I flew down a back-country road on my bike, my mind racing. The voicemail from Collins had been brief. “Either you check in or I’m sending out a search party. If I have to drag you back here, it won’t be in once piece.”

So many thoughts kept racing through me, most of them centered on Rosa. I’d known that she was Brandi for some time in the back of my mind. Hearing her confess and seeing the fear in her eyes was a game changer. It was in that moment that I knew I would do anything to keep her safe. My beloved Shannon was nothing more than a ghost now, and I couldn’t keep holding a grudge based on one man’s word.

Pulling over, I dialed Danny again. He was less than thrilled to hear from me.

“Where the hell have you been? Collins isn’t happy.”

“Are you with him now?”

“Hell no. Anyone who is smart is avoiding him like the plague. He’s lived for your check-ins—they’re all he talks about. He wants to keep that chick’s head in the freezer once you find her.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I muttered.

“Jesus, Peyton, what are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Thanks for the update,” I hissed before hanging up on him.

Danny had only been with Collins for a few years. He didn’t know the depth of the man’s hatred. Collins was merciless when he felt he’d been wronged. Unfortunately, the poor kid would probably figure it out too late. Getting into Collins’s crew was tough, but getting out was unheard of. The only way you left the Irish mafia was in a body bag tied to a cement block, dropped in international waters.

“No one leaves the crew,” Collins had promised me on the first day I’d met him in prison. “Once you are in, that’s it. You need the approval of the five elders to leave.”

“That doesn’t sound too hard.”

He chuckled sadistically. “In my ten years, I’ve never seen someone leave.”

“Then why join up at all?”

“Because we protect our own. Like that whore who put me in here. By the time I get out, she will be dead.”

“Didn’t you tell me she turned to the FBI? Won’t they hide her?”

He nodded. “They will try. My boys will stop at nothing to get to her, though, and when they do, she will beg for death before it’s over. You don’t screw over the Irish without paying the price.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He’d stuck out his hand. “Stick with me, Peyton, and I will make sure nothing happens.”

That handshake had sealed my fate, or so I’d thought. Now that life was quickly fading into the background and Rosa was more important. I flipped the phone back and forth in my hand. I needed to make the call but my mind wouldn’t let me. It just kept pulling me back to the October night three years ago when I’d first met Collins O’Doul on the outside. I’d been running guns for the Irish and a few others, keeping my hands clean and my pockets lined. Shannon was a fleeting thought anymore. I knew she was dead, and someday, I would find her killer, but a man had to eat.

He’d clapped me on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you on the outside, Peyton.”

“Aye, the air is better out here. What can I do for you, Collins?”

“I want the bitch who put me behind bars,” he hissed.

I shook my head. “Thanks for the offer, man, but I’ve got my own shit going on here. I’m no bounty hunter.”

His menacing laugh sent chills through my spine. “Oh, Peyton, I think you’ll want to reconsider.”

“Oh?” I said, “And why is that?”

“Because that bitch didn’t just put me in jail. She’s the one who hooked your sister up with the man who raped her.”

I felt the blood drain out of my face. “You know about Shannon?”

Collins nodded. “I know about everything. You find that bitch, and you can get your revenge.”

“Do you know who did it? Who hurt my baby sister?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “I wish I did, mate. I’d help you find him myself if I could, but you understand that I’ve got an organization to run here. If you find Brandi, though, I’ll start making some calls.”

“A trade?” I asked.

Collins nodded. “Bring me her head, and I’ll see what I can do.”

Remembering the conversation made my blood boil. Collins had been so sure that Rosa knew about Shannon, but after the last few weeks, I wasn’t so sure. We’d talked about her life leading up to when she met Collins, but never once had she mentioned Shannon. I didn’t know what I believed anymore, but I knew that Rosa wasn’t the same person she’d been all those years ago. I cared about her. Her past was hers and not mine. I couldn’t kill her.

My phone rang again, and this time I answered the call. “Collins, I was just about to call you.”

“Oh yeah? That’s funny because my boy here has been telling me that for the past three days. I was starting to think you were avoiding me, old friend.”

“What reason would I have for that? I think your lapdog is trying to stir up trouble.”

“It’s hard to keep the faith when you don’t check in. I understand you haven’t moved on from Maine. Something you need to tell me?”

“Yeah, but it’s nothing you’re going to like.”

“What’s going on?”

I licked my dry lips. I had to make him believe me, otherwise Rosa and I would have to run and keep running. I made her a promise that I was going to keep. One way or another, she would be safe for the rest of her life. Collins was ruthless, but he was predictable. If I could keep him placated and make him think he was still in control, then nothing had to change for Rosa and me. It also meant that I needed to let go of the past too. I needed to let go of Shannon, as much as it hurt. She was gone, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“I’ve covered most of the eastern states, Collins. I can’t find her. If she’s even still alive, then she’s damn good at being a ghost. I’m hanging it up.”

“Hanging it up? Have you forgotten about our agreement?”

“No,” I said dryly. “But it’s been three years. I think I need to let go of Shannon and my revenge. She wouldn’t want me to spend my life dwelling in the past.”

“Oh? And what about the town you are in now? You’ve been there for almost three months, yet you cleared every other town in three weeks.”

“I like it here,” I muttered. “I guess that’s part of the reason I’m done. I think that Shannon would want me to settle here.”

“From what I hear, you are plenty fond of more than just the town.”

For the second time in a day, I felt the blood drain from my face. “You have people watching me?”

“Well, you know how it goes. After the first year without results, I had to start outsourcing, you might say.”

“That isn’t an answer, Collins. Have you been following me?”

“Not so much you, Peyton, but I have other men looking for that fiery bitch too. I didn’t want you to think I didn’t have faith in you, though, so I thought it best not to tell you. When you stopped answering my calls, I thought I should send a couple of others down to see if you were in distress.”

“Yeah, well now you know I’m fine, so you can get your men to clear out. I’ll keep out of your way if you keep out of mine.”

“Just like that, huh? You think you can just walk away from the family and your duty? What about your sister?”

“My sister wouldn’t want this life for me. I’m done,” I said with finality.

“If only it were that simple.”

My patience was starting to wear thin. If he already had men out here, then I needed to stop wasting my time with Collins and get back to Rosa. I glanced around the deserted road that I’d parked on to make sure that he wasn’t just stalling for time to get his henchmen to me. The road was deserted except for my black motorcycle. Before I’d met Rosa, it was the thing I loved most in the world since I’d accepted my sister’s death.

“What’s your game, Collins? You’ve got no authority over me.”

“You are right, I don’t. However, some of us keep our word. I found her for you, Peyton.”

“What?” I whispered in shock.

“Shannon, and she’s alive.”