“Girls? Like trafficked girls?” I ask incredulously.
“Exactly,” Juliet says, nodding solemnly. “Devlin would never let the MC get mixed up in that shit. But if Leviathan has no qualms about kidnapping underage girls and selling them off one by one, I’m sure they won’t be shy about their methods of intimidating us into working with them. Or trying, at least.”
“We’re not safe here, are we?” I ask, my voice quiet with encroaching fear.
“Not as long as Leviathan is here too,” Juliet confirms, gripping my hands tightly in hers.
“Do you think...that’s why Dev was trying to scare me back to the mainland?” I ask, hope cutting through my terror. “Was he just trying to keep me safe by getting me on tonight’s boat?”
“That’s my guess,” Juliet nods.
I let out a relieved sound that’s as much of a sob as it is a laugh. I knew Devlin was trying to drive me away on purpose. He wanted me out of harm’s way if things went south with this shadowy corporation. He was just trying to protect me, even if it meant hurting me in the process. That means he still cares about me...or did, until I went and told him about the article. Now it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll even be able to forgive me.
“We have to find the guys,” I say resolutely, “Just let me change, and—”
“If the brothers have gone off somewhere to meet, we won’t be able to find them,” Juliet tells me.
“Well then, what the hell are we supposed to do?!” I cry.
“Last I checked, you had a boat to catch,” Juliet says with quiet resolution.
I stare at her, uncomprehending. “You...you want me to leave, too?” I ask.
“I want you to be safe,” she corrects me, laying a hand on my cheek. “You’re my baby sister, Logan. If anything happened to you here, under my watch, I’d never forgive myself. If Dev thinks it’s best for you to get back to the mainland for now, I trust his judgment.”
“But what about you?” I shoot back, “What about your safety?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve been dealing with bad guys for years now,” she laughs, “I know how to take care of myself. You’ve only just stepped into this life. You’re not ready to face the worst of it head on.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of,” I say quietly, my voice steely with determination.
“And you don’t know what these Leviathan fuckers are capable of,” she says sternly. “Please, Logan. Just do as Devlin says and head back to Boston. When things calm down, we’ll find you again. You can come along with us, just like we planned.”
“You can’t promise me that,” I say, shaking my head.
“Yes I can,” she says fiercely, her dark eyes blazing. “I’ve already lost you once, Logan. I’m not going to do it again.”
She pulls me into a swift hug, and I wrap my arms around her slender body. We hold each other tightly, wrapping up our promise in this embrace. I know that I should listen to Dev and Juliet, head back home until things calm down. They know what’s best, here. I have to trust that.
“All right,” I whisper. “I’ll go.”
Chapter Twenty
Devlin
Earlier That Morning…
I black out for the better part of the night. Between my encounter with Lester Klein, the strain of feigning indifference to the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and her wrecking ball of a confession, it feels like the entire world is crumbling beneath my feet. I’m not sure how long I tear through the forest after leaving Logan’s room. All I know is that the sun has already risen by the time I get my wits about me again. I find myself standing at a far corner of the rock, looking out across the choppy Atlantic. I’ve wasted enough time in this thick fog of rage. It’s time for action.
Holding my ground at this secluded corner, I shoot off a few texts summoning my brothers to me. I make sure not to mention specifics—god knows, Leviathan could be monitoring our phones, too. As the Circle of Death mobilizes, I scope out the surrounding woods for cameras and microphones. There aren’t any that I can find, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t really there. After seeing that bank of monitors in Klein’s office, I’m not taking anything for granted.
One by one, my men appear out of the woods. The day is still new, but the second they catch sight of my set jaw, they wake up right quick. I don’t have to say a word to telegraph to them that serious shit is going down. When Otis, the slowest-moving of our members, finally arrives, it’s time to convene. I beckon the men as close to the crashing waves as possible, hoping the sound will drown out our conversation should the woods be bugged.
“What’s going on, Dev?” asks Packer, his brow stormy.
“Nothing good,” I reply gruffly. “I ran into some old friends of ours last night. The Leviathan reps who showed up to headquarters. They introduced me to their boss, Lester Klein, who was pretty insistent that I rethink my decision to stay away from the corporation.”
“Pretty insistent?” asks Dean, crossing his arms. “What does that mean?”
“Not scared to shove a few handguns in my face, for starters,” I tell the men. “And certainly not above threatening us and our people.”
“We should let The Club know they’ve got a vermin problem,” Leon snarls.
“I’m sure they wouldn’t take too kindly to a bunch of suits threatening us on their rock,” Lobo goes on.
“I get the feeling that The Club is well aware of Leviathan’s presence. Klein has a mother-fucking office in the watchtower, there.”
As one, the brothers’ gazes swing up to the imposing tower, looming over the tree tops.
“We’re going to need to move up our departure time,” I tell the men.
“That’s for fucking sure,” Otis nods.
“What’s the plan, then?” Xan asks, “Sounds like The Club isn’t too welcoming of unannounced arrivals and departures.”
“That’s true. The docks are watched pretty carefully around here,” I reply.
“We came here in our own damned boat,” Brutus says gruffly, “Let’s just jump in and get the fuck out of here.”
“The Club docks guests’ boats way out in the water,” I reply. “It’s like a goddamn yacht valet service. Luckily, we know the man holding all the keys.”
“Titan,” Packer says.
“Exactly,” I reply, “The gatekeeper. He’s a former outlaw himself. He’ll be sympathetic to our needs.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Chip asks eagerly.
“There’s a yacht of schoolgirls coming in tonight,” I tell the men. “That will be our cover. After all the kiddies have come ashore, we’ll all board, highjack the yacht and drive it out to where our boat is anchored. We’ll jump into our own boat, make sure the captain of the yacht keeps quiet, and get the fuck out of here before Leviathan can stop us. If we wait until morning, I know they’ll have put us on lockdown.”
“What if they’re ready for us to pull something like this?” Dean asks.
“That’s what we have guns for, my friend,” I say grimly.
Silence descends on the group. None of us were expecting a battle when we came out here for a retreat.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this,” I tell the guys, “But I’m sure this is the best way out. All we’ve got to do is make it to our boat, and we’ll be home free.”
“What about our girls?” Leon asks, “We’ve got a couple of sweet butts to worry about.”
“Not to mention Jules and Logan,” Packer points out.
“We can’t fill those two in on the plan until it’s underway,” I say sternly. “Logan knows she’s getting on that yacht, but not that we’ll be there too.”
“Why not just tell her, so we can have a clean game plan?” Lobo asks. “There can’t be any room for confusion, here.”
“Klein threatened to kill her if I didn’t cooperate,” I snap. “I had to stage a whole blowout in our suite for the security cameras’ benefit. They won’t hurt her if they think she a
nd I are through. She has to think I’m done with her. Packer, you’ve got to keep Jules in the dark, too. If they’re ready to hurt Logan, they’ll be ready to hurt her too.”
“All right,” Packer says reluctantly, “But I don’t usually keep things from my old lady.”
“Just tell her she needs to make sure Logan gets on the yacht. That will get her down to the dock,” I offer. “I know this is a shit situation boys, but we’ll make it through.”
“Of course we will,” Otis growls.
“We’re the Circle of fuckin’ Death,” Xan adds.
“No way we can’t outsmart a bunch of fucking suits,” Leon goes on.
I look around at my assembled brothers, each one ready to follow my lead. My splintered heart swells with pride. I can’t think about what happens after we make our escape from this goddamn rock. Whether or not there’s still any future for Logan and I now, after last night’s revelations. We can figure that out when we’re safe again. We will be safe again.
“The yacht will be here at 9PM,” I tell my brothers. “Be outside of the walls of The Club, ready to move by then. Leave behind anything you’ve brought, we can’t have Leviathan knowing that we’re getting ready to move. This is our one shot to get out before they’ve locked down the island. Let’s not blow it.”
“We won’t, Dev,” Packer says, clapping me on the shoulder. “You can count on us.”
“Fucking right I can,” I grin. “Get back to The Club. Live it up for the next few hours, because this place is about to be far behind us.”
Just as they arrived, the men stalk away, staggering their paths so that no suspicions are aroused. Only Packer remains behind with me, standing at the rocky shore of the island.
“Be straight with me, Dev,” he says, looking out beyond the breakers. “What kind of a shot do we have at getting off this rock unharmed?”
“Honestly Packer, I have no fucking idea,” I admit, my teeth gritted. “Klein and his boys aren’t alone on this island. Who knows how many of The Club’s employees belong to Leviathan, this island is probably owned by the corp. I don’t know who I can trust, save for you boys. But this is our best shot. That you can believe.”
“I do,” Packer nods. “You know I’ll follow wherever you lead, Dev.”
“I know,” I tell him, “And I thank you for that. Now get on back and make sure Jules is ready to go. She’ll want to make sure Logan gets on the yacht when it rolls in, but no need to tell her that we’ll all be getting on, too. She and Logan are practically telepathic. We can’t let either of them know the whole truth yet.”
Packer nods wordlessly and turns to go. I know he’s uncomfortable lying to his old lady, even if it’s only a lie of omission. But Logan has to think that she’s out of my life. If Klein doesn’t see her looking distraught, beside herself, he’ll know that he can still use her to hurt me. And that is not going to happen. Not if I can help it.
Now I have to put on a happy face, let Leviathan think they’ve got a shot at wooing me. Reluctant to leave my remote corner of the world, I turn to trudge back to The Club.
My head snaps to the side as something cold and distinctly metallic slams against my temple. I stagger a few steps, blinded by the sudden impact. Shock gives way to excruciating pain as blood runs down into my eyes, blinding me at once. Cruel laughter rings out through the trees as I steady myself, balling my hands into fists. I may not be able to see, but I can still throw a punch.
“How is he still standing?” I hear a familiar, smarmy voice wonder aloud.
“I have no idea. But I know how to fix it,” answers a second speaker I vaguely recognize.
I suck in a sharp breath through my teeth as I feel a syringe plunge into the muscle of my thigh. Before I can rally a single cell to fight back against my assailants, the world blurs in a sickening whirl before going black around me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Logan
Later That Evening…
I take one last look around my bedroom in The Club, fighting to keep despair from swallowing me whole. I’ve learned so much about myself within these four walls—my body, my heart, what I want out of life. And I have Devlin to thank for all of it. Or I might, if I even see him again, that is.
Don’t think about that now, I reprimand myself, smoothing down the front of a simple silk tank top. I’ve once again donned the outfit I wore my first night here, when I stepped off that yacht and into a world I never could have imagined. My favorite metal hair sticks—the ones my mother bought for me—hold my black locks in place as I turn my back on this sacred space.
Thinking of my mother here, in the midst of all this madness, sends a fresh wave of remorse crashing through me. They were right all along, my parents. There was more to this job than I ever could have known. But as wrong as it’s all gone, I can’t regret having taken the assignment. Finding and losing Devlin so soon may hurt like a bitch, but it’s still better than never having met him in the first place.
Juliet is waiting for me in the hotel hallway with Packer by her side. Devlin must have sent his VP along as backup to make sure I actually get on the yacht. Guess whatever meeting the brothers disappeared to is over. I’m deathly curious about what’s going on, but I know better than to ask outright.
“Is Devlin going to come and say goodbye before I go?” I ask Packer, hoisting a tote bag onto my shoulder.
“He didn’t say,” Packer replies shortly, checking his watch. “It’s ten till nine. We’d better get you down to the dock.”
Juliet laces her fingers with mine as we make our way down through the winding halls of The Club. She knows how hard this is for me, I’m sure. I trust my sister and Dev’s joint decision to send me home implicitly, but I wish my intuition was on board for their plan of action too. Try as I might to dismiss my worries, there’s a nagging fear simmering in my gut that something about this whole situation is off.
The Club is already churning with sexy abandon tonight. The scene as we step out into the woods is familiar by now. Men shout and holler around the raging bonfire, slugging beers and passing joints with long-limbed women draped across them. Cigarette tips glow red in the darkness like so many prying, demonic eyes. The air is heavy with wood and pot smoke, the smells of booze and sex. And though I’ve felt safe all week under Devlin’s watchful eye, the island seems more sinister tonight than it ever has before. Why the hell can’t I calm down and trust that everything is going to be all right?
Juliet leads me out onto the dock with Packer right behind us. It’s just about nine o’clock, and the familiar, gigantic form of The Club’s gatekeeper Titan is illuminated by lantern light before us. He turns his big, bushy face toward us as we approach. And though I remember him as being jovial, his features are somber tonight.
“All well?” Packer asks the giant, his voice low and confidential.
“All well,” Titan confirms.
I raise an eyebrow at the men. Surely, arranging my passage back to the mainland couldn’t have been that much of a struggle. I’m about to ask them what the hell is up when the mournful wail of a foghorn snags my attention. Off in the water, a vessel approaches. Peppy pop music and tinkling laughter float across the waves, catching my ear. There, bearing down toward the island, is the very yacht that brought me here but a week ago. I can’t help but hate the very ship itself for coming to drag me away from Devlin, even if it is by his command.
“You have people waiting for you in Boston, right?” Juliet asks me anxiously.
“Or something like that,” I shrug, squeezing her hand.
“We’ll be back for you soon, OK?” she whispers, pulling me into a tight hug. “I love you, little sis.”
“I love you too,” I whisper, emotion thickening my voice.
I glance over her shoulder as the yacht glides up to the dock. A dozen eager young faces peer down from the bow of the ship. To think I was ever one among their number...it’s unfathomable now. These girls are not the people I belong with. I belong with th
e Circle of Death, with my sister, with Devlin. And though Juliet’s promised to find me again, I can’t seem to force my feet to take a single step toward that vessel.
“Let me stay,” I plead suddenly, as Titans beckons the new girls to step off the yacht. “Maybe I can help.”
“You can help by getting yourself to safety,” Juliet says firmly.
Looking between my sister and Packer, I search for an ounce of movability. But no. They’re set in their decision. With mounting dread, I turn back to the gaggle of girls. I have no choice but to march off, take my orders like a good little soldier. I watch as Titan leads them forward, off to enjoy a wild night among the outlaws and fat cats. But just as the pack is about to brush past me, I feel a slender hand close around my wrist.
I whip around at the unexpected touch. With my every nerve wound up like a spring, I’m ready to snap. But as I peer down at the girl who’s strayed behind the pack, my mouth falls open in baffled surprise.
“Emma?!” I exclaim, staring down at my best friend with nothing short of utter bewilderment. “What the—how are you—?”
“I’m surprised you recognized me in this getup,” Emma says, with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. She’s wearing a slinky blue minidress and sky high heels, her short blonde hair tousled and sexy. It’s a pretty far cry from her usual look of paint-spattered jeans and flowing bohemian tops. But it’s not just her outfit that has me reeling, it’s the bizarre fact that she’s suddenly appeared on this rock.
“Not that I’m anything but thrilled to see you...But what are you doing here?” I ask, taking her hands in mind.
“Honestly, Logan, I wasn’t going to come looking for you. Not at first. I trust you to take care of yourself,” Emma says quickly, locking her eyes on me. “I knew you could handle whatever was happening out here. And besides, you had FootSolider behind you. I figured they wouldn’t let anything bad happen to one of their writers in the field.”
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