Page 60 of Klutch's Kryptonite

Church.

K

It’s short and to the point, but she’ll understand.

After placing the note on the pillow next to her, I quietly slip out of the room, careful not to pull the door closed too hard behind me.

In the hallway, Pee Wee is just coming out of his room, adjusting his cut over his broad shoulders.

“You take McKenna home?” I ask, falling into step beside him.

He shakes his head, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. “Nope.”

Well, okay then. I don’t ask for details. What he does in his private life is none of my business.

We make our way down to the chapel in silence. Outside the door, Kodiak, one of our prospects, is collecting phones. It’s a security protocol. There are no electronics allowed in church meetings. You never know who might be listening.

“Phones,” he says, holding out a wooden box.

I drop mine in without comment and push through the double doors. The chapel is our sacred space—a large room dominated by a massive wooden table carved with our club’s insignia. I move around to take my usual seat at Denali’s left as Sergeant-at-Arms.

The rest of my brothers file in one by one. Beast and Yukon come in together, both looking like they’ve showered but the hard set to their jaws tells me they’re still riding the adrenaline high from earlier. Swift—my father—gives me a nod as he takes his seat, his eyes asking a silent question about Demi that I answer with a slight shake of my head.

Titan and Denali are the last to enter. Titan’s fingers are stained with ink, and there are dark circles under his eyes—he’s been digging, and from the grim expression on his face, whatever he’s found isn’t good.

Once everyone is seated, Denali bangs the gavel on the table, calling the meeting to order.

“Brothers,” he begins. “We’ve got a shitload to deal with tonight.” His eyes find mine across the table. “Frankie?”

I sit up straighter, my jaw clenching. “Frankie and his enforcer have been disposed of. Their ashes are being scattered as we speak.”

Denali nods. “Good. You get anything out of him?”

“No. But Johnny squealed like a little fucking pig,” I say, my voice eerily calm despite the storm raging inside me. “The hit on our clubhouse was ordered by the Renegade Bastards. Rogue sees us as competition. He’s also joined ranks with the Valenciaga Crime Family.”

Murmurs break out around the table. I wait for them to die down before continuing.

“There’s more. They’re trafficking women and children across state lines.”

“Motherfuckers,” Beast mutters, his fist coming down hard on the table.

Titan clears his throat, drawing all eyes to him. “I’m afraid it’s bigger than that. I’ve been digging, and this isn’t just the Valenciaga family. The Russians are involved too. This operation stretches across the entire continental US.”

“Fuck,” Pee Wee says, voicing what we’re all thinking.

“They’re snatching women from clubs, street corners, even college campuses,” Titan continues, running a hand through his dark hair. “I think that’s why they were at Demi’s apartment.”

My blood runs cold. “What the fuck did you just say?”

Titan meets my eyes, his expression grave. “Since her dad couldn’t pay what he owed, they were planning to take her. Sell her to the highest bidder.”

The chapel falls silent as his words sink in. My vision starts to blur at the edges, rage threatening to consume me. I grip the edge of the table so hard my knuckles turn white.

“Easy, son,” my father says softly from across the table, recognizing the signs of my temper about to blow.

I force myself to take a deep breath, then another. Getting pissed won’t change anything. She’s safe. That’s what matters.

“There’s something else you should know,” Crazy Train speaks up, his usual energetic demeanor subdued. “We found Demi’s father.”

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