Page 143 of Renegade Ruin

I was, but not because I wasn’t planning on telling him. That’s the difference and I’m happy he sees that. But I’m not out of the woods yet.

“There’s one more thing,” I say, leaning into his touch for strength.

“Fuck,” he growls, “What else?”

“Vaughn is the one who orchestrated the cheating scandal.”

“Fucking bastard.” He looks over my head at Luca and Carson. “So, why aren’t we pinning him to the fucking wall?”

“We need to get our story straight and make sure our proof is solid and has weight behind it if we’re going to take him down,” Luca explains. “We can’t fuck this up.”

“Fuck this.” Bishop jerks his hands back from my waist and grabs my wrist, tugging me in the direction he came from.

I’m helpless to do anything but follow.

“W-where are we going?” I stutter, struggling to keep up in the heels I insist on torturing myself with.

When he doesn’t answer, I look over my shoulder at Luca and Carson, who are both just as confused. They snap out of it when we’re half-way down the hall and jog to catch up.

Bishop slams his fist against the button for the elevator, and it opens immediately.

We all file in, and the three of us watch as he hits the button for the clubhouse.

The elevator jerks its descent, and he turns to face us. Fire and determination are in his eyes. “Luca, get your damn plan together. I’m sick of people using me and this team as a fucking pawn in their game. That stops today. Right now.”

So much for stopping the tornado.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE

WILLOW

Bishop leads us through the club level and drops my hand when we reach the door to his tiny personal locker room. He throws open the door leaving Luca, Carson, and me standing in the doorway. We watch in stunned silence as he grabs his gear from the makeshift metal locker and yanks the magnetic name plate from where it had been stuck a month ago and storms back toward us.

We move out of the way for him to pass, but Bishop halts and shifts all his gear to one arm so he can grab my hand again.

I look up at him, my eyes pleading for him to give me something, anything to let me know where he’s at right now and how I can support him—or maybe stop him from decimating our already burning world.

His hardened expression doesn’t falter, but eyes soften at the edges. He squeezes my hand and glances at the door of the clubhouse locker room. “All in, Kitten?”

That single question holds so much meaning for the two of us and yet makes my stomach flip with anxiety as I put together what he’s thinking.

It’s not quite decimation, but it’s a risk. He wants to tell the team about us—take away Vaughn’s power over us and gain thesupport of those who matter most. Exactly what Luca wants to do on a larger scale, but this holds significantly more weight. This move allows us to get ahead of the inevitable fire inside the house. No matter what happens, Bishop needs his team on his side. It means more to him than the public or the press. Without them, he crumbles—and me right along with him.

But it’s not just about the team or Vaughn. This is Bishop putting his money where his mouth is. It’s the sort of move Bishop a year ago would pull—loud, flashy, and every bit the hero in a romance novel.

My knight in shining armor proving he’s all in with me.

Carson and Luca swivel their heads between us, flies on the wall to this private moment.

“Yes,” I answer without reservation. “All in.”

Bishop squeezes my hand and grins before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Awww,” Carson sing-songs, and Luca just rolls his eyes.

Flinging the door to the locker room open with a bang, Bishop charges inside. Every head in the room turns to watch us. Even Graham pokes his head out of his office door and follows us.