Ice ran where my blood used to. I had no beginning, no end, no heart, no soul. Bear and I rode side by side, leaving the bay far behind.

He’d taken a call five minutes after Mama Bear burst into the room. Marco had reached out to him. He had news about the ATF investigation and he wanted to meet in person. Mama wanted to call Axle, but Bear wouldn’t let her. I didn’t care. I needed to see his face. I needed to be sure.

We had a meeting place five minutes outside of Port Azrael proper. It was an industrial park with an abandoned oil refinery. The silos lay dormant and tumbleweeds blew in. Sand caked my face the minute I pulled off my helmet. Bear parked beside me, his eyes hard.

“You let me do the talking,” he said. Hell, he’d said that twenty times. I hadn’t said a word.

The last orange bands of sunlight streaked across the horizon. The rusted-out silos cast long, thick shadows. Weeds had sprouted, cracking the pavement in the parking lot. Two decades ago, this had been a thriving plant employing a thousand workers. They’d taken their business overseas now leaving nothing but steel ghosts behind.

“He ain’t here,” I said, spitting into the dust.

“Give it a minute,” Bear said.

With a few minutes to think, I wondered if we’d made the wrong call. Maybe we should have brought the full membership into this. Not that I would ever agree to put it to a vote, but backup might have been wiser.

“Son, you need to listen to me,” Bear said.

“I’m done listening.” My words echoed. “I’m done waiting. I’m done caring. Is there any doubt whose blood was on that statue? You said yourself, Ariel found it in the room where my mother died. No, she didn’t die, Bear. She was beaten to death. You didn’t see her. You never had that horror.”

“The hell I didn’t!” Bear spat. He came to me, grabbing my arm. “Who the fuck do you think had to go in and ID her? I fucking saw, Chase. That face, that beautiful face.”

His last words came out as a strangled cry. I’d never seen Bear Bullock show this kind of emotion. I jerked away from him. I never knew. I never asked. Of course somebody would have had to officially identify her. My father was gone. I was only eight. There was no other family.

“The neighbor came,” I said, walking away from him. “If Penny hadn’t knocked on the door …”

“He might have come after you too,” Bear said. “You think that hasn’t haunted me for twenty years? It’s bad enough I gotta live with the guilt of not making sure Rochelle was safe. If anything had happened to you too ... God. Chase, you’re the best part of your mama. She knew that. I only wish I could have saved you sooner.”

I turned to face him again. I don’t know what I was planning to say. Not thank you. Not yet. I was still too raw. Memories washed over me like a waterfall. I’d shut so much out. I still couldn’t see her last moments. It was as if my mind reached out to protect me from that last awful truth. I didn’t know whether to be grateful for that or not.

Tires crunched on gravel. A gray Lincoln Town Car made a slow curve toward us, blinding me in the headlights. My hand went to my weapon until Bear stopped me.

“Not yet,” he said. “This goes my way. You understand?”

“Your way.” My words burned like acid.

Marco Rivas cut his headlights and got out of the driver’s side. I didn’t wait. Instinct kicked in and I went to the car, checking the windows. He’d come alone. Rivas didn’t stop me. He just shot me a smile and raised his hands. Then he took one and loosened the buttons of his suit jacket, spreading it wide. I went to him, frisking him for weapons or a wire. This was normal procedure. Rivas didn’t even bat an eye. Then he dismissed me, heading straight for Bear.

“Sorry about the short notice,” he said. “Not a lot of time.”

“What you got?” Bear asked. His eyes flicked to me. I gave him a quick nod. Rivas was clean.

Marco looked behind him. He set his jaw to the side as he looked me up and down. “Why him? You were supposed to bring Axle.”

I reared back, locking eyes with Bear. What the hell was he talking about? Why did Rivas want Axle here? I didn’t like that one bit. I came up behind him, staring hard at Bear over Marco’s shoulder.

“He’s on another job for me,” Bear answered. “Like you said, not a lot of time.”

Rivas shrugged. He shot a look over his shoulder at me, clearly not liking me here. Fuck him. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fat envelope. Bear took it and thumbed through the contents. I only saw stacks of paper.

“That’s all I could get,” Marco said. “The warrant for the clubhouse raid. There’re transcripts of an interview with an informant. That’ll probably be the most valuable to you. I don’t know who it is. I wasn’t able to get that far. Give it some time though. Things will cool off in a few days once this Wright figures out he’s dead in the water.”

Bear tucked the envelope into his back pocket. “You sure about that?”

Marco shrugged. “He isn’t going to let it go. I can tell you that. This guy ... he’s different than some of the others I’ve seen. If I didn’t know any better, it feels personal. You sure you’ve never run into him before?”

Pursing his lips, Bear shook his head no. “Never heard of him.”

Marco ran a hand along his jaw. I tracked each movement. He had long, slender fingers. If I blinked, I could see them wrapped around something, cocking back to swing. I couldn’t see the object he held, but it was covered in blood.

“Well, it’s gonna get bad, Bear. I feel it. I’m hearing rumors. Disturbing rumors.”

“What kind of rumors?” Bear’s posture changed. He seemed to relax. Though he might be starting to forget what we were here for, I wouldn’t. But with each word Marco uttered, I could see Bear’s wheels turning. Once or twice, he flashed a glance toward me. My hands went numb from clenching my fists. He wanted me to wait. Marco was still useful to him.

“The kind that makes me think this guy isn’t hooked up the same as a lot of them. Like he’s not afraid to dirty his hands as a means to an end. Not afraid to throw the book away, if you know what I mean. That’s dangerous for everybody.”

“Shit,” Bear muttered. He shot me a pained look. I lifted my chin and clenched my jaw. No. No fucking way, Bear.

“I can’t figure how he got sent to Port Az,” Marco went on. “That’s the big mystery. Sebastian Wright until six months ago was on a skyward trajectory. This gig is a step down from where he was. Which means he asked for it special. That can’t be good.”

“No, it can’t,” Bear said. Again, he locked eyes with me over Marco’s shoulder. No, I thought. Don’t you fucking dare.

“Can I get a second with Chase?” Bear said and my heart turned to stone.

“Suit yourself.” Marco shrugged. “No more than a second though, Bear. This isn’t good for me to be out here like this with you. And we need to settle up before I leave.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Bear said. “You’ll get what you’re owed.”

I brushed past him, shoving my shoulder into Marco’s as I headed for Bear. I didn’t stop, I just kept on walking. My fingers itched to have my weapon in my hand. Cold steel and firepower was the only thing that could calm my thundering heart.

When we walked far enough away to escape Marco Rivas’s earshot, Bear grabbed me by the shoulder. Steam came out of my fucking nostrils as I whirled around to face him.

“Calm your shit,” Bear said.

“Are you fucking serious with me right now?”

He lowered his voice so I had to strain to hear him. “This prick doesn’t walk,” he said. “I haven’t forgotten what I promised you. Fuck that. I know what I owe your mother. We have to play this exactly right. Marco isn’t going anywhere. And he’s useful to me. He’s useful to the club. Like it or not, that fuck is the only thing standing between us and an ATF shitstorm we don’t need. So I’m going to need for you to trust me just a little while longer.”

I clenched my fists so tight, blood dripped from my palms. “Not another fucking day. You hear me, Bear? That fuck doesn’t live to see another fucking day. I’m not the only one asking for it. Did you forget your wife?”

“Goddammit, that’s not your call to make. And it sure as fuck isn’t Josie’s to make. I’m the president of this club. This shit tears me up as much as it does you. But I ain’t asking you right now. You’re gonna fucking stand down. You hear me? That’s an order. I gave you that patch. I’ll rip it off here and now if I have to. The club is bigger than you. It’s bigger than me. It’s for damn sure bigger than your mother. She knew that. Hell, even your piece-of-shit old man knew that. I know I swore an oath. I mean to keep it. But you swore one too. You tell me right now whether you intend to keep it or not.”

Thunder cracked inside my heart. My mother’s face in life and death swam before me. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. Bear was giving me a choice. Trust him to protect the club and keep his oath, or walk away from all of it right now. Bile filled my mouth. I drew blood there too as I bit my tongue.

Could I do it? Could I walk away from this one last time?

“Trust me, son,” he said again. “I’ve had your back this long. That ain’t gonna change unless you make me.”

I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t make my mouth form the words. All I could do was stand there made of stone. It was good enough for Bear. He gave me a quick nod then turned his back and walked over to Marco.

Bear reached into the inside pocket of his cut. I knew he had another fat envelope to give to Marco. It held twenty thousand dollars in unmarked bills, Marco’s down payment for the information he’d given us. Twenty grand of the club’s sweat and tears passed over to my mother’s killer. It made me sick.

Marco held up his hands, refusing the package. “Not today,” he said. “I’ve got different terms in mind.”

Bear threw a look over his shoulder at me. Straightening my back, I walked toward them. How I managed to get one foot in front of the other I’ll never know.

Marco side-stepped. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and clicked the lock. His trunk popped. “I need you to take care of something for me. That’s why I told you to bring Axle with you tonight. This is his wheelhouse.”

“And you’ll just have to trust me that I know how to manage my own crew, Marco,” Bear spat back.

Marco put his hands up in surrender. “Suit yourself. I don’t really give a fuck. But this needs to be taken care of now. Tonight.”

I was at Bear’s shoulder. He shook his head in disgust and gave me a light backhand against the chest. I owed him silence right now, nothing more.

Marco stepped around to the back of the car and opened the trunk the rest of the way. “No questions asked,” he said. “That’s how this works. You take care of this for me, I keep tabs on Sebastian Wright for you. You’re gonna need me now more than ever, Bear. In fact, after this one, I may have to lay low for a while and end our association until the dust settles. This is going to be messy. Wright doesn’t play by the rules.”

“What the fuck is this, Marco?” Bear asked, growing impatient. The last rays of sunlight had faded. Marco’s trunk light made his face look gray. A sound came from the back of that car.

Marco stepped away, fanning his hands out. Bear walked next to him. He looked into the trunk and his eyes went deadly cold. “Motherfucker.”

The air went out of my lungs. Again, I couldn’t move.

“She’s a complication I don’t need,” Marco said. “That’s all you need to know. She needs to disappear in a permanent way. If she doesn’t, I’m not going to be able to help you. The club will go down with me.”

“Don’t you fucking threaten me.” Bear turned. He grabbed Marco by the lapels and shoved him backward. Marco kept his hands up. A sick smile spread across his face. I raced to Bear’s side. My heart exploded as I looked down into the trunk.

Ariel.

She lay in a fetal position, her hands and feet bound with zip ties. Blood poured from a gash near her temple. He’d pistol-whipped her. The motherfucker had knocked her unconscious. When she moaned, my knees turned to water. Somehow, I managed to stay on my feet.

“Take care of it,” Marco said. “Tonight.”

“What the hell’s she done to you?” Bear asked, cooler than I could ever be.

“That’s my business,” Marco said. “Let’s just say she’s the last link to a bad day I had a long time ago. You owe me this. The club owes me this. Keep your money. Just make this right.”

I pulled out my Nine. Marco smiled.

“Jesus,” he said. “Take her out of the fucking trunk first. I gotta drive the car back to the rental place.”

“You rented a fucking car to come out here?” Bear asked, catching my eye.

“We good?” Marco asked. “Your boy here know what he needs to do?”

Bear’s slow smile creased the corners of his eyes. He gave me the slightest nod. “Yeah, Marco. My boy knows exactly what he needs to do.”

I raised the gun and let out the breath I’d been holding. Then I squeezed the trigger and set my mother’s spirit free.

The bullet hit Marco in the forehead, dead center between his eyes. He jerked back, eyes widening. He tilted his head to the side as if he were going to ask me a question. Then his knees went and he crumpled to the ground.

It was then that Ariel’s scream broke through to me.