Page 9 of Dash

I kick my brow up. “You really want to talk about this here?”

Riot steps up to my other side. A warning, or a show of solidarity, I’m not sure.

“Better here than in the clubhouse.” He tips his bottle in my direction before sipping. “Too many fuckin’ ears.”

He’s not wrong. The list of people I can trust is small. “Rav wants us to feel out who else might come over to our side,” I say.

Everything I knew has been turned upside down in the last few weeks. I went to Ravage, our mother chapter president and president of the London chapter, intending to leave Birmingham. I already had one foot out the door when I turned up at the clubhouse.

I didn’t fucking expect the bomb he dropped on me.

I didn’t know there were plans to take over simmering beneath the surface. Crank and Grub, their days are numbered. And yeah, that is a fucking relief, but it’s also suffocating. Our chapter is at war with itself, and men I’ve called ‘brother’ might stand in front of me as enemies in the coming months.

Men I might have to kill.

Riot stares at me. “You okay with all this?”

Not even a little.“I’m still here, aren’t I?”

“You know I couldn’t say shit about this back then, right?” The thread of guilt in his voice doesn’t surprise me. Riot’s loyal to the people who mean something to him, and we were friends—arefriends.

So, I let him off the hook. “Yeah, I know.”

His hand lands on my shoulder, squeezing. “I’m fuckin’ glad you’re on our side, brother.”

I nod, because what the fuck else is there to say? There wasn’t a choice. Fight for my club or walk the fuck away.

I can’t throw away ten years of my life, my loyalty—not when I’ve bled for this club.

So, when Ravage gave me an ultimatum wrapped up in the illusion of choice, I fucking stayed. Even knowing this could cost my life, the life of men I respect, I fucking stayed. Because my brothers need me.

And because I knew Rav and Nox wouldn’t let me walk out of there still breathing if I didn’t. Those men don’t allow problems to walk out the door.

So, I bargained my loyalty for my life.

“Don’t get cocky or push too hard,” Mace warns. “Crank’s a sneaky bastard. He’ll sniff out any hint of betrayal.”

I sip my drink, wishing it was strong enough to numb this shit. “I know how to handle him and Grub.”

Her laugh catches my attention again, and my gaze locks on her. “Who’s the girl with Ivy?”

Riot follows my line of sight. “One on the left is Katie. The other’s Dayna. Both fuckin’ batshit, but they’re good to Vee, so I ignore their chaos.”

Dayna.

It doesn’t suit her wildness, and I can tell she wears her name like a costume.

“Brother, trust me, don’t fuckin’ go there.” Riot’s warning prickles along my skin.

“Why?”

“That girl is a walkin’ red flag. More baggage than a fuckin’ airport. She ain’t gonna settle down. She’ll use you and walk away without lookin’ back.”

Maybe I don’t want serious. Maybe I just want the distraction, a warm pussy to get lost in, to make me forget for an hour or two.

You think she’ll be that for you when you can’t keep your fucking attention off her?

“I’m not looking to marry the girl,” I murmur.

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