Prologue

The sun was high in the sky, showing a new beginning they all seemed to appreciate. The girls stood outside the motel, dressed and refreshed from the past two days of relaxing. Everyone had woken invigorated and ready to take on whatever was next.

“It’s over now,” Abi said to Shady, giving her a hug. Shady looked around at the faces surrounding her.

“Yeah. It’s over.” For the first time, she was able to fully let go of the past. Jas walked up beside them and put an arm around her. “And you, little girl, are a chip off the ol’ block,” she laughed and hugged her daughter.

“Life wasn’t so easy growing up. So I learned how to defend myself,” she shrugged.

“And wielding a knife like that was part of your learnings?” Shady’s eyebrows rose. Hell, she was overjoyed her little girl had sensed the evil and had secretly armed herself just in case the time came, and she had needed to use it. That life—and all she’d left behind—was something she wished she could have changed for her daughter. It was a miracle she’d been born with the instincts for self-preservation.

“Yeah. So was learning how to shoot,” she grinned.

“Jas, I’m so sorry… If I would’ve had a way—”

“Don’t. You found me, and I’m never gonna let anyone take me away from you again.” She smiled and hugged her tighter.

“Not to break up this afternoon special, but we have work to do, ladies. There is a bunch of girls with nowhere to go and are gonna need a home and family after they get released from the hospital,” Chevy said, smiling at the girls around them.

“Then, I guess we better get busy,” Red piped in. There didn’t need to be a vote or a discussion. The girls were all on board and immediately volunteered the moment they’d heard the Feds say some would have to go into protective services. Since they were out of the country, and given the bloody massacre they’d just left behind, there wasn’t anyone stupid enough to tell them no. Not even Tonto or Fork.

“Ladies? Let’s ride.” Chevy’s words had all the women of both MC clubs mounting their bikes and roaring off down the road, taking the lead ahead of their men who’d die to protect them.

Rain rode in the back of the pack, yes she agreed with everything her friends had said and did. However, once they learned the truth about her, Shady and the others were going to f^cking freak, and the worst thing was, she was going to have to tell them soon—the f^cking devil had come calling, and her debt was owed.

Yes, she had been stupid enough to make a deal with the devil, hoping and praying he wouldn’t find her for a long time. She had made sure she changed her name, and her appearance, but apparently when you had a black soul, killing people to get information was not beyond the scope of what you would do to find someone.

The call right before she left to come to Mexico proved that. She still hadn’t dealt with the guilt she was feeling for hiding info from them. Then, of course, she wasn’t certain her past was connected to this situation. Who would have thought Shady’s crazy ass family was in the skin trade. Everything happens for a reason; Rain thought then leaned over her bike and sped up. She needed to feel the air in her hair, and the freedom of the wind. sh^t, she was going to have to finally talk about this sh^t. How would they all feel knowing she was still married to a monster?