Chapter 101
Chapter 101
-Hailey-
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The clubhouse felt like a ghost town. Two prospects I still didn’t know the names of were pacing back and forth across the main room, holding AKs. They looked more like kids playing cops and robbers than any sort of trained soldiers.
I tried not to think about it too hard.
“Hey,” I said, holding up the empty mug for some reason. “Have either of you seen Ledger around?”
One of them shook his head, keeping his eyes glued to the windows.
The other shrugged. “Nah. Not since this morning.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, and kept moving. The encounter was brief and casual, but it set my nerves on edge. Every interaction was a potential tripwire.
The kitchen was an oasis. Trina was still at the stove, stirring the massive pot of soup. The rich, savory smell of onions and garlic filled the air. Scarlett and Abby were now stacking the wrapped sandwiches into coolers.
They looked up as I entered, and I quickly put what I hoped was an easy–going, coffee–seeking expression on my face. “Back for more caffeine?” Scarlett asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “You’re gonna vibrate right out of your skin.”
“Logan’s orders,” I said, holding up his mug as proof. I went to the coffee maker, focusing on the task. The pot was still half- full. I poured some into Logan’s mug. “I’m just the messenger. Hey, by the way, you guys haven’t seen Ledger, have you? I wanted to ask him something.”
The question hung, nearly choking me. Scarlett and Abby shook their heads, but Trina turned from the stove and her eyes narrowed slightly. “I think he’s in the office. With Jake and Talon. Why, what’s up?” Her tone was casual, but Trina missed nothing.
“Oh, nothing important,” I said, waving a dismissive hand. “I just had a question a pathetic, but it was the best I could come up with on the fly.
app on my phone.” The lie was
Trina studied me for a beat too long. I could almost see the gears turning behind her eyes. “Right,” she said slowly. “Well, they’ve been in there a while. Club stuff. Probably best not to interrupt.”
“Yeah, of course,” I said quickly. “I’ll catch him later.”
I smiled at them and slipped out of the kitchen before any more questions could be asked. I could feel Trina’s gaze on my back until I turned the corner into the hallway.
It was only a few seconds later that I felt my phone buzz in my pocket/ My heart sank as my mind flicked through the options of who it could be. But when I checked, it was a text from my sister.
Abby: * you okay Hails? Why you acting so weird today?
*
I tucked Logan’s mug into the crook of my arm and typed out a quick reply.
*
Me: I’m okay. Not feeling so great
AK
Before I could even slip my phone back into my pocket, I heard her voice behind me, “Bullshit. What’s going on?*
I spun around to see her standing there with her arms crossed. She’d always been able to read me better than anyone else. And right now, I couldn’t hide the guilt burning in my chest.
Chapter 101
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, glancing nervously down the hall toward the kitchen.
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“Don’t tell me to keep my voice down,” Abby shot back, getting louder despite my wa now you’re sneaking around asking about Ledger? Seems like you’re about to do som
ve been cagey all day and d. Spill it.”
I grabbed her wrist before she could say anything else and yanked her toward the nearest door- the stockroom. She stumbled after me but didn’t fight it.
I shoved the door open, pulling her inside, then dragged her through the rows of shelves toward the walk–in cooler in the back of the room. An icy blast of air hit us as I pushed her in and pulled the door shut behind us.
“What the hell, Hailey?” she snapped, rubbing her arms to fight the chill. “You’re freaking me out.”
I set Logan’s coffee down and leaned against the door. My hands were shaking, but not just from the cold. “It’s Stella,” I said with a sigh. “My boss. She’s missing.”
Abby’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
I nodded. “She didn’t show up for an appointment. Her car’s gone. She’s not answering her phone. She just… vanished.”
Abby’s face went pale. “You think the Russians took her.”
I hated that it was the obvious conclusion.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I need to see the security footage from the shop. That’s why I’m looking for Ledger. If I can find out what happened, maybe I can—”
“Are you insane?” Abby cut me off, her voice rising before she caught herself and lowered it. “Do you hear yourself, James Bond? You need to tell Logan. I know that’s what all this sneaking around is about.”
“No,” I said too quickly. “I can’t. If I tell him, he’ll… I don’t know what he’ll do. But it’ll be bad. I have to figure this out myself. Ideally before we get locked in the gun range for god knows how long.”
Abby stared at me like I’d grown a second head. Her hands dropped to her sides and she took a step toward me. “You’re not thinking straight, Hailey. This isn’t a game. You can’t go off on your own and save the day without anyone noticing.”
“I-” I started to argue, but she cut me off.
“If the Russians took her, it’s because they’re trying to get to you. In order to get to Logan. And if you go poking around. without telling him, you’re not just putting yourself at risk. You’re putting everyone at risk. Especially Stella. You think Anatoly’s going to just hand her back if you ask nicely?”
I sighed hard. I knew she was right. But telling Logan would light a fuse. “Stella’s in this mess because of me. If I hadn’t-”
“Stop,” Abby snapped. She grabbed my shoulders, glaring into my eyes. “This isn’t your fault, Hailey. You didn’t ask for any of this. But you can’t fix it by playing hero. Not by yourself.”
My stomach churned.
“Okay,” I said finally. “I’ll tell him. But not yet. At least let me find Ledger first. Maybe there’s something on the security footage that can help us figure it out before Logan goes postal.”
Abby’s gaze softened, but she didn’t let go of my shoulders. “You have until
by then, I will. I mean it, Hailey. I’m not letting you do something stupid.” get locked in tonight. If you haven’t told him
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Deal.”
She let me go and stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest again. “Good. Now get me out of this fucking cooler.”
15:26 Fri, Jan 16
Chapter 101
A
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I grabbed Logan’s coffee and followed her out. She gave me one last pointed look before heading back toward the kitchen, leaving me alone in the stockroom.
I leaned against the shelves for a second, trying to steel myself for my next task. Knock
door.
The hallway to Jake’s office seemed longer and darker than it had before my talk with Abby. As I approached, I could hear voices on the other side of the door.
I couldn’t make out most of the words, but I recognized the tones–Jake’s baritone, Talon’s gravelly interruptions, and the quicker, more relaxed sound of Ledger’s voice.
They were planning. They were at war.
I stopped a few feet from the door, clutching the mug with both hands. My original plan to pull Ledger aside for a private word was laughable now.
This wasn’t a private matter. Involving Ledger meant involving the club. It meant revealing that Anatoly had made an obvious move I’d been trying to hide. It meant admitting I had another vulnerability that they now had to defend.
I thought of Stella. Of her loud laugh, her sharp tongue, the intricate tattoos that covered her from forehead to heel. I thought of her being scared because of me.
Being taken because of me.
The alternative – saying nothing, doing nothing was worse. It was a betrayal of a different kind.
–
I remembered the feeling of stepping into the shower with Logan and not letting myself think. This was the same.
If I thought about the consequences… about Logan’s rage, Jake’s disappointment, about pulling resources from their war… I would never knock.
I took a deep breath and held it for a three–count. Then I stepped forward and rapped my knuckles on the solid wood of the office door. The sound was nauseatingly loud in the silent hallway.
The murmuring inside stopped immediately. A few long seconds of silence. Then Jake’s voice, clear and commanding. “Yeah. Come in.”
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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.
