RIDING DIRTY (Steel Titans MC Book 4) by Franca Storm (best books for students to read txt) 📗

away. But this is another level altogether! You went after Nolan and Freeman? Come on! Claiming you needed a break away from it all and meanwhile you were really right smack damn in the middle of a whirlwind of danger. You went to an outsider over your own brothers-in-arms?” He shook his head to himself. “Why? Why did you do this?”

So, he knew most of it, except one very volatile thing, the thing that would turn his world upside down and rock Titans as a whole. Rick hadn’t told him that I was doing all of this to walk free from the club and damn well retire.

Even though there had been some recent… setbacks, it was far from over. There was still a chance to get it done, to take out my enemies without letting the club in on it and risking all my boys.

Keeping that in mind, I skirted around Liam’s question, telling him, “It weren’t my intention to go after Freeman directly.”

“I know. You gave the job to an outsider. Shadow.”

“She ain’t a goddamn outsider!” I roared, my temper exploding all over the place.

I weren’t in no state to be losing it. I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears. My body was trembling all over. It was a fight to draw in a steady breath.

But I couldn’t contain it right now.

All I could think about was Willa being kidnapped by that madman, tons of scenarios running through my head of what he was doing to her, how she was hurting and scared. All because of me. I’d brought her in on this and put her in the thick of it.

Fuck. After all this time, I hadn’t learned my lesson. History was repeating itself. I’d brought another woman into my world and gotten too close. For all I knew, I could’ve already lost her. I couldn’t stomach that. Another woman I loved couldn’t be taken from me. It couldn’t be happening. I wouldn’t let it be where things ended for us.

Loved? Is that where I was at?

“So, it is true then?” Liam said, slicing right through my thoughts and jarring me back to the immediate bullshit he was tossing my way. “You have been seeing her all these years?”

“Liam—”

He held up his hands and went on, “No, I get it. You kept it on the downlow to protect her. After what happened with Lisa, it makes all the sense in the world. Five years, though, and you guys are still living separately? How’s that working?”

“We never hooked up back then, but she has stayed with me, yeah, and she is something to me now, a hell of a something.”

“So, that’s why you went to her, to rekindle that spark between you guys?”

“I went to her, because she’s the best.” The look in his eyes told me he didn’t really buy that. Whatever. Who the fuck cared? “I don’t have time for this shit,” I groused, easing myself off the bed, more slowly this time. “Where’s my phone?”

“You need to rest.”

I made it to my feet and glared at him. “Where. Is. My. Fucking. Phone?”

He hesitated.

Right off the bat, I knew that weren’t a good sign. Not one bit. Liam didn’t do that, as a rule. Especially over the last few months, he’d become ever tougher, forthright, and real sure of himself and his ability to lead.

“Liam,” I pressed.

“It’s downstairs in the security room.”

“Why?” I barked, pissed that my phone had been commandeered.

“It was crushed at some point during the invasion at that safehouse. We’re trying to see if we can salvage the data. I’ve got Mason on it.”

I started for the door.

Liam stepped into my path.

A rumbling growl started in the back of my throat, building to a dangerous level of ferocity with every second that he remained blocking my path.

“I told you, you need to take it easy.”

“I don’t have time.”

His expression hardened. “I will put you down if I have to.”

I scoffed. “Is that right?”

“Damn straight.”

We locked eyes.

“You really think you got that ability?”

“It’s not just me.”

Before I could say anything else, he banged on the bedroom door behind him with his fist.

Next thing I knew, it was swinging open and Tank and Cole stepped on through.

“Prez,” Tank greeted.

Cole just gave a chin lift, his expression set in that hard, no-nonsense way that meant he was resolved to go the hard route. His fight-face, basically.

I eyed the three of them. “I don’t want to hurt you. You’re my boys. But I am walking out of here right the hell now. I need to track down Willa. I need to end this thing before it rages out of control.”

“Sure,” Cole said. “After you damn well rest for a while.”

“Right, Prez. You gotta take it easy, or you’re gonna end up in the ICU,” Tank said. He winced. “Maybe, even the morgue.”

“Not an option,” I told them.

Cole took another step forward in warning and Tank followed his lead.

I felt Liam looming behind me.

They were surrounding me, caging me in. Trapping me.

“You’ve seen a lot from me over the years, so you know I can put you all down.”

“You’re not at full strength,” Cole countered, but I saw the uncertainty in his eyes.

“You’re also not thinking straight,” Liam said. “Until you are, until you’re rested, you’re benched. We’ll handle the situation.”

“I’ll handle it once I get a hold of my phone. I have a tracer on her. Just gotta follow the signal.”

“Nothing we can’t do without you,” Liam said.

“This kind of bull is exactly why I kept all of you out of it!” I yelled, losing it again.

“Yeah, well, we’re not going to let you risk your health or your life, especially not when you’re almost out,” Liam told me.

Almost out? He knew?

Before I could get a word out to voice the question, his arms wrapped around my neck from behind. I was too slow in my messed-up state to react in time, before he executed a sleeper hold.

Cole and Tank moved in, tense and at the