Page 84 of Legacy

“Why does it even matter? She’s twenty-one. She’s leaving. She’s sure as fuck not cut out for this. She’s not Luna.”

“That’s fucked up, and you know it. Why are you holding her up on some kind of pedestal, anyway? How do you know what she’s cut out for if you’re not even going to give her a chance?”

“Because this shouldn’t be her life.” I scratch my jaw. “You should have seen her face last night. I’d be surprised if she isn’t already packed by the time I get home after seeing Sera tied up like that.”

“So that’s what this is about? You’re scared she’s already got a foot out the door and figure it’ll be easier if you slam it behind her?”

“I’m not fucking scared. I’m looking out for her.”

He huffs out a breath. “Want to know what I think?”

“No.”

“Too bad.” His eyes narrow. “Yes, I’m sure what happened fucked with her head. It never gets easier to see that kind of shit, especially when you’re not used to it. But when Reagan and Luna were riding back to the neighborhood last night, do you know what she askedLuna? She asked if you were going to be okay. She might have been scared, but above it all, she was worried about how you were doing.That’swhat she cared about in that moment—you.”

I think about how Reagan checked on Bea the second she walked into the house last night. How she’s always putting everyone else first.

“I’m not asking her to worry about me.”

“Because no one’s allowed to do that, right, Jesse? Not your family. Not your club. Not the girl you’re falling for.”

“Bea doesn’t need—”

“Stop using your daughter as an excuse.”

“Fuck you.” My teeth grit so hard I feel like they’re going to shatter.

Ghost is pushing me to my limit right now, and he knows it. But that doesn’t mean he’ll quit either.

He rests back in his chair, not taking his eyes off me. “I love you, brother. So be pissed at me all you want, but I’m not mincing words to make you feel better. We both know you didn’t hold back when I was falling for Luna, and it’s only right I return the favor if it means you finally face it. You need to get out of your own way right now because you deserve a hell of a lot more than you’ve been allowing yourself. You’re not King.”

“That’s your opinion.”

“Maybe.” He shrugs. “But somewhere deep down, you know I’m right.”

Voices come through the clubhouse, cutting off our conversation. Ghost tucks his phone away as Havoc and Chaos head into church.

But all I can see and hear are those words hanging in the air, dripping blood on the table and forcing me to face them.

My father’s ghost wanders these halls, and sometimes, I wonder if I’m the only one who sees him.

Steel walks into church last, with Soul at his side.

It’s never a good sign when Soul looks irritated. Things really have gone to shit if he’s sulking.

“Where are we at with the Sinners who dropped Sera off last night?” Steel asks before even taking a seat.

“I got a hit on the van they were driving,” Ghost answers. “I was able to use external security and traffic cameras to follow them back to the Strip. But they disappeared out the west side of the city after that, so I don’t know if they met back at the Iron Sinners clubhouse or somewhere else. The license plate was stolen, and the windows were too tinted to get a good look. Either way, this has Iron Sinners written all over it.”

“We already knew the Iron Sinners were behind it. The note demanding their money back told us as much,” Chaos points out. “Besides, this is their M.O.”

“Not exactly.” Havoc scans the room, and I swear the air turns ice-cold. “Usually, they finish the job first. Why keep her alive when they know they can prove the point without any loose strings?”

He’s right. Usually, the Iron Sinners wouldn’t have left someone who could lead back to them, even if the note confirmed who was behind it.

“I still think it’s them,” Steel says. “Or Zane having them act on his behalf. It was his money, and even if he gave itto them, he wouldn’t take kindly to the fact that we stole it.”

“About the money…” I lean forward, resting my elbows on the table. “I’ve been digging into the amounts coming in, and it’s definitely more than they’d bring in for lap dances. They’re back in the trafficking game. Which is why I think they’re retaliating like this. They figure if they make it personal, we won’t want to risk our families, and we’ll back off instead of trying to shut down their ring again.”

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