I wanted my mother. After the terror of the last twenty-four hours all I wanted was to hug my mom and cry on her shoulder. Sometimes a girl needs a good cry and as much as I wanted to see Hayley I wanted my mom first. Jake had Hay at home on lockdown and remained by her side until we were certain no retribution from the last weeks would catch us by surprise.

Mom was sitting at the dining room table, pale and thin like she hadn’t been able to eat in weeks.

I rushed forward as we entered and tackled her in a hug, tears streaming down my face as I blubbered, my words jumbling together in a mess of emotional upheaval.

“Shhh,” she soothed, running her hand down my back, “you’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

“Leah’s out in the car. I told Beckett to wait a few minutes until you two were ready to bring her in.”

My mother nodded, placing her hand lovingly against my cheek, “We’re ok now. Bring in my baby.”

Pete nodded to R.J. who left returning moments later carrying a sleepy Leah into the house. Once she saw our mother, she untangled herself from his arms and rushed mom with tiny sloppy kisses all over her face. Hearing my mother’s soft laughter eased some of the heartache in my chest.

I left the room to follow Pete who had walked silently away, his head lowered and shoulders slumped. He seemed distant, his eyes focused on a framed picture of my mother, father, and me in the main hall. I lifted a hand to his arm as he pulled me into his side, his head falling into my neck.

“I’m sorry Rae.”

“Pete, this isn’t your fault –”

Pete stood up straight and pushed me behind his back, his voice startling me as he roared at R.J. “I just saw Devlin pass the front window.”

“Fuck,” R.J. cursed, pulling his gun from his waistband. “What do you want to do?”

They shared a look, “Take her upstairs now.”

Shouting that mom and Leah were in danger, I fought R.J.’s grip, but he picked me up anyway and ran up the stairs away from the front rooms and vulnerable wide open windows.

“Stop fighting me Rae,” he hissed between clenched teeth, “you’ll listen right now dammit.”

My chest was heaving with fear and adrenaline, my body trembling with the knowledge that Devlin was here to finish the job Charles was supposed to do months ago.

“R.J. I’m not going to stay up here while my mom and Leah –”

I was cut off by the sound of gunfire erupting downstairs. The quick pop, pop of an automatic sounded like thunder to my ears. Opening my mouth to scream, I was silenced by R.J.’s hand covering my mouth.

“Shhh,” he whispered and tugged me from the bed toward the open window. “Not a word,” he glanced out, trying to detect how many Outlaws were on the property.

“But my –”

He shook his head at me fiercely and sent a text which I could only assume was to Peter. Below I could hear my mother crying and begging. “No, stay away!” She must have seen someone through the front door or window. I heard her cry out a name, she was terrified and she screamed so loud it echoed upstairs. The sound made my blood curdle in my veins.

“Charles!”

No!

Chaos exploded around me. More gunshots. My little sister crying. Heavy thuds on the floor below. The front door crashing in. Breaking glass. Raised voices. Another scream from my mother.

“R.J.,” I whimpered.

He placed a kiss on my cheek and hugged my body close to his, “Shhh honey.”

The sound of footsteps on my stairs made me tremble in fright. R.J. glanced out the window again. “There’s more outside. We can’t leave from here,” he whispered.

Leave? What about my mom and little sister!?

Frantic, I shook my head.

He yanked me across the room and over to the bed, “Hide. I’ll be right back.”

I would have refused but he shoved me down and I had no choice. Sliding under my bed, I wrapped my hands over my mouth to stifle my frightened cries. Who was here? Who was shooting? Charles? Akando or Devlin? Bryce? Were they here to kill us all?

As R.J. retreated, I felt completely abandoned and overwhelmed. I knew he was trying to protect me and keep me from the line of fire, but what if someone came in through the open window? Why didn’t we shut it?

Right as I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand another second under the bed, I heard R.J.’s voice, “Rae, come on out.”

I slid out in time to catch one of the bikers climbing in through the open bedroom window and R.J. raise his gun. The sound of the weapon firing multiple shots echoed throughout my brain as I stood in shock. Was I hit? Was the biker shot? Was R.J.?

The smell of gunpowder hovered in the air. Blood. The metallic scent burned my nose as the crimson color stained my peach colored walls. Splatters of brain matter and arterial spray. Dripping . . .

Red everywhere . . .

I felt disconnected from my body as if I floated in the air like the wind. Numb. Empty. Every muscle tense. I don’t know how long the feeling lasted, but when I suddenly came back to the present, I heard myself screaming, over and over unable to stop.

“Rae!”

My eyes were shut tight as my whole body trembled and I crumpled to the floor. Silence. The house blared the sudden quiet like a bullhorn. No voices. No screams. No cries of fear or pain or loss except for my own.

“Rae!”

Peter’s voice registered in my subconscious, but it was too late. I already knew the truth.

My mother and my little sister Leah were dead.

***

THE MOMENT I SAW DEVLIN I knew they had been unleashed to seek vengeance however they wanted. Both Striker and Rafe would know of their plans and did nothing to stop them. This was a mark, a hit, and none of Rae’s family were supposed to survive it.

I was sneaking up on Devlin’s six when I heard Sarah scream. Charles was here. Shit!

Running through the lower level of the house I skid into the living room as Charles crashed through the front door and began to shoot. Several shots hit Rae’s mother in the chest, more bullets sprayed into the house as more Outlaws flooded the foyer. Before he could realize I was there, I raised my gun and fired a bullet directly into that traitorous fucker’s skull.

At long last that bastard Charles was dead. He was no longer a threat to anyone.

I didn’t have time to check on Rae’s mother or sister. Both of them lay on the ground as I took off, sick at the thought that neither of them survived, more SOMC members hot on my six. Firing shots to cover my ass I led them outside and away from the stairs that led to Rae and R.J.

The sound of gunfire must have alerted the neighbors. I heard the wail of sirens in the distance.

The Outlaws scattered amid the roar of engines as bikes left the property, one of which was Devlin. His evil grin spread across his face, smirking at the chaos that unfolded here today. He was a sick and sadistic freak. Rae was never going to be safe until he was dead.

I ran back inside and dropped to the ground, my fingers pressing against Sarah’s throat. There was no pulse. Tears filled my eyes as I slid to Leah’s side. The little girl was covered in blood, probably from her mother more than herself, one hand clenched in Sarah’s. Sucking a huge breath into my lungs I felt for a heartbeat. A faint thrum could be felt beneath my fingertips.

Thank the heavens.

That’s when I heard Rae screaming. Valan and Jake appeared by my side. I didn’t have to ask Jake to help the little girl. He had her in his arms, pressing against a wound in her leg and muttering curses under his breath.

My girl’s raw emotions ripped through me. I could feel her pain like it was my own, a stabbing throbbing ache of disbelief and torture that filled my chest until I could hardly draw a breath. The agony pressed in on my body and nearly forced me to my knees.

I think I practically flew up the stairs, two at a time, until I saw her crumpled form on the ground. The gut-wrenching wails of sorrow that launched from her throat tore my heart to pieces. I had Rae in my arms and whispered to her, but she couldn’t seem to hear me. I didn’t know how to reach her, but I held on and rocked her in my lap, pressing her head close to my heart and kept calling her name, saying I loved her, over and over, hoping my voice was enough to bring her back.

“Rae, oh my Rae . . .”

***

“YOU DON’T WANT ANY immunity for yourself?”

“No,” I growled. “Just take care of Rae. Make sure she’s far away from here where they can’t find her.”

“I’ll do my best Pete.”

“That’s not good enough. I need your word, Hollis.”

I could hear his whistle through the phone like he was irritated with me.

“That’s Sheriff Daly to you.”

“Cut the shit. You’ve known me since I was a kid. Beckett and I have grown up together. At least be honest with me. That’s all I’m asking.” I had to take a deep breath so I wouldn’t lose my shit, “I need to know Rae will be alright and that I’ll be able to find her as soon as I can.”

“This shit isn’t going to blow over anytime soon Pete,” he sounded tired. “I’ll do my best. You have my word, but this is out of my hands now. The feds are the ones who make the final decisions.”

“I know, but if you use your influence, I stand a chance of being with her. Can you understand that?”

“Yeah, kid I do. Shouldn’t be long now. Watch for the car.”

I hung up without answering, my chest tight. For the last forty-eight hours I’d been holding Rae close as Sheriff Daly, and the whole damn police precinct, took statements and went over the crime scene, bombarded my girl with questions and the trauma ended. Little Leah was in intensive care in the hospital and was supposed to join Rae once she was recovered enough.

I blew out a breath and ran my fingers through my hair, R.J. was sitting with Rae while I made my call. We moved her to the safe house until everything could be arranged. Now that the plans were finalized it was time to join her.

Plastering a smile on my face I walked into the room and nodded to R.J. Only the stiffening of his jaw proved he understood. Hugging Rae close and placing a light kiss on her lips he whispered his goodbye and left us alone.

Her curious gaze met mine as she stood and walked forward, rushing into my embrace.

“I’ll love you forever,” I promised Rae as I held her tight in my arms, stroking her long soft hair. Any minute now the feds would be here and I would be forced to let her go. Any minute I would lose her, my soul sold for the chance to keep her safe. All my plans, all my promises, all for nothing . . . “You have my heart, Rae. Keep it close. Know I’m thinking of you, every minute of every single day.”

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears, “No Pete –”

I cut her off with a passionate kiss, knowing I couldn’t hear her arguments. I was dying a little more inside with every second that past, “Always Rae. You’ll always be my girl.”

“I don’t want to go anywhere without you.”

“You have to baby, or they’ll kill you. Do you understand?” I placed my hands on her smooth, soft cheeks, my eyes roaming over every square inch of her face, memorizing every perfect feature in sharp detail, and stared deeply into those beautiful, troubled, melted chocolate eyes that sucked my soul into hers, “You have to survive. You have to get away and escape. That’s all that matters.”

“Pete,” she whispered, her voice anguished. “But I’ll never see you again.”

“You will,” I insisted for the tenth time in the last few hours. “I swear it. As soon as I can. No matter how long it takes.” Fuck, this was gutting me. My breaths were slower, shallower, as I tried to calm my growing panic.

This was it.

How did I move on? How did I let her walk away? How did –

“I’ll wait for you,” she promised, her sweet voice cutting off my thoughts.

“You will?” I couldn’t keep the hope out of my voice. I was a fool, but I’d grasp onto anything that gave me the promise of a chance, no matter how far in the future.

“I promise,” she whispered, pulling me in for another kiss, and I couldn’t deny her.

“When I find you, I’m going to marry you, baby,” I was dead serious. No more bullshit. I just had to get through the next few days and then I would spend every second loving her until I died. I’d find a way.

I had to find a way.

“And I’ll say yes.”

When my lips met hers, slanting across in a fierce possession and flaming passion, she thrust her body against mine, so tight and close we could have been one person. Trembling, I crushed her to my chest, swallowing hard when I saw who was approaching up the long dirt drive.

We had just seconds left . . .

Fuck!

No. No. No.

“I’ll love you forever,” I choked out, barely able to let the words pass my lips.

I wanted to believe the feds would keep to their end of the bargain, but I had a sinking feeling in my gut they’d do whatever they wanted. A moment of panic hit me square in the chest and I had the sudden urge to run, as fast and as far as I could with her until nobody knew who we were and couldn’t ever find us.

But that would be wrong. I couldn’t force her into that kind of life, always looking over her shoulder. She would never be happy and would hate me in the end.

So I lied to her, placated her with all the ways I would make this right and find her, how I’d buy us that perfect house with a white picket fence and treehouse built for two, and how we’d have our happily ever after.

How I wished all these promises were true. I’d die to give her that reality . . . and I probably would sooner rather than later. My soul was sold to the devil, and my ass was on a one-way ticket to hell.

Fuck! Everything was slipping through my fingers, all my effort, all my hard work. Gone. I wanted to believe I had control. But I didn’t and now everything was ripped away.

It was too late.

Rae was lost to me forever now, and that reality was fucking eating me alive.

I resisted the urge to jump in the car with her but I wasn’t a coward and I had a score to settle.

Revenge was my source of strength and fuel to make it through this day.

The feds were here, allowing us one final embrace before Rae was whisked away. The tears in her eyes slipped down her cheeks as her hand rose to one of the darkened windows of the black sedan, palm pressed flat to the glass. I lifted my own and blew her a kiss, placing my hand over my heart, trying desperately not to let the emptiness consume me. I wanted to claw the organ still beating from inside my chest. This was too painful.

All I could do was watch her drive away in the unmarked car and hope she forgave me. Rae would be long gone before she realized my treachery and lies. Despite the possibility that the feds would let me go to her I knew it would never happen. The truth would break her heart when she realized I wasn’t able to follow her but she would be alive and unharmed. She would survive. In the end, that’s all that mattered.

Rae would live. Peter would die.

In my place was born a ruthless, angry, and bitter man whose soulless existence was all I had left.

A demon. A monster.

A killer. Edge was born this day out of the ashes of my sorrow and broken heart, but I had a plan.

Those who forced Rae away from me would pay.

I lost her this night, filled with blood, death, and revenge. A night that let her escape to freedom while it cost me my own. The Riders owned me now. Payment was due. Rafe was coming to collect his prize, and I would hand myself over. Convicted. Sentenced. Condemned. I’d serve my time.

The price for Rae’s safety . . .

And I gladly paid it, without regret.

In the silence that followed I fell to my knees, fists clenched to my sides, and was unable to stand up under the weight of my despair.