Page 119 of The Fire We Crave

It’s never been hard to ride out with my club. But today, I feel the tether to Quinn as surely as though there were a strand of elastic holding us together, pulling me back to her.

When Butcher realized Ember was at the bakery, he suggested we stop to say goodbye. He’s also given Ember three flash-bang grenades, and Atom gave her a quick primer on how to use them. I pray to God they don’t need them.

But when I saw Quinn standing there, in her dress the color of late-summer sunflowers, all the things I’d wanted to say were replaced with a simple declaration.

I love you, Quinn. I really fucking love you.

I didn’t want to leave the warmth of her arms. But there were things I had to tell her. Then, she surprised me with her request. One I should have thought of.

If I die, there’s every chance my body won’t be seen again.

And I can only imagine the anguish she’d feel if she never knew where I was.

“Atom,” I say as we pull up down the street from our target, Lev Zakharov’s home. We pulled up on some wasteland out by Denver’s city limits, waiting for nightfall, before riding here under cover of darkness.

“What?” he asks as he grabs additional weapons from his bike.

“Anything happens to me, you have to tell Quinn the truth.”

He looks at me like I just grew a second head. “What?”

I tip my head in the direction of Lev’s home. “In there. If I get killed, if I die. Whatever the reason, you can’t just ride back into town and never tell Quinn what happened. She’s spent her whole life dealing with a missing person. Don’t want to add to that burden.”

Atom shakes his head. “No one is dying today.”

“Yeah, they are. That’s why we’re here. And they’re gonna defend to the death. And scared men do stupid things. But if I take one, you gotta promise me. Quinn needs to know.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

I place my hand on his shoulder. “I wouldn’t ask unless it was important. I need you to promise me. Whatever happens, whatever Butcher says, tell her. She’s not a risk. She’ll carry it alone. I trust her with every fiber of my being.”

Atom runs his hand over his face. “Fuck’s sake, brother. When you ask for a favor, youreallyask for one.”

“Not sure I can do this if you won’t give me your word. I can’t go in there and worry that I’m gonna devastate my girl.”

Atom sighs, then offers me his hand. I take it and shake it. “You have my word. I won’t leave Quinn hanging. Guess I better have your back, so I don’t have to do that shit, though. I fuckedmy president’s daughter. I think that’s the only pass I’m gonna get with Butcher this year, and he’ll kill me if he finds out.”

I tug Atom to me and hug him. “Thanks, brother.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, hugging me back. “Feels appropriate we go into this together.”

I know what he means.

Butcher walks over to us. “Ready?”

“To break into a house with who knows how many assailants, with who knows what weapons?” I say. “Absolutely.”

“If we find Lev, he’s mine,” Atom says.

Butcher shakes his head. “We find Lev, he’s dead. Doesn’t matter who does it. We’re not taking any chances he could get away while we try and find you. It’s a lesson. They don’t get to terrorize our town. They don’t get to claim blood debts. They need to fuck off and leave us alone.”

I look to Atom. “I’ll help you find him.”

He nods, and we start our approach.

Dice confirmed earlier that the man is here, wearing a sling on one arm. Guess I hit him in the shoulder. Can’t help but pray I took out his shooting arm.

But the man is meeting his maker today.

---