Page 40 of Havoc
“No.” Steel shakes his head.
Ghost taps the arm of his chair. “There’s nothing in the club’s records either. From what I can tell, Aimee being kidnapped had nothing to do with us.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Or maybe it does.” Steel’s tone sharpens, and I realize I’m not the only irritated person in the room. “How well did you really know her, Havoc?”
“Well.”
“Are you sure about that?” His jaw ticks. “Because your own brothers didn’t even know you were talking to her back then. How do you know you weren’t the only one keeping secrets?”
“Are you pissed I didn’t tell you about the girl I was seeing at eighteen?”
“If that’s really all it was, then no. But clearly this shit ran deeper, and secrets from the club cause nothing but problems. You know that.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I know how much fucking trouble the club brings. It’s my job to deal with it. Why the hell do you think I wanted to keep her out of all this? And why do you care so damn much?”
“We’re friends, Havoc.Brothers.” Steel’s tone lands like a hammer, and I realize why this is actually bothering him.
It doesn’t have to do with the liability I brought on the club—although I’m sure he’s not thrilled about that either. Steel is pissed off because he doesn’t like that I’ve kept the extent of my relationship with Aimee a secret from my friends.
My family.
“If she really meant that much to you, we would have looked out for her after you left.” Steel’s gaze shifts to Ghost, who nods in agreement. “But you cut us out. So no, I don’t know if what happened to her had anything to do with the club because I didn’t even know I was supposed to be on the fucking lookout for it.”
I brush my hand down my face. “I’m sorry, all right. She wasn’t part of all this. I tried to keep her out of it.”
“We know,” Ghost says, his gaze moving between me and Steel.
If anyone understands keeping secrets over a girl, it’s Ghost. When he first met Luna, she was working for the Iron Sinners. And even though she didn’t know that at the time, his bringing her here was a huge liability.
All I can do is hope that if Steel can get past that, he can understand this.
Steel dips his chin, looking down at his hands, and when he lifts his gaze again, the anger has faded. “We’re good, all right. It just had to be said. No more secrets.”
“Understood.”
He pops his knuckles. “I don’t remember the club having any contact from the Iron Sinners around that time, but I’ll check my dad’s notes and see if I missed anything.”
“And I’ll have Legacy double-check the bank records from back then to confirm there weren’t any transfers that could indicate something was going on.”
“Thank you.”
Steel shoves out of his chair, nodding once before leaving the room. Ghost lingers only a second longer before following him. But I stay and stare at the pictures on the wall. The ones that mark our first ride as ranked members.
I don’t know what’s better, thinking my club had nothing to do with this or thinking they did. At least one, I could handle. But the unknowns are going to drive me out of my mind.
13
Aimee
It’s been a weeksince I told Levi about the Iron Sinners kidnapping me fourteen years ago. I didn’t share the whole story but said enough that some of the weight lifted from my shoulders as the sun set in the desert.
I could tell Levi would have listened to me talk all night, but he didn’t push for more. There are holes in my story that will eventually gape. But for the time being, Levi respects that there are things I’m not ready to say.
So we orbit each other, knowing the time will come when we open old wounds. Just not yet.
It helps that Levi has been busy. He seems to work nonstop, helping his club or looking into the whereabouts of my father. There’s no shortage of people demanding his time. I watch from a distance as he slowly wears himself to complete exhaustion. Which is why, as curious as I am to know if he’s getting anywhere, I don’t ask.
