-Hailey-
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I woke up on one of the couches in the clubhouse. The smell ofale beer and body odor hit me first flashing red lights, not Logan’s face through the cruiser window
not sirens, not
Just the quiet aftermath.
My head throbbed like someone had taken a hammer to it, and my mouth tasted like ash. The room was dim and quiet, but there were people scattered around, drinking and talking quietly
Scarlett was perched on the armrest of the couch with her arms rossed, staring at me with a mix of exhaustion and concern. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” she said softly. “How you feelin”
I groaned, propping myself up on my elbows. “Like I got hit by a truck,” I mumbled, running a hand over my face. My throat was dry, my voice hoarse. “What happened?”
She sighed, sliding off the armrest to sit properly. “You passed out,” she said quietly. “We got you inside, and you’ve been out cold for a couple hours.”
My heart throbbed as the memories rushed back – Logan’s fists connecting with Becker’s face, the cuffs clicking into place, the look in his eyes as they took him away. I felt sick all over again.
“Where’s Logan?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Have you heard anything?”
Scarlett shook her head. “Nothing yet. Dad and Jake called Kat and met her at the station. But Becker has him locked up tight.”
I swallowed hard. “This is my fault,” I whispered, staring at the floor. My fingers tingled like they had when I pulled the trigger like the recoil was still echoing through my bones.
The weight of it pressed down on me like a boulder.
She reached out, her hand landing on my knee. “It’s not your fault, Hailey. Becker’s been after the club for years. He saw an opportunity and he took it.”
“But if I hadn’t—”
“Stop,” she interrupted, her voice sharp. “You didn’t make Becke plant that coke. You didn’t force Maverick into a confession. You didn’t make Logan throw hands. This is Becker’s doing, not yours.”
I wanted to believe her, but the guilt was a knot in my chest, impossible to untangle. “I just… hate this,” I muttered, my voice breaking. “I hate feeling like I’m the reason everything’s falling apart.”
Scarlett exhaled heavy, leaning back in her chair. “Welcome to the club,” she said with a wry smile. “Believe me, we’ve all been there. But Logan wouldn’t blame you. Neither should you
I stared at her, trying to hear the truth in her words. Logan wouldn’t blame me. He’d stand by me no matter what, just like
he had since I met him.
The thought made my chest ache even more.
The front door slammed open, and we both jumped. Talon stored in, his face dark with anger. Jake followed close behind wearing a tense frown.
“What’s going on?” Scarlett asked, standing immediately.
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Chapter 34
“Becker’s got Maverick on ice for forty–eight hours,” Jake said, his voice clipped. “And he’s refusing bail”
“What about Logan?” I asked
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Talon sighed, running a hand through his hair. “He’s being held overnight. Kat’s working on it, but Becker’s got him on assault charges. Claims Logan attacked him unprovoked.”
My stomach twisted. “That’s not true. Becker was baiting him, saying all this crap about Monty confessing and-”
“We know,” Jake interrupted firmly, rubbing his forehead. “But lecker has witnesses punch. It’s his word against theirs.”
“So what happens now?” Scarlett asked. “We can’t just leave him in there.”
cops who saw Logan throw the first
“Kat’s filing for bail first thing in the morning,” Talon said, his jaw flexing. “But Becker’s gonna drag this out as long as he can. Got Logan exactly where he wants him.”
I felt like the walls were closing in. Logan was in jail because of me. Because I’d pulled that trigger. Because I’d dragged him into my mess.
I stood up. My legs were shaky beneath me. “I need to see him.”
Talon’s eyes went soft, but he shook his head. “Not tonight, Hailey. He’s in lockup. Becker’s not gonna let you anywhere near him.”
“Then what?” I demanded, my voice rising. “We just sit here with our thumbs up our asses?”
“For now, yeah,” Jake said. “We stay calm. We let Kat do her job. And we keep our heads down. Becker’s lookin‘ for any excuse to dig deeper into the club. We can’t give him one.”
Scarlett grabbed my hand, her grip firm. “Come on,” she said softly. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
I shook my head, trying to pull away. “I’m not hungry.”
She didn’t let go. “You need to eat, Hailey. You’re no good to anyone if you pass out again.”
I wanted to argue, but my legs felt like jelly, and my head was still throbbing. I let her lead me to the bar, where Trina was already pouring a glass of ice water.
“Drink,” Trina said, sliding it toward me. “Then we’ll get some food in you.”
I sipped the water, the coolness soothing my dry throat. But my mind was still racing. Logan was in jail. Monty was facing drug charges. And it was all because of me.
Scarlett sat down beside me. “You’re spiraling,” she said quietly. okay. Kat’s the best there is. She’ll get him out.”
can see it. But you gotta breathe, Hailey, Logan’s gonna be
I nodded, but I didn’t believe her. How could I? Becker had everything he needed to bury Logan stop until he did.
and he wasn’t going to
The hours dragged on. I managed to cat a little, but the food tasted like ash in my mouth. The clubhouse was eerily quiet, the usual chaos replaced by a tense silence.
I couldn’t sit still. My mind was racing with worst–case scenarios What if Logan was stuck in there for days? Weeks? What if Becker managed to pin something bigger on him?
By 2am I was still pacing the room, my heart pounding in my chest. I needed to do something with my hands. I needed to
breathe fresh air.
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Chapter 34
“River?” I shouted across the room. River looked up from his phone. “Can I burn a smoke?”
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He nodded and followed me out to the parking lot. The cool airit me like a slap, and I welcomed it. It pulled me back from the chaos in my head.
River handed me a cigarette and a lighter, and I leaned against the clubhouse wall as I lit it.
The smoke burned my lungs, but it felt good. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to warm myself up and steady my breathing.
River leaned beside me, lighting his own cigarette as he stared out at the parking lot. “Logan’s tough. He’ll be fine.”
“Will he?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Seems like we’re all shit creek.”
He took a long drag from his cigarette, blowing it out slowly. “Kat’s good at her job. She’ll get him out. And if she can’t…” He glanced at me with a hard edge in his eyes. “We’ll handle it.”
I didn’t ask what he meant by that. I was pretty sure I didn’t want to know.
We stood in silence after that. My cigarette burned down to the filter, but I barely noticed. My mind was still racing, circling back to Logan, to Becker, to everything I couldn’t fix.
“You should try to get some sleep,” River said finally, flicking his butt onto the ground and crushing it under his boot.
I shook my head. “I can’t. Not until I know he’s okay.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Then come drink til your head shuts up.”
I followed him, but the air inside felt heavier now. Like the worst was yet to come.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
