Page 84 of Mortify

"I can't help it. All those people who overdosed?—"

"Were going to get drugs somewhere," she interrupts. "Dylan didn't force them to use. He just provided the supply."

"That doesn't make it better."

"No, but it makes it not your fault." She takes the shirt from my hands. "You didn't know. You couldn't have known."

"I should have questioned things. Like how he always had money but barely worked. Or how interested he was in the club's business."

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty," Mom says. "And beating yourself up won't change anything."

But I can't stop thinking about it.

All the red flags I missed.

All the warning signs I explained away.

Kirkjaruns long—nearly three hours.

When the men finally emerge, they look grim and determined.

"We ride tonight," Fenrir announces. "Full force. This ends now."

The energy shifts immediately.

Women who were chatting casually snap into preparation mode.

Weapons cleaned, medical supplies gathered, children corralled.

This is what it means to be an ol’ lady—supporting your man as he rides into danger.

Regnor finds me helping Gwen prep medical supplies.

"Hey," he says, pulling me aside. "You okay?"

"No," I admit. "But I'll manage. What's the plan?"

"Heading to one of Patriot's warehouses. Big one. Tor tracked it through Dylan's payment records." His jaw tightens. "We're going to burn it down. All of it. The drugs, the money, the whole operation."

"What about Dylan?"

"Being handled," he says cryptically. "Focus on staying safe. We'll be gone most of the night."

"Regnor—"

"I know you're worried." He cups my face. "But this is what we do. This is how we protect our family. Trust me?"

"Always," I whisper.

He kisses me deeply, like he's trying to memorize the taste.

"I love you," he says against my lips. "Both of you. Remember that."

"Come back to us," I plead. "Whatever happens, come back."

"Always," he echoes my earlier words.

Then he's gone, joining the stream of men heading for their bikes.

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