Page 52 of Unmasked Prophecy

The ride is a blur, and when we finally reach the compound, the bikes pull in hard and fast. My breath catches as I see Mera rush out, her face a mix of relief and fear. The second we stop, she’s pulling me off the bike and into her arms, her voice a frantic whisper.

“Thank God. I thought...” She pulls back, her eyes wide as she sees the blood on my face. “Jesus, Nia, you’re hurt.”

I nod, my throat tight. “I’ll be okay.”

Mera’s eyes shift, and then widen. She’s looking behind me, her face twisting with confusion.

I turn.

The world stops as I see Talon, a gun pointed at me, his eyes cold and his jaw set in a hard line. Behind him, the others stand, their faces expressionless. I suck in a breath, but I already know that he has figured it out. He knows that I was willing to betray them, and now, the rest of the club does, too. They would have all heard my father’s words.

“Tell me the fuckin’ truth,” Talon roars, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Tell me you weren’t willin’ to hand this entire club over for that child.”

I can barely breathe, the weight of their gazes pinning me in place. I open my mouth, but no words come out. The truth is there, clawing its way up, demanding to be heard. I can’t hide it. Not anymore. I can try and deny it, but what’s the point? They’ll never trust anything I said.

“I had to,” I croak, my voice low. “They were going to kill her.”

The words hang in the air, and I see the anger, the betrayal in their eyes. It’s like a physical blow, and I flinch, my heart shattering.

“What were you goin’ to do?”

Wolfe speaks, his voice clipped as he steps forward.

I shake my head, tears rushing down my cheeks at the pure betrayal in Talon’s eyes.

“Answer the fuckin’ question,” Talon roars, so loudly I flinch.

“They were going to give her medical treatment and then let me take her, free, if I gave them a way to bring the clubdown. They wanted inside information, things they could use to destroy everyone in here.”

The silence is deafening.

“You stupid fuckin’ girl,” Knox bellows. “In what fuckin’ world did you ever think that man was goin’ to let you go. If we didn’t show up tonight, you wouldn’t have walked.”

I shake my head, my eyes burning as the tears flow. “I made a deal...”

“You were never walkin’ from that compound,” Knox hisses. “How fuckin’ stupid do you think they are? You agreed to somethin’ that was never goin’ to happen, but the fact that you agreed at all is enough for me.”

Could he be right?

Was my father actually going to let me leave? Or was I delusional in thinking I had the upper hand. God, now he is saying it out loud, the crippling shame is nearly enough to make my knees buckle. I made a huge mistake, and now the only people willing to help me, are going to turn their backs to me.

“Were you goin’ to do it?” Kael asks, and his voice isn’t angry, but it is so filled with disappointment that I want to curl up and die.

“Yes,” I whisper, because it’s the truth. I would have done it for Lily. Sure, I might have tried to find another way around it, but in the end, if that’s what it took...I would have done it.

“You don’t come back from this,” Knox barks, stepping forward, his voice full of rage. “Kill her, Rook. Anyone else would be dead already.”

Mera steps closer to me, her hand reaching for my arm. “You are not hurting her, Wolfe. She didn’t do it. She was only trying to help a little girl. Knox just said they wouldn’t have let her go. She wasn’t going to do it.”

“Step back, Mera,” Wolfe orders, his eyes firm and his voice harsh. “This is club business and you do not get to fuckin’ tell mehow it works. Whether she got the chance or not ain’t the point. She was more than willin’ to sacrifice everything I love. That is enough.”

“You’re not hurting her,” she fights back, pulling me even closer.

“Step back,” Wolfe roars.

Talon steps forward, one foot in front of the other, until he stops in front of me, pressing a gun to my forehead. The tears are coming, hot and heavy, as I stare into his eyes, the hurt unlike anything I’ve ever felt. “Betray the club, you die. Those are the rules.”

His voice is empty.

---