I close my eyes, reliving those horrible moments. "He didn't deny it. The look on his face... it was like watching someone die. He didn't try to deny it or make excuses. He just stood there and let me scream at him."
"What did he say?"
"That he never meant for it to go this far. That it was supposed to be a simple assignment, but everything changed. He said he'd been trying to find a way out, but the deeper he got into the club, the more complicated it became." I laugh bitterly. "He actually had the nerve to say he was trying to protect me. That he feels like MC president is who he is."
Allison is quiet for a long moment, processing everything I've told her. "Dani, I have to ask – what about Dime?"
My stomach drops. I'd been dreading this question, knowing it would come up eventually. "Yeah, he's a cop too. Has been from the beginning, just like Devil."
"Fuck." Allison's face crumples, and I can see the pain in her eyes. She's been crushing on Dime for months, and I know she's falling for him hard. "Does he know that I know?"
"I don't think so. I ran out before Devil could say anything else. But Ally, you need to be careful. If they're both undercover, then this whole operation is probably bigger than we realize."
She nods slowly, tears forming in her eyes. "Jesus, Dani. What a fucking mess."
"I keep thinking about all the times Devil came home tense, claiming the club was dealing with rival gangs or police pressure. Now I wonder if he was actually reporting back to his handlers, giving them information about the very people who trust him with their lives."
"Have you thought about what this means for the club? For all those guys who consider him family?"
The weight of that realization sits heavy on my chest. "Storm, Bull, Lee – they all look up to him. They'd die for him, and he's been lying to their faces every single day. When this comes out, and it will come out eventually, it's going to destroy them."
"Maybe that's not your responsibility to carry," Allison says gently. "Maybe you need to focus on what this means for you and your marriage."
"But how can I separate the two? The club is part of who I am, always has been. Those guys, they're my family too. And if I stay with Devil, if I choose to work through this, then I'm complicit in the deception."
Allison shifts on the couch, turning to face me fully. "Dani, can I ask you something, and I want you to really think about your answer?"
I nod, bracing myself.
"Do you still love him?"
The question hits me like a punch to the gut, and fresh tears spill down my cheeks. "That's the worst part – yes. God help me, I still love him so much it physically hurts. Even knowing what he's done, even knowing how he's betrayed everyone, I can't just turn off three years of feelings."
"Then you have to follow your heart. No matter what that means, no matter what anyone else thinks or says. If you choose to stay with him, to work through this somehow, then I'll stand behind you one hundred percent. And if you need me to keep this secret while you figure things out, then that's what I'll do."
"You'd do that? Even knowing about Dime?"
"Dani, you're my best friend. You've been there for me through every heartbreak, every triumph, every stupid decision I've ever made. I'm not going to abandon you now when you need me most."
The unconditional support in her voice breaks something loose in my chest, and I sob harder. "I don't know how to do this, Allie. I don't know how to love someone who's lied to me about everything."
"Maybe start with the truth," she suggests. "The truth about how you feel, about what you want, about what you need from him going forward. And then see if he's willing to give you that."
"What if he can't? What if his job, his cover, whatever the hell this is – what if it's more important to him than I am?"
"Then you'll have your answer, won't you?"
We sit in silence for a while, both lost in our own thoughts. Finally, Allison speaks again.
"Can I tell you something? From an outside perspective?"
"Please."
"I've watched you and Devil together for three years. I've seen how he looks at you, how he touches you, how he talks about you when you're not around. Whatever else he's lied about, I don't think his feelings for you are fake. The way he loves you – that's real, Dani. I'd bet my life on it."
"But how can I trust that? How can I trust anything he's ever said or done?"
"Because some things can't be faked. The way he holds you when you're scared, the way he knows exactly what to say when you're upset, the way he lights up when you walk into a room – that's not acting, Daniela. That's love."
