Chapter 31

Thirty-One

Rook

I paced the garage. The pack sat in front of me, sprawled out around the office.

"What the fuck does it all mean?" I asked.

"If something happened at the warehouse that night, we saw no sign of it," Hero said.

"Then who the fuck is Candy?" I asked, shoving a hand through my hair. "We really didn't find anything else about her in the office?"

"Nope. Nothing on his computer, either," Evie said. "Although, with how clean it is, I'm thinking the more important things are on his office computer."

"Which would make sense if he worries about Regan snooping," Aiden added.

"I don't think he worries about that at all now," I said. "Why would he be meeting with Asher and Cross? Cross obviously still wants our help, so it's not like he's taking our business."

"Maybe he's trying to?" Mason asked, getting up to walk around with me. "If he wants an in with them, it's a good route to take. We help them, but they don't rule over us. A win-win. If Cameron heard about us, maybe he saw how good of a position it is to be in."

I could feel the rage and anxiety climbing. "If Cameron really thinks he's going to take over our business, he's dead before he even has a chance."

Aiden leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs. "What about revenge and those grand plans?"

"Fuck revenge in that case. We kill him before he gets too close."

"Won't your new girl be a little mad about you killing her dad for business purposes?" Hero asked.

My chest ached. Regan would never forgive me if she thought I killed her dad over a simple business deal.

"More importantly," Evie started. "Do you care?"

It was a weighted question. My answer would change not only my life, but all of theirs. If I said I cared, they would all know she was with us now.

The only thing that ran deeper than my loyalty was my need to protect and care for the people I loved. If I added Regan to my list of those people now, everyone here would know nothing was going to happen that could hurt her.

And it would put me right at odds with my revenge and now, possibly keeping our business.

"I do care," I finally said. "Which means this will be handled with more care than we have ever put into taking someone out. Nothing happens to Cameron until I talk to Asher and Regan. We need more information first, and I need to find a way to tell Regan everything without her hating me or running to her dad."

Hero let out a harsh laugh. "Yeah, okay. Good luck with that. You think she's going to be cool with your long-standing hatred for her dad and your bloodthirsty attitude about trying to kill him?"

"Well, asshole, I will obviously word it better than that," I snapped.

Evie headed my way, the determined look on her face making me nervous as the rest of them started talking amongst themselves.

"Listen, I like Regan, and I get from her side it may seem like you are doing something really terrible, but please remember you're not. You aren't terrible, and you go out of your way to do the right thing by all of us."

"I mean, telling her I'm doing the right thing is going to be a hard one to get across."

"I know, but just don't put yourself down or put your wants aside to take care of her. You're still important in all this, and even if she's upset, you're doing the right thing."

It wasn't often that Evie was anything but her psycho, smartass self, but I knew she cared about me, and I appreciated it.

"I will try to keep it in mind as much as I can," I said. "And thanks."

"Anytime."

I checked my phone, looking at the tracker on Regan's car that now showed she was only a few minutes away. It was Syndicate night, and I had invited her to go out with us.

"Come on," I yelled out. "Until tomorrow, let's go, because I need a fucking break from this mess."

Syndicate was packed as we pulled up, Regan holding tight onto me as I leaned to turn in. She had grown more comfortable on the bike now, leaning and moving with me instead of against me.

I parked as the rest of the pack lined up next to me, before I helped Regan off. I kept wondering if I would regret the decision to say I cared about her, but nothing came. Instead, I felt excited.

She was mine, and she could stay that way if I handled things right.

I wasn't sure there was an actual right way to handle it, though. It wasn't something I needed to worry about tonight.

My arms snaked around Regan, pulling her closer. "What do you want to do first?"

"Are there options? I thought this was about it."

"We can go watch people race, walk around and look at bikes, or just sit here and see what comes to us."

"What are all of you doing?" she asked as the rest of them walked up.

"Heading over to watch people attempt to race," Mason said, grinning. "You two coming?"

"Yeah," Regan said, her eyes wide when she glanced up at me. "I want to see what all the racing is about."

"Alright," I said, shocked. "Whatever you want."

My arm wrapped around her shoulders, and hers went around my waist as we headed that way. The chaos of Syndicate went on around us, but she didn't seem bothered.

"Really settling into your rebel ways?" I asked.

"Just feeling more comfortable. You all aren't that bad."

Evie scoffed, catching up to us. "Don't speak too soon. Wait until you spend more time with them and tell me what you think after."

"Oh, come on. We really aren't that bad," Mason said. "Aiden takes you everywhere you want to go. You don't have to worry about being jumped here, and literally no one bothers you because you try to get them killed off if they do."

She shrugged. "It comes in handy, but I think you all need to let me start taking care of some of these creeps on my own. I can handle them."

"What a surprise," Aiden added with an eye roll. "Psycho girl wants to do psycho things."

"Are you really one to talk when you are already doing those psycho things?" Evie asked.

"What about you, Regan?" Kane asked. That shocked me even more. Kane wasn't a big talker, and I didn't think he would be asking Regan anything, let alone talking to her.

"Yeah, what kinda psycho stuff are you into?" Hero asked. Evie knocked against him, rolling her eyes.

"None?"

"Oh," Hero said, and I could hear the disappointment. "Then what kind of normal stuff are you into?"

"Art, I guess."

"Good art. I'm getting one of her drawings tattooed on me," I said.

"No, you aren't," she said.

"Yeah, I am. That one you showed me of the tree of skulls."

Mason pushed through next to Regan. "Does that mean you are taking tattoo design requests?"

Regan looked up at me, and I leaned down. "No need to hide it. Like I said, I wouldn't be walking around talking about art if I didn't think it was good. They will like what you create. Hero might like the girl with horns one you showed me."

"A demon girl?" he asked. "Might be the only kind that would ever love me, so I might as well get it tattooed on me for good luck. Does one of those just rise from the ground or do I have to do some ancient ritual shit?"

"I'm pretty sure it's one of those get naked and dance under the moonlight type of things," I said. Regan laughed, the sound like a burst of light in my life.

"Damn, I was hoping it was more of a ritualistic killing type of thing," Hero mumbled. "I'll still take you up on the tattoo design, though. Can you bring it the next time you come to the shop?"

"Yeah," she said, sounding surprised. "I can do that."

We reached the makeshift race track, the air thick with the scent of burning rubber and gasoline. The roar of engines filled the night, and Regan's eyes widened with excitement as she watched two bikers revving up at the starting line.

"This is insane," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the noise. "You just come here and randomly race?"

"Pretty much. They take bets, and the types of challenges change. Sometimes, it's who can do the longest burnout or fastest time races, or who can hold the bike up in a wheelie the longest. Things like that. A little insane, but fun."

She nodded, her grip on my waist tightening. The races started, bikes shooting forward in a blur of speed. I wanted to care about the races, but I was too worried thinking about her. Regan leaned into me, her hand slipping under the back of my shirt, tracing absent patterns on it, and I felt a rush of contentment. I could feel when she moved over the scars and back onto normal skin, but she didn't seem to care about them.

I leaned down, my lips at her ear as she watched. "Do you like it?"

"The races or you?" she asked, grinning as her hand splayed out on my back.

I couldn't even hide how much I wanted to smile, hoping no one here would notice. "The races."

"I love it," she said, turning to look at me. Her eyes were bright as they searched my face, and I held my breath.

"And me?"

I could see her suck in a hard breath, her eyes widening the slightest amount before she turned her attention back on the races. "That's okay, too," she said with a grin.

My grip on her tightened, and I struggled to release it as I took in her words. The idea that Regan could care about me enough to count it as love one day felt wrong, and perfect in a twisted way.

The races would continue on all night, but I was already growing bored of it after a third fistfight broke out.

"We're heading back to my bike," I said, not asking Regan as I turned her towards the way we came. They all nodded, half of them staying and the other half heading into the crowd of bikes. I assumed the guys would be looking for a girl to hang out with and, for all I cared, Evie could look for a guy. I wanted to sit with Regan and only her.

When we reached my bike, I lifted her up onto it, my lips finding hers immediately as my hands roamed over her hips and sides.

She pulled me close, her hands gripping the front of my jacket to keep me there. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Of course," I replied, my hands resting on her hips. "I'd take you anywhere you wanted to go."

"Anywhere?"

"Absolutely anywhere," I whispered, kissing her again. Her tongue moved against mine as her hands slipped under my shirt again, sliding up my back.

"How about taking me to my bed?"

I was already lifting her back onto her seat and handing her the helmet. "You barely have to ask for that one, Rebel."

She leaned on my back as I started up the bike and I rubbed at my aching chest.

I knew it when she walked around, laughing at my jokes and getting along with the pack. I knew it when she wrapped her arm around my waist to nestle up against me, and again when she got on my bike to stand on the pegs and kiss me.

I was already falling in love with Regan Fletcher, and true to the Fletcher name, she was bound to ruin my life.