party. They’re planning to pull a train on you, Tris. We can’t fuck around.”
I don’t know what he’s saying, but judging by the way Trista whimpers and shakes, I can guess what this means. And what it means is that she will never be the same if she is forced to endure this.
“What do you need from us?” I ask.
He clears his throat, his eyes finding mine. “I can’t help you, not like you’re thinking. You girls are on your own. There’s something I need to stay here for, so I can’t go with you.”
“You can be redeemed, Jaguar, if you help us, there is no way they will kill you.”
His eyes flick from mine to hers and he holds her gaze. “It’s not about that. I will pay for my betrayal like a man. I’ll walk back into that clubhouse, but there is something I need to do here. Something that I can’t turn my back on.”
“No,” Trista whispers. “It’s not something, it’s someone. You’re good deep down, Jag. You get us out of here and I’ll make sure you don’t walk into a blaze of gunfire when you come back. I will make sure you’re heard.”
His lips twitch into a grin. “’Preciate that, babe. I really fuckin’ do.” His lips press into a thin line and he jerks his chin toward the window. “It’s out that window, or not at all. It’s locked, but I can go around and unlock it. They’re getting ready for church. Discuss what they’re going to do with this pregnant one. I’ll unlock it before it’s in session.”
“Wait, did you become a member?” Trista asks in horror.
He smirks. “They think I’m here to help them start a fucking war. That I’m here to betray everything I know about the Beasts.”
Trista looks behind him, then to him again. “You think I’d do that? Even all the shit I did in my past, even shooting Eagle in my jealous rage, you think I’d betray my club like that?” he snaps.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore, Jaguar. I don’t want to believe any of this is happening, but here I am.”
He nods his head. “Guess that’s fair, but no, I haven’t told them an ounce of anything credible. They’re gathering weapons and supplies. Getting ready for war, but I’ll be long fucking gone before they strike and I’ll be back with my family, and even if they don’t want me back, I’ll warn them before these fucks can touch a hair on anyone’s fucking head.”
Trista’s lips curve up into a grin. “Okay, Jag. Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”
“Better fuckin’ believe it, babe.” He chuckles. “I’ll knock on the window once after I’ve unlocked it. Wait five minutes, slip out and head toward the back, not the front gates. Nobody watches the fucking back. It’s the woods, you’ve got a tough fuckin’ row to hoe, but you girls will get where you need to be. They’re all pissy from you going through their territory down south, ready to make an example or some shit. You’re going to have to get fucking gone, yeah?”
We look at one another, then look at him. “Yeah.” We nod.
“Good girls.”
Without another word, he stands and turns from us, slipping out of the room. I lick my lips as I turn back to Trista. “We can do this,” I whisper.
Her lips turn up into a cocky as shit grin. “Fuck yeah, we can.”
MOUNTAIN
Hawk and Avah come through, though I know that I shouldn’t be surprised. Hawk may have bounced on the Beasts years ago, but he’s been making an effort to truly be part of the club since he’s been back, and Avah is loyal as fuck to Trista.
“Okay, so what now?” Dutch asks after we make our way through the checkpoint.
“We go to Hawk’s and wait for them. He’s got Avah doing whatever she’s doing, then he’s going to meet us there and they’re supposed to join us on the road back to home.”
Dutch is quiet for a moment, then he clears his throat. “What did Avah do to get us through without any checks?” he asks.
I press my lips together in a grim line as I pull into the parking lot of her building. “Avah was a call girl as her job before.”
He doesn’t say anything as I turn the engine off. Then he turns to me, his eyes widen as it dawns on him what she had to do to ensure our safe passage.
“I thought she