Page 27 of Cross’s Reckoning

"I'm doing this."

"Figured you'd say that."

The gates stay closed as Perdition rides into view. I know most of the bikes before the men even stop. Ten years of hearing those engines come through the same compound gates means I could probably identify half the club blind.

Cyrus rides at the front. Raze is near him, his damaged ribs apparently not enough to keep him home. Chains sits farther back beneath Perdition colors that still look wrong on him.

There are fewer men than Cyrus would've brought six months ago, but there are still enough to turn the road bloody.

The engines cut one by one until the sudden silence feels louder than the bikes did.

Cyrus gets off first and his eyes find me almost immediately. They flick across Lola standing beside me, but only for a second before coming straight back.

There it is. He knew she was here. He knew she'd walked away from Perdition in the middle of the night. And yet, I'm still the reason he came.

Kane steps closer to the gate. "You wanted Cross. He's here."

Cyrus barely looks at him. "Open it."

"No."

"I wasn't asking you."

"That's unfortunate, considering they're my gates."

Cyrus's attention fixes on me again. "Walk out, Cross."

"Not going to happen, Cyrus."

"You've had your tantrum. You've made your fucking point. Now you come back and answer for it."

"My answer's on the workbench where I left my patches."

His face darkens. "Ten years and you think you get to decide it's over?"

"Already did, Cyrus."

"You belong to Perdition."

That's the thing he can't stand. Not that I left because somebody tempted me away. Not because another club bought me or Kane promised me colors.

I made a decision Cyrus didn't permit. His gaze drops to my stripped cut. "You think standing behind Kane's gates makes you Kingdom Come?"

"Never said it did."

Kane answers for me. "Doesn't matter what he is tomorrow. Tonight he's under Kingdom Come's protection."

"You'd take a war over a fucking traitor?"

"I'd take one before I hand a man over to be murdered because you can't cope with being told no like a petulant child."

Several Perdition men shift at that.

Lola steps closer to the gate. "Dad."

He finally looks directly at her.

"What?" Just one word. Not *Are you all right?* Not *Why did you leave?* Just irritation that she's interrupted him, and something changes in Lola's face, but she doesn't back down.