Page 15 of Secret Betrayals
Today's meeting includes all the club’s officers and elite members—my blood brothers included. Nitro’s four minutes younger than Axel, and Axel never lets him forget it. They’re both four years younger than me, but you'd never guess from how tight we are. Nitro and I? Level-headed. Axel? Shoots first, maybe ask questions if he feels like it. He’s the fire to our ice, the one who drags my ass off the edge when I lose it—which doesn’t happen often. But when it does, Axel’s the one who brings me back. Nitro’s the buffer that keeps the whole damn club grounded. I couldn’t run this shit without them. Wouldn’t even try.
I glance around the room, taking it in. My brothers. My blood. My family. That familiar warmth settles in my chest… right before my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Heather.
Of course.
I don’t even open the message. I already know it’s full of nagging bullshit. Probably some dig because I walked off earlier. She’ll be pissed. Again. Let her be. I drop the phone on the table, eyes scanning the room as it lights up again. This time, it’s the Prospect at the gate.
Barone guy’s here.
He arrived with afucking convoy.
There’s even a video. I click it and narrow my eyes. Three SUVs. That’s not a meet-and-greet. That’s a goddamn show of power.
What the hell is going on?
I scan the room—no sign of Axel. I text him quick to make sure he’s the one greeting them. I turn to Nitro, tell him what's up, and he nods to a few brothers who file out to meet Axel. This wasn’t how I planned it. Axel alone was supposed to handle it. But now? This feels like a pissing contest. And I’ll be damned if anyone comes intomyhouse and tries to swing their dick without me checking them.
I’m not meeting them out front. I don’t give a damn if it looks like I’m making a power move of my own. Itisone. I want them to know where they stand. Let them walk through my house, through my men, and feel that weight. They don’t get to roll up on me like they own something.
Until today, Luca’s always been our Barone contact. Cold, efficient, didn’t fuck around. Now suddenly, there’s someone new? No heads-up? Not even a whisper of a change? Something smellsoff. I don’t like it.
The door opens. And what walks in—
Christ.
He’s a fuckinggiant. Big bastard in a tailored suit, built like a tank. Had to duck to fit through the damn door. Axel follows behind him but hangs near the door, and the look on his face... That tight jaw. The shake of his head. Then, he flashes four fingers.
Four.
I lock eyes with the big motherfucker. He doesn’t sit. Don’t talk. Just leans against the wall like he owns it, arms crossed, scanning the room like he's memorizing targets. Cold blue eyes, unreadable face. Quiet. Calculating. Dangerous.
Yeah. Killer. Stone-cold. Worse than Luca ever was.
Then Axel speaks.
“Right this way,MissBarone.”
Miss.
What?
No.
My eyes snap to the door. And there she is. Gliding in like she owns the fucking floor. Brown skin. Beautiful. Powerful. Her presence alone makes the room sit still. Form-fitting skirt, red top hugging tits that shouldn’t be legal, dark curls, oversized glasses. I hate those glasses. Heather wears the same stupid kind. But this woman—this woman commands the room without a word.
My heart kicks. My cock twitches. Mysoulfucking stirs.
No.
Naw. Itcan’tbe.
She sits down calmly, places her purse on the table, and two young men follow her, flanking her like goddamn sentinels. Then the giant sits beside her.
She removes her glasses.
And my entire world shifts.
