We were all huddled around the table listening to Cotton hash out the details of our next delivery. He was leaving no stone unturned, making sure nothing would derail our next shipment. There was too much at stake. The pipeline had been a profitable move for the club, and the hijacking had been a major setback. It didn’t help matters that we had no leads on who had managed to gather the intel to infiltrate us. Like us, the other charters wanted answers, but even with Big and all our contacts, there were none to be found. It had been two weeks, but we hadn’t made any headway. Whoever had played us was keeping quiet, making it impossible to make any connections. The whole thing was fucking with my head.
I wanted to do something to help, but I was still playing catch up. I’d only been back home for a couple of days and was still feeling out of sorts. I was doing better; my wounds had healed, and I was on the road to full recovery. But I just wasn’t myself. I hadn’t completely shaken the fog I’d been under, and I still couldn’t remember everything that had happened that night—only bits and pieces. With vivid detail, I could recall everything that happened up to the moment I walked into the bar, but everything else was jumbled in my head. It didn’t help that I couldn’t sleep—not a fucking wink. Each night, I’d climb into bed beyond exhausted, but sleep never came. I just lay there staring at the damned ceiling. I tried everything from drinking to watching the fucking news, but nothing helped.
Tensions were running high as we started to dismiss from church. The brothers talked angrily amongst themselves as they dispersed throughout the clubhouse. None of us had been known for our patience, and all the unanswered questions only made us more on edge. I had no doubt we’d find out who had taken our shipment, and when we did, they’d pay. We’d make sure of it.
I needed some time to decompress and was about to head to my room when I heard a familiar song coming from the bar. I tried to remember where I’d heard it, but it wouldn’t come to me. I followed the sound into the bar and could feel the tension in my shoulders start to relax as I listened to the words. That tension quickly returned when I heard Maverick announce, “We’ve got company.”
I could tell by the tone of his voice that something was wrong. Maverick was our Sergeant at Arms, and he was calm and steady—until he wasn’t. When he got riled up, you didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire. When I noticed his expression, I could see that he wasn’t pleased about our guest’s arrival. Cotton’s eyebrows furrowed with concern as he asked, “Who’s here?”
“I told him to get lost, but Nitro wants a word with you.”
His face grew angry and cold. “He’s got nothing that I want to hear.”
While there had been a time when things were different, Cotton wasn’t a fan of Nitro. He’d trusted him to handle a situation with one of our girls, only to have him double-cross us in the end. It was complicated, and I had to admit that I understood Nitro’s reasoning for not bringing her back. She had been pretty screwed up from the whole kidnapping ordeal and needed help. He’d made sure she got it and anything else she might’ve needed. In the end, she had the final choice of whether to stay with him or come back to the clubhouse. It was clear they’d both gotten caught up in something no one really understood, and she ended up staying with him. Things had worked out for her, and she was happy with Nitro, but Cotton had expectations. Nitro didn’t meet those expectations and had to pay the consequences. Their business ties were severed, along with any form of friendship they might’ve had.
“I don’t know, Pres. He seems pretty adamant. He’s askin’ for five minutes. He said you’re gonna want to hear what he’s got to say.”
Cotton groaned with frustration. “I don’t have time for this bullshit. Tell him he’s got two minutes.”
Maverick nodded and left to get Nitro. I glanced around the room and noticed that most of the brothers had already gone. I was about to do the same when Cotton called out to me. “Stay put. Not sure if he’s up to somethin’. Keep your eyes open.”
“You got it,” I told him as I walked over to the bar.
I could feel the tension crackling around us as Maverick returned with Nitro at his side. With his typical cocky swagger, Nitro walked straight up to Cotton and smirked. “Hear you’ve fallen on tough times, brother.”
“And what would you know about it?” Cotton growled. Maverick crossed his arms as he glared at Nitro angrily. In a blink, Guardrail appeared, along with Stitch, Smokey, and Big. Like a group of bodyguards, they stood behind Cotton and listened intently as Nitro spoke.
“I know you got a shipment swiped right out from underneath you. A big one. And you’ve got no idea who did it, do ya?”
“Again, what the fuck do you know about it?”
He cocked his eyebrow. “I know a thing or two. I might be willing to share that information with you… but it comes at a price.”
“Not interested in playing games with you, Nitro. If you’ve got something to say, say it. Your time’s running out.”
“Let’s just say that if I share this bit of information I have with you, then this rift we have between us… ends today.”
“You’re out of your fuckin’ mind. There’s nothin you could tell me—”
Nitro lifted his hand to interrupt. “Hold up. You don’t know what kind of information I’ve got, Cotton. Besides, you and I both know things worked out exactly the way they were meant to with Tristen. I know I fucked up by not coming to you first, but she’s in a good place now. She’s happy. My actions with her shouldn’t have completely severed our ties. We had a good thing going, and we can again. That’s why I’m here. I know who has your shipment.”
“Who?”
Nitro shook his head. “Not until you say the word. Will this set us right?”
“No, but it’ll be a start. Now tell me what you know.”
“The Chosen Knights contacted me earlier today.”
As soon as he said the words, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. The memories of that night came flooding back. Everything they’d said and everything they’d done hit me all at once. I remembered one of them saying, “We go in with no bikes and no colors. Keep our mouths shut, and they’ll never even know it was us.” I was suddenly overcome with guilt. It was my fault—all of it. If I hadn’t gotten tangled up with that asshole, I would’ve been able to warn them about what was coming, and none of it would’ve happened.
I was about to tell Cotton what I’d remembered when Nitro continued. “The Brothers heard we were on the outs and figured I’d like a chance to stick it to you. I could’ve made a pretty penny, but here I stand. I’ve got your back, brother. Always have.”
“Fuck.” Cotton clenched his fists at his side. “I’ll end those motherfuckers.”
“I need to know how you want to play this.”
“For now, play along. Tell them you want to make a deal, and we’ll figure out where to go from here. Just buy us some time.”
He nodded. “You got it. And I still have your last shipment on hold. If you need it, it’s yours.”
A strange look crossed Cotton’s face. Nitro had caught him by surprise, and that just didn’t happen—not with Cotton. “I’m not one for second chances, and I certainly don’t forgive easily.”
Nitro chuckled under his breath. “Does this mean we’re good?”
Cotton extended his hand out to Nitro. “We’re good, but fuck with me again…”
A smile spread across his face as Nitro shook his hand. “Glad we could come to an understanding.” He turned, and as he started to leave, he gave Big a nod. The two of them were close once, and I wasn’t surprised to see a look of relief on Big’s face. As he walked through the door, he shouted, “I’ll be in touch.”
Once he was gone, Cotton and the others walked over to the bar. Each of them grabbed a beer before sitting down next to me. They started to talk amongst themselves, and while I knew I needed to tell Cotton what I remembered, I didn’t know how to tell him. For the first time in maybe my entire life, I was at a loss for words. Finally, I blurted, “They were trying to teach us a lesson.”
Cotton turned to me and asked, “Who?”
“The Chosen. They were fed up with us coming into their territory and took the shipment to teach us a lesson.”
“And how do you know that?”
“I heard them talking when I was at the bar. I’d forgotten all about it until I heard Nitro talking.”
“You heard them talking about it, and you didn’t think to tell someone?” Cotton growled.
“I was on my way back to the room when—”
“When you opened your goddamned mouth and almost got yourself killed!”
A part of me knew he was right, but when I thought back to that moment, when I thought of her pinned against that wall with that asshole’s grubby hands pawing at her, I couldn’t keep my damned mouth shut. “I didn’t have a choice!”
“You’re fucking kidding me, right? We’ve been going crazy trying to find these motherfuckers for the past two weeks, and you didn’t have a fucking choice!”
“He was hurting her!” I couldn’t put into words how I’d felt in that moment. None of them would understand that jolt of electricity that shot through me when she looked at me with those beautiful hazel eyes. I didn’t understand it myself. “There was no way in hell I was walking away from her… not like that.”
Guardrail reached for his beer. “I’d have done the same thing, Two Bit.” Cotton’s head slowly turned and looked down at his VP, and I thought he’d come unhinged when Guardrail shrugged. “Well, I would’ve, and so would you, brother. So, don’t give me no shit about it. Two Bit did what he had to do. He got his ass kicked pretty damned good and knew it was coming with all those dickheads around. He wouldn’t have done it if it didn’t mean something to him.”
The room fell silent as they all turned and looked at me. What Guardrail had said was true. It did mean something to me, and even if I did get my ass kicked, it was worth it. “I’m sorry I let the club down, but I’m not sorry for trying to help her. And honestly, I’d do it again.”
Cotton shook his head as he ran his hand roughly down his face. “What else do you remember about that night? Did they say anything that we can use?”
“They didn’t want to be found out. I heard one of them say they were going in with no bikes and no colors. I’m guessing they weren’t looking for a war they knew they couldn’t win.”
“A war is what they’re damned well gonna get!” Cotton roared. “First, they beat one of my boys to within an inch of his life, and then they have the fucking nerve to steal from me. They’ve gotta be out of their goddamned minds if they think they won’t pay for that shit!”
“Those greedy motherfuckers got cocky. Thought they could fuck with us, and just keep on trucking. That shit ain’t gonna happen. We need to cut them off at the knees,” Smokey snarled.
“Smoke’s right. I want eyes on them. I want to know their every fucking move. I want to know where their money’s coming from. Every fucking dime of it,” Cotton demanded. “We’ll take the one thing they thrive for right out of their grubby fucking hands.”
Clutch leaned forward as he let out a deep breath. “I have an idea, but I don’t think he’s gonna like it.”
“Who?”
“Two Bit.” He looked at me apprehensively as he continued, “For that kind of surveillance, we need eyes on the inside.”
“Yeah. And?”
“I think I know who could help us out.”
I knew right away who he had in mind and growled, “You’re fucking kidding, right?”
“Who are we talking about?” Cotton questioned.
“Zoe. The chick who got Two Bit to the hospital,” Clutch explained.
“What makes you think she’d be willing to help us?” Smokey asked.
“Lucky was her father. She’s pretty broken up about how things have turned out with the club, and she made it pretty clear that she wanted things to change.”
“That doesn’t mean she’s up for being a traitor.”
“I’m not saying she is, but she might be able to help us out.” Clutch looked back towards me. “I think it’s time for you to have a chat with her.”
I thought back to the text messages she’d sent and how set she was on not coming to see me at the hospital. “I’m not so sure she’ll see me.”
“She’ll see ya. She just needs a little push.”