She blinked, then shook herself like she needed to remember why she’d come in. “Oh. Right. Jax hacked into the Wedgewood PD and got into Devon’s case files. We found inconsistencies. Pay slips, officer reviews, stuff that didn’t add up.”
My brows lifted. “Go on.”
“He pulled the metadata—all the digital time stamps, IP logs, everything. The chain of custody on the documents wasa mess. Then he found it. The audit log showed that the forged documents were uploaded from a private server hosted on a mobile hot spot right here in Crossbend. And the digital signature on the reports doesn’t match Devon’s.”
She sat back a little, eyes shining with triumph as she added, “He was framed, Kane. I told you.”
I stared at her, pride burning in my chest like wildfire. Stubborn, loyal, brilliant, and mine. I fucking adored this woman. Loved her. And the thought didn’t scare me one bit.
Cupping her jaw, my thumb brushed over her cheekbone. “You were right. I should’ve trusted you from the beginning.”
She shrugged, a soft smile playing on her lips. “I get why you didn’t. But I’m glad you listened anyway.”
I kissed her forehead, breathing her in. “From now on, I trust your instincts, sugar.”
She smirked. “Good. Because I’m usually right.”
I chuckled, then caught her lips again in a slow, lingering kiss. Just as her body melted into mine, the door banged open.
“What the fuck, Jax! Knock,” I snapped.
He grinned like the smug bastard he was and adjusted his glasses. “Didn’t think I had to knock in the middle of the damn day.”
Savannah slid off my lap, cheeks flushed, and I glared at Jax. “This better be good.”
He sobered immediately. “It is. I traced the mobile server. Allen’s involved with the Broken Skulls. They’re the ones trying to get into your underground circuits. They couldn’t buy their way in, so they used him to go around you. Fake paperwork, dirty money, the whole fucking playbook.”
Son of a bitch.The Broken Skulls were a cancer. A rival MC with no code, no rules, just greed and violence. We’d crossed paths before, and I’d shut them down every time. But so far, we hadn’t had enough of a reason to demolish the club.
“There’s a meeting tonight,” Jax continued. “Cash handoff. Allen’s delivering it. We don’t know who he’s giving it to, but it’s happening at one of your old rail yards. The one off Kingman Street.”
I stood, every muscle in my body coiled tight. “We’ll be there.”
Later that night, we were at an underground race just outside Crossbend. The cars were fast, and the crowd was full of energy, but I spent most of it watching the intrigue and excitement on Savannah’s face. When it was winding down, with engines cooling and money exchanging hands in the shadows, Savannah stood beside me, her hand curled around mine.
Edge approached, nodding once. “Time.”
I turned to Savannah. Her eyes were wide, full of worry.
“You going?” she asked.
“Have to.”
She hesitated. “Be careful. If you get yourself killed, I swear I’ll drag your ass back and beat you to death.”
I cupped her face, kissed her hard, and growled against her lips. “Not getting killed. Just handling business. Go back to the compound with Edge.”
She didn’t argue. Just kissed me again, fierce and fast, and whispered, “Come back to me.”
“Always.”
15
KANE
The van's engine rumbled low, blending with the creak of old suspension and the faint clink of the tools Wrench had stashed in the back. I sat near the sliding door, boots planted wide, arms crossed over my chest as we bounced down the forgotten road leading toward the old railyard.
Night cloaked everything in shades of steel and charcoal, the moon thin and cold overhead. Crossbend's humidity wrapped around us like a second skin, heavy with the stench of rust, oil, and salt air. My cut clung to my shoulders, the leather still warm from the earlier race and the heat, despite the late hour.
