I turn my head to Heather slowly. She won’t look at me. “Thefuck?”
“To be fair,” Nitro says with a lazy shrug, “he warned her to shut her mouth. She didn’t.”
My head snaps to Nitro like I didn’t just wake up from a coma. “Are you serious?That’s how you talk about my woman gettingshot? You’re my SAA, and you're laughing it off like it’s some bar fight?”
Nitro doesn’t flinch. “Fuck you, Talon. You weren’t there. That kid’s volatile as hell. Heather pushed the wrong buttons, and two plus two equaled a bullet in her shoulder. Shit got ugly. There was an argument about Ma’s past. Gabriella kept calling herValentina.”
That makes me freeze.
Valentina?
Nitro continues, “Whatever it was, Ma clammed up. Gabriella’s been pushing, and Pop’s been all up in her business—cozying up to her and your kids like he knows something we don’t. Sketchy as fuck.”
He's leaving shit out. I know it. I canfeelit.
“What do you mean?” I look at Axel. Maybe he’ll give it to me straight.
He rubs a hand down his face, exhausted. “Gabriella dropped a bomb. Said some Don in New York—Salvatore—has had it out for Ma for years. Claims he’s obsessed. Apparently, the Barones have had her in hiding, trying to keep her away from him. Some kind of protection agreement. Gabriella claims her people knew MabeforePop. Before any of this. Said Ma had a whole other life.”
My pulse spikes. “So Pop’s been working with her?”
Axel nods. “Behind closed doors. Tight-lipped. He hasn’t told us shit. Just said to focus on keeping the club stable and staying alert. Every time we ask, we get stonewalled.”
Nitro cuts in, voice lower now. “We’ve seen Gabriella and all your kids around the clubhouse. Damn, I thought them boys were something… The girls…” He cuts himself off, shaking hishead. “We’re not in the loop. Whatever’s going down, it’s on lock.”
“So y’all don’t know who the hell shot me?” My voice is sharper now.
Axel responds without hesitation. “We’re almost sure it was the Keepers. Word is, their Prez—Demon—was running his mouth to one of their club girls. Said they were making a name of taking you out. And Salvatore’s backing them.”
I register all of that—and then rewind.
Kids.Plural.
“Wait…girls?” I ask slowly, eyes locked on Axel.
He doesn’t answer.
Neither does Nitro.
Just silence.
My jaw clenches. I lift a shaky hand and hold it up. “Hold on.”
I look at Heather. She’s pale. Staring off like she’s not even in the room. Her breathing’s shallow, like she’s trying to keep from crumbling right in front of us.
“You okay?” I ask, softer now. “Sit down, baby. You look like you're about to pass out.”
She blinks, disoriented, like she just realized I spoke. Her eyes roam the room, unfocused. She closes them tightly for a second, then opens them again, still off. She is still not fullyhere.
I reach for her hand. “Heather. Talk to me.”
Something’s wrong, and it’s more than just her shoulder. Something big, and I don’t like not knowing what the fuck it is.
Shaking her head, Heather clears her throat before answering. “Yeah… baby, I’m fine. Probably need to eat or something.”
I look over at my brothers. They both shrug, like her weird-ass behavior is nothing new.
“Um… I… I’m gonna go down to the cafeteria. Grab something to eat. I’ll be right back. You want anything?”
