try to shoot King?” She shakes her head in answer. “Did he even have a gun?” Again, she shakes her head.

“It all went down so fast. Then King threatened to kill me but instead knocked me out. I woke up the next day and was in my bed. My door was fixed, and my apartment was completely cleaned. I thought I had a terrible dream but when I saw my face in the mirror, I knew it had really happened.”

“I knocked you out.” Her head tilts to the side, then her brows rise.

“Seriously?”

“He was going to kill you.” She shakes her head, then winces, rubbing at the base of her skull.

“This is all too much. My head hurts really bad, and I want to go home.” She crosses her arms and looks up at me with pleading eyes. I know damn well what I say next will set her off.

“You can’t.” Her eyes widen and fill with fire. She really hates being told she can’t do something.

“You have to be joking, right?” She lets out a dry laugh. “That asshole had me stripped naked in front of everyone and had his hands all over me. I want a goddamn shower. Take. Me. Home.” I shake my head and grit my teeth together. I want to wash that motherfucker off her too and replace it with me. She’s mine, and that prick will pay for touching her.

“You can’t leave,” I repeat, and I swear if this woman were taller, she would lay me the fuck out right now.

“Why?” The venom she has behind that one word should kill me right on the spot.

“Because,” I breathe in deep through my nose, preparing myself for the yelling that’s about to happen. “Because you belong to the club.”

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