Page 20 of Clay

What if the Riders drag me deeper, and he’s left holding the pieces again? The thought twists my stomach, a cold knot I can’t shake.

I don’t say it out loud—I definitely don’t want to ruin this, not when he’s warm and soft in my arms, trusting me with that second chance.

For now, I’ll hold onto the plan: hit the truck, cash out, dial it back. Make it work like I promised. But the worry’s there, a shadow in the back of my mind, whispering that this life doesn’t let go easy.

Dylan shifts, snuggling closer, his breath warm against my neck, and I tighten my grip, anchoring myself in him.

The bed creaks under us, the quilt bunching at our feet, and I stare at the ceiling, the streetlamp’s glow cutting lines across it.

Tomorrow’s coming fast—the heist, the risk, the future we’re betting on. But right now, it’s just us, tangled up in his sheets, his heartbeat steady against mine.

I press a kiss to his forehead, soft enough not to wake him if he’s drifting, and let my eyes close. Whatever happens, I’ve got him in my arms tonight, and that’s enough.

For now…

Chapter 9

Clay

“Business time,” I growl, my mind focused and my senses set to full alert.

The night’s black as pitch, the kind of dark that swallows you whole, and the Wolf Riders are shadows moving through it, silent and sharp.

I’m crouched low behind a cluster of pines off the old mill road, the Harley parked a quarter mile back, engine cold.

My breath fogs in the cool April air, my heart thumping steady but hard against my ribs.

The heist’s on—Kreese’s plan, my call—and the adrenaline’s got me wired, every sense dialed up.

The truck’s due any minute, a hulking beast loaded with electronics we’re about to claim, and we’ve got this locked down tight. No room for fuck-ups tonight.

Kreese is beside me, his shaved head glinting faintly under the sliver of moon, eyes narrowed as he scans the road. He’s twitchy, eager, a coiled spring ready to snap. “Two minutes,” hemutters, checking his watch. “Rusty’s got the van in place. Jace, are you good?”

“We’re good,” Jace replies.

I nod, peering through the trees.

The trap’s set—Rusty’s parked an old panel van across the bend, lights off, a fake breakdown to stall the driver. Jace is perched up the hill, binoculars trained on the highway, ready to signal.

The rest of the crew—six more Riders, patched and loyal—fan out along the tree line, armed with tire irons and grit. We’re not here to kill, just to take, but it’s still a razor’s edge.

One wrong move, and this goes from clean to bloodyfast.

Headlights flicker in the distance, a low rumble growing louder, and my pulse kicks up.

“Here we go,” I say, voice low. Kreese grins, a flash of teeth, and signals the boys with a sharp whistle. We move like wolves—silent, fast, closing in.

The truck rounds the bend, a boxy shadow grinding down the gears as it spots the van. The driver—a kid, barely twenty by the look of him—leans out the window, cursing loud enough to carry. “Fuckin’ piece of shit! Move it!” he yells, laying on the horn. Rusty steps out, hands up like he’s apologetic, stumbling a little for show. “Sorry, man, he’s dead. Gimme a sec.”

That’s our cue.

I burst from the trees, Kreese on my heels, and we’re on the truck before the kid knows what’s hit him. I yank the driver’s door open, hauling him out by the collar—he’s all flailing armsand panicked shouts, but I’ve got a good six inches and fifty pounds on him.

“Shut it,” I growl, slamming him against the cab, my forearm pinning his throat. He freezes, eyes wide, and I nod to Kreese, who’s already climbing into the passenger side to kill the radio.

Rusty and Jace swarm the back, popping the lock with a crowbar, the metal screeching as the doors swing wide. Inside, it’s a goldmine—boxes stacked high, TVs, laptops, phones, all shrink-wrapped and gleaming.

“Holy shit,” Jace breathes, tossing a crate to the ground. The crew moves fast, a line forming to haul the goods to the pickup we’ve got stashed fifty yards off-road. Sweat beads on my neck, the clock ticking in my head—ten minutes in, ten to go.

---