Chapter 24

We make love until the sun rises above the beach house, its golden rays casting a beautiful glow over the Pacific Ocean. The sand shimmers around my feet as I go outside with a cup of decaf coffee in my hand. The guys are soundly sleeping in the bedroom, but I’m restless.

I’m too happy, too eager to breathe in every second that I get to spend with them. I’ll sleep when I get home. It’s all I do these days, anyway. Sleep, eat, do yoga, and wait for the time to pass, for the nightmare to be over.

It’s cool out here in the early morning, but I welcome the crisp breeze on my face. It makes my dress flutter. It tickles my skin and it runs through my hair. It’s the kind of freedom I rarely get to experience. This single flicker in time when everything seems perfect. All I can do is take deep breaths and taste the ocean’s kiss on my lips as I try to imagine how the future might possibly play out.

I dare to dream that we’ll survive what’s coming.

I dare to dream that Colton Harrow will rot in jail along with his Black Devils. That the Blackthorn Riders will rise from these ashes, stronger and better than ever, headed down a path of goodness, of kindness, and devotion to the community of Orange County. These people have had enough to deal with for so long that they could use a break. They would welcome the peace.

Orion, Drake, and Kai are losing a lot in this war. They are losing comrades, opportunities, and the respect of their peers. It’s worth it in the long run, and I know that, but it still pains me to see them go through these motions. If only there were easier ways to fix this, but I know there aren’t.

The club has always had ties to organized crime, drug dealers, and gun runners. They made money off these folks, and sure, a lot of that money went back to the community, but they also supported the vicious cycle that ultimately allowed a monster like Colton Harrow to step in and wreak havoc.

“Patience,” I tell myself as I go for a lazy stroll down the beach.

Patience. It’s been in short supply lately. My hormones haven’t been helping, either. I go from one mood to the complete opposite in a matter of minutes. It’s probably why I got into it with my dad last night, though I don’t regret the things I said to him. He needed to hear the uncomfortable truth because he’s been running away from it for too long while I’ve been forced to deal with reality, one day at a time.

“Nadia!” a nasal voice has me turning around.

“What the …” I mumble as I watch Carla running toward me.

This is a private beach, a natural beach guarded by tall trees and lush greenery. From where I”m standing, I can’t even see hints of civilization—just the ocean and the sand—yet Carla had to have popped out of somewhere.

What is she doing here?

Alarm bells start ringing in the back of my head as I take a moment to analyze her carefully.

She slows down, a broad smile stretching across her face. “Sorry I didn’t mean to startle you,” she says.

“How’d you get here?” I ask, my skin suddenly crawling, my nerves on edge.

“Oh, I was just out for a jog,” she says, matter-of-factly. She’s wearing a tracksuit to back up her claim but I’m still apprehensive.

“Out here? By Drake’s beach house? Fifty miles north of Anaheim?” I ask, reasonable suspicion creeping in.

She laughs lightly. “Yeah, silly. I knew Drake had a place here. My mom lives just down the road, actually, half a mile away. I come to see her once in a while.”

“I didn’t know your mom was still alive. Or that you kept in touch.”

“We have a difficult relationship, I’ll admit. But she’s the only family I’ve got left, and honestly, I’ve been thinking about quitting the strip club and all that crap,” Carla replies. “Want to go for a walk?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Oh, come on, it’s no biggie. I owe you a huge apology, anyway,” she says, then hooks her arm around mine and pulls me along the shoreline. “I’ve been such a bitch to you, Nadia. It wasn’t fair to you.”

“I’m getting a déjà vu feeling here,” I mutter.

“Yeah, because I keep doing the same stupid thing over and over again,” she says, then gives me an inquisitive look. “Hold on, what are you doing up here?” She pauses and gasps. “You were with them.” Her eyes narrow.

My blood runs cold, and my instincts tell me to lie through my teeth. “Actually, no, it’s not like that. I was just worried about them. They told me they were staying here for the day.”

“Right, right,” she snorts a dry chuckle. “And my dad’s the frickin’ pope. Relax, Nadia, I know how the three of them work. Remember, I was there before you.”

The very thought of that makes me feel kind of queasy. “No one can know,” I tell her. “And you should keep your distance from them, too.”

“Well, I got banned from the clubhouse, remember?”

“I’m serious,” I reply. “That Colton dude is insane. He’s dangerous. I’m sure you’ve heard about the clubhouse shooting.”

“I went there shortly after it happened,” Carla nods, her smile fading. A peculiar darkness settles in her eyes as she gazes somewhere far ahead. “There’s no stopping the Black Devils. I see that now.”

“That’s not true,” I say. “They’re going to go down in flames.”

She gives me a dry smirk. “No, they won’t. Because they know what buttons to push. Nothing they do is random, Nadia. Absolutely nothing. That shooting had a specific purpose. They got what they wanted, even if it cost them twelve men.”

“How do you know?” I ask her and stop walking, not wanting to take another step until she starts making sense. “I’m in no mood for riddles, Carla. What’s going on?”

“Nadia, I wish you weren’t so easy to fool,” she sighs and takes a step back.

“Carla …”

It’s too late when I see them coming. Kyle Jennings and a couple of bikers with black and red badges sewn on their leather jackets. I freeze, realizing what is about to happen. I want to scream, but I’m too far from the beach house. The guys won’t hear me. This entire beach is empty. Dread tightens its grip around my throat.

“Carla, you treacherous bitch,” I manage with a trembling voice.

“You should’ve stayed away from Orion, like I warned you,” she calmly replies.

Kyle points a gun at me. “Don’t move an inch, sweetheart,” he says, a slimy grin slitting his face from ear to ear. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.”

“You joined the Devils,” I mutter as I get a better look at the black and red patch on his vest.

His companions are just as skinny and disheveled, yet Colton seems to think he has found good use for them. Of course, they’d be less menacing without their guns. My fight-or-flight instinct is scrambled as I try to think of the best and safest way forward. I can’t risk getting shot, so all I can do is comply with their demands for the moment.

Putting two and two together as Kyle comes closer, I give Carla a sour look. “You betrayed them because they didn’t want to be with you, you turned around and sold them out to Colton Harrow. You pathetic creature.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get my men back. Granted, I only want Orion, but I’m willing to take the package deal if I have to,” Carla replies. “I can’t do that with you standing in my way, though.”

“It’s too late, Carla. They already know the kind of woman you are. It’s why they kicked you out of the clubhouse.”

“True, but they’ll be grieving your passing by the time I go back there, and they will need me to comfort them. I made a good deal with Colton. He’ll get the club, but he’ll spare them. He’ll keep them alive for me,” she says.

I narrow my eyes, trying not to laugh. “That’s some level of delusion you’ve got going on.”

“Honey, it doesn’t matter what you think. I always get what I want. And today, I’m getting you out of my way,” she says, then gives Kyle a nod. “Send Colton my regards.”

“I will,” Kyle replies and takes another step forward.

“Do not touch me, you piece of—” My words are cut off as he smacks me across the face with the butt of his gun.

The pain surges through my head, burning through my cheek and jaw as I cry out and lose my balance. He catches me, and I struggle in his hold until I feel the cold muzzle of that gun pressed into my temple. “I told you not to move, bitch. You’re mine now,” he hisses.

I catch a glimpse of concern in Carla’s eyes, but it’s fleeting and quickly replaced by a satisfied grin as she watches them take me away.

“You’ll pay for this,” I tell her.

“Let Colton know I’ll be there as soon as I’m done,” she says to Kyle, completely ignoring me.

She got what she wanted, after all. She doesn’t have to be nice to me anymore. She doesn’t have to pretend. The problem is that Carla might actually believe that this will work out in her favor. Seeing how Colton treats people, I highly doubt it. He has no intention of keeping Orion, Drake, or Kai alive. The first chance he gets, he will go straight for the kill, and Carla will be left with their blood on her hands. That is if Colton leaves her alive.

Right now, though, Carla is the least of my concerns.