Grasshopper ran his hand over his face. “You’re dead.”
“What—” Molly stopped herself, nodding with understanding. “You were taken into state care.”
“A death certificate was issued,” Arthur said. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
Mo slapped his hands onto the table. “Add to the to-do list. Hire a fucking resurrectionist.”
Chuckles broke the tension.
I smiled tentatively. Fear billowed like smoke in my lungs. Being dead on paper had protected me. Being Sarah Jones had been a safety net. Not only had I stepped into harm’s way but now I also faced endless questions and debriefing, and whatever else the FBI would require closing my case. Not to mention the reprimand for leaving without a word.
“We’ll deal with that later.” Clapping his hands, Arthur changed the subject. “Did you call him?” His green eyes swooped to Grasshopper. “Arrange the next meeting?”
“Sure did. Two nights from now. His place. All arranged.”
Arthur nodded, pointing at Matchsticks to make a note of whatever had just unfolded.
I sat there still reeling about Dagger Rose but also just as lost. However, beneath my confusion was pride—a lot of pride for everything Arthur had accomplished.
Glancing at Mo, Arthur ran a hand through his dark hair. “The interviews arranged? Like I asked?”
Mo crossed his arms, reclining in his chair. “All done, Prez. Ready and waiting for a few days from now.”
What the hell do interviews have to do with killing a few bikers?
The more I learned, the more worried I became. I should’ve known that a battle over betrayal was too small for Arthur’s unwavering attention. I knew what he was like—always striving for more, never happy. What is he chasing this time?
My brain continued to clog up with information that I couldn’t compute as Arthur shot off questions and gathered answers that I supposed made sense to them but definitely not to me. It didn’t matter I was immersed in this new Club. It didn’t matter I slept beside the president every night. I couldn’t decipher their secrets no matter how hard I tried.
Time trickled past as the meeting grew more and more involved. Arthur was in his element. A born leader.
And all I could do was follow.
Chapter Eighteen
Kill
I’d said it.
I’d told her I loved her. It was too late to change my mind. All I needed to do was wait until she’d finished school and then I could officially date her. Yes, there were a few years between us. Yes, I was sure her father didn’t approve. But none of that mattered. Cleo was mine. And the world finally needed to know it. —Kill, age seventeen
“Come with me. I have a surprise for you.”
The members of Pure Corruption had filed outside, slowly trickling like water through sand until it was just Cleo and me in the room. The meeting had gone well. Things were in place. It was time to relax and regroup like we always did.
Tonight would be something normal and common, but for the first time I’d have my woman on my knee and that just made everything fucking brilliant.
Cleo’s eyes met mine, her long red hair looking like living fire down her back. “A surprise?”
I nodded, moving around the table to pluck her from her chair. Her body moved like rigid plastic, no sway or buckle toward me.
My heart stuttered as I cupped her face. “Everything okay?”
Biting her lip, her gaze searched mine—trying to tear whatever she needed to know unwillingly from my soul.
“Buttercup, whatever it is. You can ask me. You don’t need to search for answers when I’m ready to tell you anything you want to know.”
“Anything?”
I kissed her forehead, dragging her into an embrace. “Anything.”
Her small arms wrapped around my waist. My body wanted to give in to her. My legs were sick of holding my weight. My head was pissed off with existing with lousy vision and pain. But a simple hug from her crippled me.
“For over an hour, I’ve listened to plans that you’ve had in place for years. I’ve witnessed passion, intelligence, and a ruthless determination shared by all members. But I’m completely lost.”
“Lost?”
She pulled away. “What are you planning on doing? What interviews are arranged for a few days from now? Who are you meeting?”
A smile tugged my lips. “That’s a lot of questions.”
“There was a lot of information.”
I caught a handful of hair, curling the long strands around my fingers, forcing her to come closer. “There was a lot to plan for.”
Her lips parted as I dragged her closer. “Arthur, I’ve been in the dark for eight long years. Don’t blot out my light now.”
My heart flip-flopped. My fingers slipped from her hair, dropping to secure around her hip bones. Jerking her forward, I spun her around and pressed her against the table. “I would never do that. Never.”