Chapter Eighteen

Quinn had spent the early morning with the dogs. She was making progress with four. It turned out, the holdout was the only female dog. A Staffordshire Terrier named Queen. It was fitting, considering she seemed to rule over the others. But she didn’t interfere with Quinn offering treats to Clyde, Snow, Maximus, and Brutus. She’d learned their names from their tags. All but Queen’s. Rio had shared that.

The chef, Rio, didn’t work on the weekends but had a stock of food prepared. Quinn had a quick breakfast while playing on her phone. Mainly checking her non-existent text messages. Rogue hadn’t called, texted, or come home last night. It may have been just as well since she was still mad at him. She had a planned speech to express her aggravation over last night’s stunt. Who does that? Apparently, Rogue.

She tossed her napkin in the garbage and was loading her plate in the dishwasher when she heard the front door. His footsteps could be heard miles away. He wasn’t stomping, but his quick stride and his shoes slamming on the marble floor were good indicators. Rogue was home and not happy.

Shocker . Quinn glanced over at the doorway, catching a snippet of Rogue. A second later, Trey came in the line of sight. He must’ve sensed her because once he passed, he stepped back, staring directly at her.

“Need a word with you, Quinn.”

“Okay.” Quinn grabbed her phone and tucked it in her back pocket, following him to Rogue’s office at the end of the hall. He opened the door and gestured for her to go in. Trey had never given off a warm vibe with her, but right now, it was ice cold. She swallowed the knot in her throat and slipped past him. She halted a few feet inside the door when she saw Rogue sitting on the couch. His shirt was wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot. He looked tired, and at eleven in the morning, he was white-knuckling a glass of amber-colored liquid. He glanced up, and his lips twisted.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“You wanna go back to Kahill? Then, I’m gonna make that fucking happen.”

What? She jerked her head, looking over at Trey, who simply scowled at her. Where was this coming from?

“I don’t understand.”

Rogue slammed his glass on the table, and she flinched.

“Have a fucking seat, and I’ll tell you.”

She slowly walked across the room and took the chair across from him. When she heard footsteps behind her, she cowered slightly.

Trey rounded her chair and folded his arms. “You met with Kahill?”

Oh shit! She flattened her lips. She should’ve known it would eventually come out, but she figured Kahill would do anything to make sure it remained a secret. It didn’t look good on his end, either. How did they find out? That was the last question she’d be asking.

“You fucking did. Before we met with him and you didn’t fucking tell me. You know what that looks like?” Rogue lips twisted, and his jaw clenched. “A fucking set up.”

“No.” She shook her head.

“Then why not tell us or have your phone with you? It appears that you were trying to conceal your meeting,” Trey said.

Rogue scoffed. “Not as smart as you fucking think. Didn’t account for the security cameras on the lot, and neither did fucking Dillon, who you left with.” The last few words came off with a snarl.

No, she hadn’t considered any of that, which should’ve served as proof that she wasn’t trying to set him up. Why would she?

Rogue abruptly stood and started to walk away, but she leaned over the table, grabbing his hand. It was a bold move. She knew it. He glared down at his hand, and she expected him to pull away. Quinn doubled down, clasping her fingers through his. He had to hear her out.

“Please,” she muttered, hearing her own desperation in her tone.

Rogue harsh glare hardened, and he looked over at Trey, but she kept her gaze locked on him.

“What?” he snapped, and she loosened her grip. Rogue wasn’t having any of that. He clenched his hand and pulled her arm, forcing her to stand and slide past the table.

“Whatever the fuck you have to say? Say it.”

Quinn peered around the room. The last thing she wanted to do was tell him or anyone else. She’d hoped it would stay buried forever.

“Look at me.” Her gaze shifted to him, and he narrowed his gaze. “Tell. Me.”

Decide.

Her arm leaned against his, and she popped up on her toes. Her mouth still only came to his shoulder. In a move she hadn’t expected, he bowed his head, giving her access to his ear, and she whispered. “He has something on me.”

“Kahill?”

She stepped back and slowly nodded, and her voice shook. “I did something. And it’s really bad. He said if I didn’t go back with him, he’d expose me.”

Quinn was not prepared to ever come clean with what she’d been a part of. Rogue loosened his grip on her hand but didn’t let go. He walked her over to the couch and sat, taking her down with him. There was little space between them. Trey moved closer, taking her vacated seat across from them.

“What does he have on you?” Trey asked.

Keeping her secret was a long shot, but she was going to give it a try.

Quinn gulped. “I’d rather not say.”

“What the…?” Rogue snapped. “That’s not the way it fucking works.”

“I don’t want to tell you,” she pleaded.

He furrowed his brows. “How the fuck am I supposed to help you if I don’t fucking know what it is?”

Help her?

“I don’t expect you to help me. This is my problem. I just want you to know that I didn’t set you up or go behind your back. I really had no choice if I wanted to keep the secret from getting out. That’s why I couldn’t choose.”

When Kahill suggested Quinn be given the choice, she panicked. She didn’t want to go back to him, but she also needed to protect herself.

Rogue angled his head. “Choose? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Choose you.”

Rogue drove his hand through his hair and turned to Trey. “Are you fucking following this?”

“I believe what Quinn is saying is that if she chose to stay working for you, it would upset Kahill. And that’s not something she can afford to do.” He turned to her. “Correct?”

“Yes.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you just say that?” Rogue asked.

“I thought I did, I mean, Trey understood it.”

Rogue narrowed his gaze, clearly unhappy with her response. She glanced over at Trey. He bowed his head, but she caught the small smile playing on his lips.

“Alright, just get to the fucking point. What does he have on you?”

“There’s more to it—a backstory. I want to explain my side and…”

Rogue shook his head, completely shutting her down. “I don’t want to hear anything else. What does Kahill have on you?”

“No, Rogue,” she blurted. “I need you to hear it. If I had known what the outcome would be, I would’ve never been a part of it.” She glanced down at the floor. “I know you think I just go along with everything and do whatever I’m told, but...” Her eyes welled, and her throat thickened.

Not that time.

“What?” Rogue’s voice was softer than usual.

She sniffled, glancing up through her blurred eyes. “I would have refused to do it if I knew anyone was going to get hurt, I swear.”

“Tell me.”

She tightened her hold on his hand. “I’m not a bad person. Not really. You believe me, right?”

For some reason, she needed his reassurance.

Rogue scanned her face and squeezed her hand. “Yeah.”

Good. She needed to hear that.

“I hadn’t heard of Millshack until Dillon brought up a deal to Clay. At that point, I’d been organizing Dillon’s computer and keeping everything on track. His whole system went down one night, and I was able to restore it. I guess he was impressed because he drilled me on all the things I knew and what I could do. Then he asked if I could hack into stuff.” She shrugged. “I hadn’t tried before that, but I know my way around computers, so I said I might be able to.” She swallowed the knot in her throat. “A few weeks later, Clay mentioned a job with a pretty big payout. A couple thousand.”

She twisted her hands. “Clay didn’t give me details, just said I needed to hack into a security system and shut it down for about an hour, then restore it. When I asked why, he said that someone had stolen from Millshack, and it was the only way to get his stuff back.” She pulled her hand from Rogue’s, dropped her face into her hands, and drove them through her hair. Saying it out loud made her sound all the more gullible. Why hadn’t she asked for more details?

“And you bought that?” Rogue asked with a hint of accusation.

“I trusted Clay, and” —she gulped— “I never thought it would end like that. Clay promised no one was going to get hurt. All I had to do was shut down the security. Millshack and his guys would go in, take what was theirs, and get out so I could restore it. It sounded so simple. Nobody was supposed to be there.”

“Fuck,” Rogue muttered, cupping his mouth. “You helped Millshack steal from Killcreek the night one of their members was killed?”

She slowly nodded, her bottom lip trembling. The guilt threatened to suffocate her every time she thought about it.

“How does Kahill know?” Trey asked.

“He said Millshack told him.”

Trey knitted his brows. “Why would he do that?”

While there was a small sense of relief being free of that secret, she was still holding onto another. Quinn couldn’t bring herself to say it. It was one she might be able to get away with, and since there hadn’t been any casualties, there wasn’t any reason to mention it. Coward. Kahill would never admit it because it incriminated him, too. Still, there was that gnawing ache in the back of her mind. Quinn may not have completed the job for Kahill but someone else might, which would put Rogue in danger.

Quinn shrugged and looked across the room, whispering, “I don’t know.”

Tell them!

“I’ll make the call to Oz.” Trey stood, about to walk out of the room.

Now!

“Wait, Trey,” she blurted, her voice so shaky it rang in her ears. Quinn felt her nerves heighten to a level she’d never experienced. It was as if every sense in her body was on high alert. The gut-wrenching agony of not knowing how Rogue would accept it.

She was hyperaware of both men staring at her, but she turned slightly to face Rogue. He hadn’t let go of her. She stared down at their clasped hands, drawing strength from that. And memorizing how his large hand engulfed her dainty one in almost a protective shield.

She drew a breath, parted her lips, and breathed in again. Tell. Him.

“There’s something else,” she whispered, keeping her eyes locked on their hands. He hadn’t pulled away or loosened his grip. He’s still mine. For now. That could change in a minute.

Rogue cupped her jaw, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes welled, and she pursed her lips.

“What?”

It was best to just say it. Get it over with. Rip off the bandaid. Let the blocks fall where they may. If losing him kept him safe in the end…it was worth it.

“Kahill hired me to hack into your computer system a few months ago.”

The room was drowned in silence, and she watched Rogue’s brows dip in brief confusion until they morphed into complete rage.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he shouted and shot up from the couch.

Quinn clasped her hands, twisting her fingers on her lap and shrinking deeper into the cushion. There was no going back.

She cleared her throat, prepared to give him everything.

“You wanted to know what made me so valuable to Kahill, right? That’s it.”

“You got into our systems?” Trey asked, sharing a look with Rogue. If she was reading it right, they’d known about a breach but had yet been able to identify the source. Me.

“Yes.”

“How?” Rogue’s tone was guttural with a venomous bite. She could feel the heat of his anger radiate through the room.

“Kahill had me try a bunch of times. The first time, I didn’t get in. I couldn’t find any loophole or weakness. He had me try four more times. Apparently, he’d been doing it for a while. Had others try but no one had gotten as far as me. A few months ago, I found the weakness.” Quinn swallowed. “I saw on my end your protective wall pop up. That told me somewhere inside your system, you’d been alerted to the attempt.” She scooted to the edge of the couch. “But I never told Kahill, I swear.”

Rogue squinted. His suspicion was evident. “Why not?”

Tell him, Quinn.

“It would’ve left more blood on my hands. Again. I wasn’t lying when I said I would’ve never done that job on Killcreek had I known someone would get hurt.” Quinn shook her head. “I know you all don’t understand what it’s like, but Clay controlled everything. He made the deals. But I couldn’t…”

“What?” Rogue snapped, and she immediately flinched, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I couldn’t go through with it. Not after what happened with Killcreek. I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.” She drew in a breath, glancing at Trey, ignoring his hardened scowl. “I told Kahill your system’s security was too strong, and I couldn’t get in. He was mad, but he seemed convinced that eventually I would get in.”

“You ever tell anyone you breached it?” Trey asked.

She hadn’t. Quinn didn’t trust anyone enough to be honest, not even those closest to her—until now.

Quinn shook her head. “No one. Not even Clay.”

“Look at me,” Rogue demanded.

Quinn looked up, waiting.

“You fucking lying to me?”

“No.” Quinn shook her head. “I swear.”

Rogue stared back without saying a word. If he was assessing her level of deceit, he’d find none.

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Rogue,” she whispered.

He grasped his mouth, dragging his hand over his chin and scanning her face. I know you believe me.

“He threatened you with this the day of the meeting,” Rogue said.

Quinn nodded. “Kahill said if I mentioned anything to you about the breach, he’d go to Killcreek and tell them about my involvement. He has it all set up. All the stolen product is in a storage unit under my name. On a credit card in my name. Everything points to me .” Quinn pressed her hand over her heart. “And he said even if I went to you with all that information, you wouldn’t believe me.”

Prove him wrong, Rogue.

There was a long stretch of silence. The waiting was torturous.

“Holding this shit close to the chest. Why tell us now?” Rogue asked.

“Because you and…” You and me. This was her way of trying to protect him. She just couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“I’m afraid he’ll find someone else to hack into your systems. I don’t want to see you or anyone else get hurt.” Quinn bowed her head. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was just scared. It’s like Kahill said…”

“What did he say?” Rogue asked, and she glanced up.

“He has an army backing him. And I have” —she swallowed the lump in her throat— “no one.”

“That motherfucker,” Rogue snapped.

The room was silent as she stared down at his plush gray carpet. Quinn had no way of knowing which direction this admission would take her. But she’d spoken the truth. That was good enough for her.

“Make that call to Oz. I want that fucking meeting now, Trey.”

Quinn heard footsteps retreat out the door, and it closed. It was just her and Rogue left in the room.

“Get up.”

Quinn grasped the edge of the couch, pushing herself to a standing position. Rogue moved toward her and cupped her jaw with both hands.

“You don’t say anything to anyone about what you just told us. Not fucking around, Princess. No. One.”

She nodded, and his thumbs caressed over her cheeks.

“I’m gonna fucking fix this.”

“You can’t just fix it.”

“Watch me.”

“Someone died, Rogue.”

He sighed, seemingly annoyed. “People die every fucking day.”

“Not from my hands.” Her voice shook.

He clenched his jaw and tightened his hold over her. “Millshack set that up. Not you. They killed him. Not you.”

She licked her lips. “Will Killcreek see it that way?”

Rogue’s silence spoke volumes. Trey walked in and lifted his chin.

“I’ll be back later. Stay on the property.”

Rogue started to walk away, and she grabbed his arm, sidling up next to him.

“What about the other part?”

He cocked his brow, gripping her hips and pulling her against his chest. “The part where you come clean to me to keep me and mine safe? That fucking part?”

She gave a half shrug.

“I’m gonna make this all fucking go away.” He leaned in, pressed his lips against hers, and then walked out with Trey.

I almost believe you.

****

Shit is about to blow the fuck up!

Meeting up at Oz’s without having a plan in effect might not have been the best way to go about things. Unfortunately, it was how Rogue did most everything. He’d been so eager for Trey to set up the meeting in order to keep Quinn safe, he hadn’t considered the other variables. The biggest one being her part in their systems breach. That would have to take a backseat for now. The purpose of this meeting was to lay it all out for Oz and come up with a viable solution to ensure Quinn’s safety.

Rogue walked over to the bar in Oz’s office and poured himself and Trey two glasses of whiskey. They were going to need it to get through this meeting with Oz.

“How are we doing this?” Trey asked.

It was a simple question, but it carried a lot of weight. His answer would speak volumes. There were a few options, and they depended on what Rogue wanted.

He cupped his jaw. “Just like we talked about. Killcreek. Nothing else.”

Trey sighed, rolling his shoulders and grasping tightly to his glass. “And the other?”

The breach.

Rogue shot back his whiskey, feeling the burn down his throat. “Not yet.”

“Rogue,” Trey warned. “We have to bring this to Oz. It’s like Quinn said. If Kahill’s not using her, he’ll find someone else. This puts us all in a vulnerable position the longer we wait.”

“I fucking know, Trey.” Rogue wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “As soon as we get everything straight with Killcreek, we’ll fucking address that, okay?”

Trey was resistant to his logic. He didn’t get it from Rogue’s standpoint.

“Leaving this open puts us in danger and…”

Rogue whipped around, glaring at his best friend. “I fucking get it, Trey. Jesus fucking Christ, you don’t think I know that?”

Trey furrowed his brows. “It’s better to put everything out there with Oz. He’ll…”

Rogue had reached his boiling point. He slammed his glass on the table, fire emitting from every pore. “If we go to Oz with all of this, he won’t fucking help her with Killcreek! He’ll see her as the fucking enemy because she worked with Kahill against us. Oz will hold that against her and sacrifice her to Killcreek.” Rogue clenched his fists. “That’s not gonna fucking happen. Before any of the other shit, I want her safe.”

Trey straightened but remained silent.

“You heard him, Trey. If we don’t fucking handle this shit, he will. And his method? You fucking know what he means.” Rogue dragged his hand through his hair. Just the thought of Oz’s method bestowed upon Quinn sent his primal possession into overdrive.

Trey sidled up next to Rogue with his eyes on the door. Oz would walk through any minute. Their time was limited.

“Alright. As I see it we have two options. If everything she’s saying is true, which I believe it is, we have to get in front of it. Eventually, Kahill will use it, possibly sooner than we think. We’ll lay it all out for Oz. But just the Killcreek element.” Trey arched his brow. “For now, Rogue.”

Fair enough. Rogue, even with his selfish ways, knew he was asking a lot from Trey. The three of them never kept secrets from one another. It’s what kept them strong and solid.

“Need to get the product from the storage unit to a secure location. Want everything as far away from Quinn so it can’t be linked back to her.”

“I’ll make the arrangements,” Trey said.

“That member of Killcreek. How tight was he with them?”

Trey raised his brows. “Knox? As tight as they can get. From what I understand, it was a devasting loss for Killcreek. Remember the girl we saw there a few months ago? Cleo?”

Rogue barely remembered anyone who didn’t serve a purpose to him. But she stood out. Broken, weak, and too nice. Rogue didn’t trust anyone who displayed compliments and pleasantries. There was always an agenda.

“What about her?”

Trey sighed. “Killcreek is notorious for keeping all outsiders away. They don’t have old ladies or in-house club whores. Their clubhouse is strictly for brothers only. And Cleo.”

Rogue snorted. “What the fuck makes her so special?”

“Cleo is Knox’s sister. And she is a daily reminder to them of who they lost.”

Rogue gripped his waist. This would complicate matters. “This is going to be a fucking shitstorm.”

“And a dangerous one. You know the details of Millshack’s crew. I’ve seen a lot, but that’s one of the most gruesome.”

Fuck.

Without any type of warning, the door opened. Rogue immediately straightened, eyeing his brother and Nash, who followed behind, closing the door behind him.

“Two nights in a row,” Oz said, walking across the room toward the seating area. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Rogue shared a look with Trey, and his partner stepped forward, making his way to Oz. Rogue recognized the severity of the situation. It was important to let Trey take the lead.

“We spoke to Quinn,” Trey said as he sat across from Oz. “Your assumption was correct. Kahill does have something on her.”

Oz arched his brow. “And that would be?”

“To make a long story short…”

“I’d appreciate that, Trey. This runner has already taken up more of my time than I care to give.”

Rogue clenched his jaw but controlled his physical response with Oz’s stare laser-focused on him.

“Aside from being a runner, she’s also been involved with IT work for Dillon, and in the past, Millshack.”

Oz’ stare hardened. “Is this going where I think it is?”

Trey glanced over at Rogue, then turned back to Oz. “She was the one who shut down Killcreek’s security when Millshack raided the MC.”

Oz’s glare deepened. “And when a member of their club was murdered?”

“Yes,” Trey said.

“Ah fuck,” Nash muttered, and Rogue felt his eyes on him, but he didn’t look over. He was too invested in Oz’s reaction. His brother never gave much away, but there was a slight shift in demeanor. An added coldness.

It may not have been the best time for Rogue to jump in, but he needed the focus off of Killcreek’s loss and on protecting Quinn.

“We got leverage we can use,” Rogue said, and when everyone looked over, he said, “Cleo.”

“You want to use the sister of the dead brother?” Nash arched his brow. “Who Quinn assisted in murdering as leverage to keep her safe?”

Fuck you and your bullshit judgment, Nash. Rogue was well aware of all the corrupt and deadly antics Nash had played a part in to benefit the Underground. Nothing was off limits.

“Yeah, motherfucker, I do. I’m gonna use whatever the fuck I want to make sure they don’t fucking touch her.”

Nash gave a curt nod. “Your diabolical mind never ceases to amaze me.”

“Fuck off, Nash.”

“Rogue,” Oz said, tearing his attention from Nash. “Perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”

Trey cleared his throat. “I don’t believe we are. We can’t control Kahill. If he goes to Ace before we do, we lose credibility. They’ll think we knew and possibly had a link to it. That jeopardizes not only Quinn’s life but any deals we have with them.”

It was a good, solid statement.

“I think you misunderstood what I was saying, Trey. I don’t see the risk of intervening worth it. Cut her loose, send her back to Kahill, and be done. This isn’t our fight.” Oz slowly turned to Rogue, cocked his brow and took a drag from his cigar. “Or is it?”

Moment of truth.

“Yeah, it is. Nobody fucking touches her, Oz. Fucking no one .”

Present company included, brother. It was a bold statement. One that Rogue would stand behind against anyone. Quinn was officially untouchable. Anyone who dared to go against his order would feel the wrath of Rogue.

Oz’s hand stilled, shifting his gaze between him and Trey. This was a huge admission and one Rogue was sure Oz had never seen coming. They’d all taken an oath to make the Underground their lives. Taking on a woman had never been part of the plan for any of them. Plans changed.

Oz slowly tapped the cigar in the ashtray, eyeing Rogue. “Give me a few days. We need to figure out the best way to approach Killcreek. Until then, I suggest you put security on her twenty-four seven.”

“That’s fucking done. Already moved her to my place.”

“Into your house?”

Rogue gave a sharp nod.

“You always were unpredictable.” Oz arched his brow, smirking. “I’ll be in touch.”

Rogue turned, walking out the door with Trey close behind. Neither of them spoke a word until they got into the car. They were halfway down the road when Trey glanced over at Rogue.

“Not sure what shocked me more, Oz’s compliance or the look on his face when you claimed Quinn as your own.”

Rogue snorted, glancing out the window.

Who would’ve fucking thought?

No one.