pain in his voice, the plea, made me close my eyes and fight the devastation that was running so thickly in my veins. When I opened my eyes, I searched out Styx. “I know Diego.” I looked at Flame, AK, and Smiler. “He is a man of his word. He has promised to harm the boys if I am not exchanged. And he will.” I held Tanner’s hand tighter. I would find it hard to ever let go. “We will make the exchange. I will go with Diego. You will get your prospects and family members back.”
“No!” Tanner snarled and spun me round. I didn’t look into his eyes. I couldn’t. But Tanner placed his hand under my chin and forced me to face him.
“I have to,” I whispered before he could speak. The gutting pain I held in my heart at the thought of being torn from Tanner was reflected in his light-blue eyes. He shook his head, about to protest, but I put my hand on his cheek. “I can’t let them die.” I swallowed back the lump in my throat. I nodded, a silent agreement with myself that this was the right thing to do. With my hands on Tanner’s cheeks, I brought his mouth to mine and kissed his lips. “It has to be this way, mi amor. I cannot let them die . . . I would never be able to live with myself.”
“You’re not fucking going.” Tanner looked to Styx and Ky, then all the brothers standing watching. “I’m not gonna let that cunt take her back. We need to think of something. A plan or some shit. Because I ain’t letting her go. I’ll fucking die in that ghost town before I let her go back to Mexico.”
My heart both broke and swelled as those words fell from his lips. But I knew it was futile. There was no plan to be made. This had to happen. I had to go.
“They have Ash!” Flame roared at Tanner.
Tanner shook with anger. He laughed, but there was no humor in his tone. He looked around the brothers. “She’s my fucking old lady!” Tanner pointed at Styx, then Ky, AK, then Sia’s men. “You wouldn’t let any of your bitches go. Mae, Lilah, Phebe, or Sia.” He next turned to Flame. “And I get your brother has been taken. I’m your Hangmen brother, and I’ll do anything to get him back, but I won’t let Adelita go.”
“Tanner . . .” I tried to say, but he shook his head, pulling away from me.
“You went to that cult to get Mae, razing the fucking place to the ground,” he said to Styx. Next he looked at Ky. “You went in to get Lilah.” He turned to Sia’s men. “Y’all went into Mexico to get Sia. I fucking came too! Helped y’all with every plan. And what? Now it’s my bitch y’all are ready to just send her back?”
“It ain’t as easy as our bitches,” Ky explained. “Adelita is Quintana’s kid.”
“So?” Tanner bit back. He reached for my hand. I gave it. He was fighting so hard for me. For us. “We just need to get more creative. We have to plan better.” Tanner looked at me, then back at Styx who was watching like a hawk. “We’re at war! We have brothers ready to fight. So we fucking fight!” His neck was so tense his veins showed under his skin. “Quintana was coming for us anyway. So fuck if it’s Adelita being here that’s made the threat worse. One day soon we’d be facing them regardless.” He slapped his chest. “I’m gonna fucking fight. For her, for me, for the prospects, for this fucking club.” Tanner’s voice dropped when he said, “Y’all are my brothers in arms. And I’m gonna marry Adelita one day. That’s supposed to mean something at this club, or am I mistaken?” Flame’s heavy breathing could be heard from beside us. Tanner looked at him. “The way you need Maddie is the way I need Lita. You would tear anyone apart to protect her. I’m doing the fucking same.”
Flame glanced down at Maddie, who was at his side, clutching his arm. His face seemed to soften for a split second. But my attention quickly went back to Styx. He was watching Tanner intently. His hazel eyes next moved to me. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but all I saw was Charon. All I saw was Mae looking down at her son