Well, damn—if this ain’t a clusterfuck. A shit show wrapped in a landmine, dipped in crazy. I don’t even know where to start. Traitors in my club. Secrets in my marriage. More grandkids than I knew about. My son shot. His ol’ lady shot. And now I’ve got to step up before everything burns to the damn ground. I drag a hand down my face, eyes sweeping the hospital roo
Heather’s curled up beside Talon, clinging to his unconscious body like her presence might wake him up. She refused to be admitted, even with stitches and a busted shoulder. Said she needed to be with him. Stubborn as hell.
I can’t say I’m thrilled about her––never have been. The truth is, I understand why my grandson shot her. Heather’s mouth has always been and will always be her downfall. Seventeen years under my son’s roof, she never once tried to humble herself.Even V, my beautiful wife, a woman who is ride-or-die for her family, can’t stand her. She only tolerates Heather for Talon and Luna’s sake. But tonight? Tonight made it clear that Heather finally ran her mouth in the wrong direction. The Barones don’t play. And now she’s paying the price. Maybe she’ll learn. Probably won’t.
Talon lies there, battered and still. My son. My flesh and blood. And I try not to think too long about how close I came to losing him. I shift my gaze to Vera—my woman, strong as ever, even after the moment earlier when she damn near let one off on Gabriella. Something’s buried there. Something I don’t know yet, and that doesn’t sit right with me.
She’s lived this life for decades. She knows how this works. But this time, it’s different. This time, her past might be the very reason our son’s lying broken in a hospital bed. And until I get the truth out of her or Gabriella, I can’t know for sure. But I’ll find out. I always do.
“Boys,” I say, keeping my tone low so the women don’t catch on. Axel and Nitro look up. I tilt my head toward the door and walk out without waiting.
I don’t glance back at Heather or Vera or my granddaughter. We’ve got work to do. Answers to get.
The hallway is quiet except for our brothers standing guard's steady shuffle of boots. I give them a nod. They’ll hold the line while we sort shit out. Axel and Nitro follow me into the elevator without a word. They know I don’t speak unless it’s time.
Once we hit the lobby, I head straight for the smoking area outside. I don’t light up often, but tonight? Tonight, I need the damn vice. My nerves are fried. Too many unknowns and cracksin a foundation that was supposed to be solid. That shit doesn’t sit well with me.
I light my smoke and face my boys. Their eyes meet mine, not looking at their father now, but their former Prez. And they know it.
“So,” I start, slow and deliberate. “From what I gather—from what you told me, Axel, and what I picked up in that room—Gabriella’s a Barone. She’s also the mother of my grandkids. I knew the girl when she was younger, back when she was sneaking around with Talon. Didn’t think much of her then. Didn’t know who she was. That’s on me. I didn’t do my due diligence, and I sure as hell didn’t see what was brewing.”
I rub my forehead, the weight of those memories pressing down. I remember the last time I saw her—Talon, standing outside the clubhouse, watching her drive away like she took his damn soul with her. He was never the same after that. Fucked his way through half the damn state, picked fights just to feel something. I tried to pull him back, but he was too far gone. Then one day, he shows up with Heather, says she’s his ol’ lady, and they’ve got a baby on the way.
I look between Axel and Nitro. “Can’t do shit about the past. What wecando is find Gabriella and get the truth. That girl knows more than we do—maybe more than anyone.”
I take a long drag, then fix Axel with a hard stare.
“And you? You let your temper get in the way. Again. Now she’s gone—and she took our answers with her. Am I wrong? Or wasn’t she introduced as the Barone liaison? Didn’t she come to give us intel on the traitors in our club?”
He tries to hold my gaze, but I see it—the guilt, the pride, the heat simmering behind his eyes. He’s gonna try to justify it. I don’t want to hear it.
“Pop… I… fuck, yes. You’re right,” he mutters, pacing. “But how do you think I got here? Thedayshe shows up, Talon gets shot. That shit wasn’t a coincidence. You didn’t see their faces, Pop. Those Barone boys had murder in their eyes when they saw him. No love lost. So yeah, maybe I jumped the gun—but it didn’t feel right. None of it did. Still doesn’t.”
I nod, watching him wear a hole in the pavement. Nitro stays quiet, shoulders tense, eyes on the ground. That boy carries the weight of this club on his back. He always has. And while I respect the hell out of that, he needs to understand—some shit you can’t stop. Some betrayals you don’t see coming.
I stub out my smoke. “I sent word to Hound. He and Senior are already digging. Traitors. Salvatores. Anyone and anything that even smells dirty. They’ll find it.”
I pause, then look Axel dead in the eye. “But until you can keep your shit together, I’m taking my fucking club back. You hear me? I’m stepping in. You’re benched.”
His eyes go wide. Fury flashes across his face.
“No, Pop—”
I raise a hand, shutting it down.
“You don’t have the control for this, Axel. Not right now. And this club can’t afford another emotional misfire. We’re too deep in. So you’ll fall in line. Or you’ll step aside permanently. Your call.”
He knows I’m right. He can hate it all he wants, but the truth doesn’t bend for his feelings.
“Son, you’re the best right-hand man your brother could ask for. But this irrational anger blinds you. And right now, I need clarity. My priority is our family’s safety and figuring out who the fuck turned traitor inside this club. What wedoknow is this—someone flipped. Our alliance with the Barones is barely hanging on. Your mother’s past is creeping in with sharp fangs. And all of this came to light because ofGabriella Barone. Without her, we’d still be flying blind, chasing shadows. You told me we lost hundreds of thousands in product and didn’t even know it. That alone should tell you we’re already bleeding.”
We stare at each other. I see it in his eyes—the conflict, the guilt, the fury. Axel is all fire. That’s the problem. Fire doesn’t build, it burns. Right now, we need someone who can rebuild.
I turn to my youngest. “Nitro, get outta your head, son.”
His eyes snap to mine, jaw tight. “Pop… this shit’sfucked. How the hell didn’t Ma tell us any of this? And then Gabriella shows up like—”
My phone buzzes.
