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The conversation isn’t over. Not really. But for tonight, I’ve got her here, under my hands, and that’s enough to quiet the storm in my chest. Outside, the clubhouse keeps moving. Brothers laugh, glasses clink. Another night in this life. But tomorrow, reality kicks in when we talk about what we found tonight.

I don’t care. I’ll bleed every single one of them if it means keeping her.

TATUM

Today wasn’t better. If anything, I’m ready to murder Thomas. Switch isn’t taking it seriously, and his little talk with Thomas somehow made the bastard worse. The threats aren’t vague anymore. He knows things he shouldn’t.

It doesn’t fucking make sense.

Pushing through the side door after finishing my pledge duties, the muffled thump of bass from the main room pulses through the walls like a second heartbeat. I can’t do this anymore—the cryptic threats, not just toward me but the Iron Wraiths, too. We’re teetering on the edge of war, and a prospect with no skin in the game shouldn’t know any of it. It’s time for Lennox to know. Switch may mean well, but the tension overrides everything else, and right now, he’s a distraction I can’t afford. My jacket feels too tight across my shoulders as I head up the back stairs to the officer’s rooms on the top floor. Lennox’s door sits at the end of the hall like a beckon that's too easy to follow. I need to tell him everything before my paranoia or guilt destroys what little sanity I have left.

“Tatum.” Corbin’s voice cuts through the darkness, low and rough. I freeze mid-stride, one hand still gripping the edge of my jacket. He’s leaning against his door frame, arms crossed over his broad chest. His eyes—dark, intense, always watching—pin me in place.

Fuck….I do not need this right now.

Keeping my eyes forward on Len’s door, I will it to open so that I don’t have to explain myself to him. “Not tonight, Corbin,” I say, forcing my voice steady even though my pulse is racing. “I’ve got shit to do. We can braid each other’s hair a different time. I have somewhere to be.”

He straightens slowly, stepping directly into my path. His broad frame blocks the narrow hallway. “Somewhere like running straight to Lennox?” His jaw tightens, a muscle ticking. “Why the fuck do you think you have to tell him everything, huh? What’s so goddamn important that it can’t wait until morning?”

I try to sidestep him, heart slamming against my ribs. “This doesn’t concern you. Move.”

“Like hell it doesn’t. You’re my pledge.” He mirrors my movement, grabbing the front of my jacket and yanking me closer. Not hard enough to hurt, but the warning is clear.

His breath is warm against my face—whiskey, smoke, and that raw masculine scent that always messes with my head. “You’ve been trying to sneak around me to get to him for a couple days now. Sneaking texts and smiling easier when you see him. You think I’m fucking blind?”

I shove hard at his chest. It’s like pushing against solid rock. “Let go. I’m not doing this with you right now.”

He doesn’t release me. Instead, he crowds me until my back hits the wall. The confrontation ignites me instantly. His body presses in, all heat and coiled muscles, one forearm braced beside my head, caging me in. I can feel the anger rolling off him in waves, mixed with something darker—jealousy, maybe. My breath comes faster. For a moment, I think he might not let me leave at all.

“Back the fuck off,” I growl, shoving again, harder this time. My shoulder connects solidly with his sternum. He grunts but holds position. I twist sharply, driving my elbow into his ribs. Pain flares in my arm, but his grip loosens just enough. I duck under his arm, breaking free. My boots pound against the carpet as I attempt to sprint to Lennox’s door.

“Fuck!” Corbin snarls behind me. “Tatum, stop running from me!”

I don’t look back. The sound of his heavy footsteps chases me, echoing off the hallways walls as he closes the distance fast. I reach the door seconds before Corbin can get his hands on me and pound my fist against the wood, desperate.

“Lennox! Open up—it’s me!”

The door swings open almost immediately. Lennox fills the frame, shirtless in low-slung gray sweatpants. His blue eyes—mirror images of mine if anyone ever looked close enough—flick from me to the storm barreling up behind me. Protective instinct flashes across his face.

“Tatum? What the hell is going on?” His voice is calm but edged with steel as he steps forward.

Corbin shoves past me into the room without invitation, slamming the door shut behind us. The lock clicks ominously. “She’s got something real important to tell you, Pres,” he spits, voice thick with accusation. “Go on, Tatum. Spill it. Tell him how you’ve been playing both of us.”

I whirl on him, chest heaving. “We. Are. Not. Fucking. Switch. For fuck’s sake, get your head out of your ass.”

Corbin laughs, bitter and low. He paces a step closer, eyes blazing. “Bullshit. I see the way you look at each other. The way you two vanish together for ‘private talks.’ You think I’m fucking stupid?” His gaze rakes over me, dropping pointedly to my chest where my nipples have tightened against the thin fabric of my tank top. The small silver barbells of my piercings are faintly visible, pressing against the material. “That’s why he let you pledge, because you mean more to him than we all know.”

Heat floods my face—anger, shame, and something far more lethal. “We are not fucking, you disgusting pig,” I repeat, voice shaking despite my best effort. But my body betrays me. The adrenaline from the chase, the confrontation, the way he’s staring at me like he wants to devour me… it’s twisting everything.

Before Corbin can fire back, Lennox steps forward, placing himself slightly in front of me like a human shield. His hand lands firmly on my shoulder—steady, grounding, the touch of a brother who’s always had my back.

“Enough.” Lennox’s tone is sharp, commanding, the full weight of his role as President behind it. He levels Corbin with a hard stare that makes the entire room feel smaller. “Back off, Corbin. Right now. She’s not playing anyone. She came to me because as I told you, we are family friends. Last I checked, you would go to a brother before someone you just met, too. This is no different. In case you forgot, you can’t have relations with Tatum, as she is a pledge and that fraternization is not allowed. So, you don’t get to come in here and play protector. She’s been loyal—more than you’re giving her credit for, to our entire club. So, shut the fuck up and mind your place, Corbin. Before you say something you can’t take back.”

Corbin’s jaw clenches so tight I can see the muscle jump. His fists are balled at his sides, but Lennox’s authority carries weight. The aggressive edge in his posture eases a fraction, though the possessive fire in his eyes doesn’t dim one bit.

I let out a shaky breath and turn to Lennox, the words tumbling out. “It’s Thomas. He’s been pushing harder lately since our fight—there is no more camaraderie. It’s all vague threats that have to do with Redline. He knows things about the Redline and the Wraiths such as shipments, and movements…shit he has no business knowing. It feels dangerous, like he’s trying to start something, or he’s already in bed with someone who wants us weak. I know I’m not a member, but Len—he has it out for me. I’m telling you, he’s a fucking snake.”

Lennox’s expression darkens. He nods once, all business now. “I’ll handle it. Judge and I will look into Thomas—dig deep, pull every favor we have, make sure there’s nothing we’re missing. You have every right to be weary of someone making threats. We’ve got you, Tatum. The club’s got you. Better safe than sorry.”