I feel the same.

These cunts coming into our world and throwing their weight around is a disrespect too far. I sense movement behind me and risk a glance over my shoulder when I hear a shotgun cock. My brothers are standing behind us, aiming weapons at Blackwood’s men. Daimon meets my eyes and I nod at him, telling him without words to be ready.

Leon and Elijah don’t even react to the show of force, as if being surrounded by guns is an everyday occurrence. Maybe it is. Isaac Blackwood has a reputation for being a Grade A psychopath.

“We’ll be back,” Leon pats Elijah in the chest to get him moving and the two men stride away.

No one moves, guns still trained on them until they get in their car and drive out of sight.

“Fuck!” Rav snaps, smashing a hand against the fence. It rattles violently beneath the blow.

“The fuck was that about?” Daimon asks, his gun disappearing down the back of his jeans as he approaches.

I holster my own gun, my mind racing as I push around Rav and Kyle and stride back into the clubhouse. Rage is sitting on the edge of my awareness and my thoughts are a whirlpool of activity. I don’t want to be right, but a sinking suspicion is settling in my gut.

I rush into the clubhouse, my heart galloping in my chest. I take the steps to the first floor two at a time, my chest heaving by the time I reach her room. I don’t even bother to knock, reaching for the handle, but I’m surprised when it opens. She didn’t lock it.

Lucy is sitting cross-legged on the bed, a book in her hands. Her eyes flare as she takes me in.

“What’s going on?” she demands, her gaze darting around.

I stare at her, trying to see through her façade, trying to see if she’s pulled up the perfect wall that fooled me—fooled us all.

“Natasha.” I say the name with bite in my tone that I can’t stop. It tastes sour on my tongue, like ash and filth, but as soon as I say it, I know the name is hers.

She jolts, then all the colour drains from her face as she scrambles off the bed, putting it between us.

“What?” Her voice is barely verbalised as she stares at me in horror. All pretence is gone.

I cross the distance between us, my body shaking, vibrating my very molecules. I cage her in with my arms.

“Are. You. Natasha?”

It comes out low, every word pronounced. I need her to tell me I’ve got this fucking wrong, that I didn’t go against my club for a lying cunt.

Her tongue slips out and wets her bottom lip, her chest heaving as she tries to draw in air.

“Where did you hear that name?” she whispers and I see genuine fear dancing in her eyes.

Going to war with Isaac Blackwood could tear the club apart and if she is this Natasha bitch, she brought this down on our heads.

Fury burns through me at this thought.

She lied.

To me, to Sasha, to everyone, and fuck if that doesn’t make my hands shake, and my stomach fill with fire. Lying is one thing I can’t fucking stand.

“Leon Gregory and Elijah Elliot just dropped by and threatened the club if we don’t bring ‘Natasha’ out, so I’ll ask you again, are you Natasha?”

I expect blankness on her face, but she clearly recognises the names because she flinches. I know a thing about lying and I know about liars. She’s a lying bitch.

Lucy Franklin is Natasha.

And Natasha is linked to Isaac Blackwood.

It wasn’t Hank they targeted. Titch was right. It was fucking Lucy.

Fuck.

19

Lucy

My world is unravelling. Nox is furious. I can see it in the tight set of his shoulders, in the line of his mouth and the way it’s white around the edges, and the fact he keeps clenching his fists at his sides. I don’t think he’d hit me, he’s not that kind of man, but I’d deserve it if he did. I brought shit down on his club, his family, shit that can’t be undone. To be honest, I would rather he did hit me than face his disappointment. Pain I can deal with. I’m used to it, but the broken look of betrayal on his face shreds me.

I try to control my breathing, to keep myself calm, but I’m coming apart at the seams. This is not how I planned on this happening. When my secrets came undone, I expected to be far away from here. I thought I would have distance between me and the Sons, between me and my shame. I didn’t expect to face my lies head on.

A slither of guilt crawls up my spine and the filth of my actions coats me. Nox is tearing me apart. The disdain on his face cuts like a knife through my gut.

Fear hits me in the stomach as Rav and the other brothers crowd into the room behind him, my eyes moving over the enormous Fury, whose veins are standing out from his thick, uninked arms, and the snarling Daimon who is peering at me through shaggy hair. Levi and Titch don’t look any less frightening, their mouths pulled into angry snarls, and Whizz, who had fixed me up after I crashed looks positively homicidal.

Fuck.

I spent so much time running from Isaac that I didn’t think anything could be worse than his wrath. This new demon I’m staring in the face is worse, and not because of my fear—although I am afraid—but because I feel the weight of my betrayal pressing down on my shoulders.

My arms wrap around my body as if I can protect my shattering heart. I can’t. It’s breaking into a million pieces right now.

I stare at these heavily armed men, my pulse galloping in my chest as they glare at me like I’m the enemy.

I’ve made my peace with dying many times in the past, but after finding Nox and tasting how good life can be, I’m not ready for it to end. Things are getting good and that’s mostly because of the man standing in front of me, who is now looking at me with disgust that scores a hole in my chest.

I close my eyes, letting a lone tear streak down my cheek.

“Lucy, are you Natasha?” Nox snaps out with heat in his words that makes my belly fill with ice. He knows the truth, but he needs the words from me. I see the plea in them to just be his Lucy, and fuck, I wish I was.

I don’t want to give them, but what is the point of lying? Everyone knows my secret now.

“Yes,” I gasp out. “I am.”

I watch as Nox’s jaw tightens. Then he up-ends the nearest object, a chest of drawers, with a roared “Fuck!”

I jolt back, letting another tear fall as my world comes apart. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was home, like I had family, people who cared. My lies destroyed that. I should have left straight away. I should have carried on running. I shouldn’t have let my guard down around a man as dangerous as Nox.

I did, though.

Why?

Because I wanted a slice of what Sasha had. I wanted people who cared about me, who would go to the edge of the world for me, who would stand up to my bullies.

I was stupid thinking that would happen. Unlike Sasha, I’m not part of their world. I’m here because of her, and that branch they held out to me has now been snapped.

“You fucking lied to me,” he growls, striding over to the bed and leaning on it so he can get in my face.

I flinch, swallowing down my fear, my sense of injustice. I didn’t want this life. I didn’t want to be Isaac’s property. I wanted to be free, but my freedom came at a cost.

For the club.