We lay together in bed, my body draped over his as my fingers traced the intricate lines of his tattoos. Wrapped in each other's warmth, it felt like we were reclaiming the time we had lost, making up for all the years we had been apart.

A quiet sigh escaped my lips as I felt his fingers trail down my back, following the exact path of my scar. It wasn't subtle—far from it. A scar that ran from my shoulder all the way to my hip could never be overlooked. Though it wasn't a single, clean line, it might as well have been in his eyes.

"How did you get it, Avery?" Everest whispered, his fingertips still tracing its jagged path.

I lifted my head to look at him, still caught in the haze of the moment. "Glass shower door," I murmured.

His brows knitted together in confusion, his mind piecing together an unspoken puzzle. I knew he would find out the truth eventually. His reactions were always unpredictable when it came to things like this, and I felt trapped between two choices—ruining the moment by telling him or ruining it by keeping it from him.

This weekend had been nothing but bliss. This was what I had always wanted. He was what I had always wanted.

"Him?" was all he said.

I sat up, slipping an oversized T-shirt from the floor over my head, stretching my arms and legs as I let out a sigh. "Mhm." I exhaled slowly before continuing. "He liked to come home drunk. I learned pretty quickly that he didn't like being told what to do. That night, we fought about him coming home late, hammered, and probably high out of his mind on coke—with hickeys all over his neck."

I ran my fingers through my hair before crawling back onto the bed, settling on top of him again. "I was tired of it. And if there's one thing you know about me, it's that I don't back down from an argument," I added with a shrug, my tone casual. But I wasn't going to let those memories control me anymore. The panic attacks, the anxiety, the fear—I refused to let them define me.

I had gotten myself out, and for the sake of my own happiness, I would keep moving forward.

"I promise you, babe," Everest said in a husky voice, his arms tightening around me as I rested my head on his chest. "When I find him, I'm going to rip every single fingernail off, one by one—slowly—before cutting off his fingers. And then, I'll take his hand, so he can never touch you or anyone else again."

"I love you, Everest," I whispered, and without another thought, I drifted into sleep—safe, warm, and without a single worry in the world. Because if there was one thing I knew for certain, it was this: Everest never made promises he couldn't keep.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The next morning, we woke up and spent most of it lying in bed, relaxing, neither of us wanting the weekend to end. In reality, we could have stayed an extra day since I didn't have to be back at work until Tuesday, but Everest needed to return to the club.

After packing up our things and tidying the cottage, we stopped in town for a quick lunch before heading back to Locus. By the time we arrived at the clubhouse, it was already 7 PM. Everest mentioned that we needed to stop there before heading home since he had to check on a few things. I understood, so I didn't mind.

As he parked the bike, he held out his hand, gesturing for me to take it. I reached for it, and to my surprise, he didn't let go as we walked toward the clubhouse, still hand in hand.

I looked down, smiling, before glancing up at him. I could see the shift happening—the way his exterior and entire demeanor changed back to his usual self. He wasn't Everest anymore. He was Sin.

Inside, the clubhouse was busy but nothing out of the ordinary—regulars hanging around, Bonnie and Tequila bartending, and a few bikers engaged in conversation.

"I gotta talk to Ghost, then we can head home," he said, leaning down to kiss me before releasing my hand and walking toward the hallway where the offices were.

A smile formed on my face as I watched him disappear into the back before I turned and made my way to the bar, grinning ear to ear. Bonnie and Tequila both looked at me, their expressions almost amused, as if they had expected this outcome all along.

"Good weekend?" Bonnie asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded in response.

"You want a drink, Snow?" Tequila asked over the loud music and the rowdy bikers.

"Just a vodka cran—make it a single," I said. She nodded and started mixing my drink.

Before I could fully relax, I felt two strong arms wrap around me, followed by a big, wet kiss smacked against my cheek. My body stiffened for a second, not recognizing Everest's presence. When I turned around, I realized it was Austin.

I looked up at him and giggled, immediately recognizing that he was absolutely hammered.

"You're wasted," I said.

He gasped dramatically, placing a hand on his chest as if I had just offended him. "I am not! How dare you," he teased before dropping onto the seat next to me.

I rolled my eyes, turning back toward the bar as he ordered another drink from Bonnie.

"What have you been up to?" I asked, realizing I hadn't really talked to Austin in a while—at least not since that night at the club when he failed to help me with Brooke.

"You know, the usual club business," he replied before pausing for a moment. Then, to my surprise, he added, "Has Brooke mentioned me at all?"

Caught off guard, I narrowed my eyes at him, studying his expression, wondering why he was asking me that.

"No..." I trailed off before continuing. "Why?"

Austin shook his head and shrugged. "No reason," he muttered before throwing back a shot and grabbing his beer.

"Just curious," he added before pressing another sloppy, drunken kiss to my forehead and stumbling off toward his buddies.

I just laughed and shook my head.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom real quick," I told Tequila, taking a sip of my drink before setting it down and heading toward the hallway.

As I walked past Austin's room—the one that used to be Everest's—I noticed the door to Ghost's bedroom slightly open. A soft, muffled sound caught my attention. It was a woman crying.

Curious, I pushed the door open wider, my eyes going wide as I recognized the person inside.

"Aunt Teagan?" I rushed over, sitting next to her on the bed, wrapping my arms around her. Concern and confusion were written all over my face.

"Oh my God, Avery, you scared me," she sniffled, quickly wiping the tears from her face as if she hadn't just been crying.

"What are you doing here? What happened?" My eyes scanned her face, noting the bruises and cuts. I instinctively grabbed her hands.

"I got into a car accident. Nothing serious—I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises," she reassured me, though I could tell she was still trying to calm herself down.

"Oh..." I frowned, still confused. "How did you end up here?"

It didn't make sense. If she was in a car accident, shouldn't she be at the hospital?

"Thankfully, Ghost was there and helped me out right away," she explained. "My car was totaled, so after I got checked out, he brought me here."

She smiled gently, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my mind immediately switching into nurse mode, wanting to assess her for any hidden injuries.

"Yes, Avery, I'm okay. It looks worse than it actually is," she assured me. "Some idiot ran a red light and hit me from the side." She rolled her eyes, adjusting her posture as if trying to appear more composed.

"Are you sure?" I pressed.

"Yes, Avery! Stop going into nurse mode on me," she teased before standing up. I just watched her, my eyes trailing over her clothes—baggy sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt that were clearly men's. More than likely, Ghost's.

"So... you and Ghost know each other?" I asked, shifting my tone to something more playful, sensing that she didn't want to dwell on what had happened.

She shot me a knowing look, then scoffed. "You honestly think your mom was the only one hooking up with bikers when she was younger?"

My eyes widened, my mouth slightly agape.

"So you and Ghost actually—" I didn't even need to finish my sentence. The answer was already written all over her face.

I was stunned. My mom had never mentioned anything about it, and neither had Aunt Teagan.

"He was in love with me in high school," she admitted, "but I never really gave him the time of day."

It wasn't hard to believe. My aunt Teagan was gorgeous—just like my mom. With their light blonde hair and hazel eyes, people often mistook them for sisters. In fact, most people assumed Aunt Teagan and I were sisters since she was the youngest of the three.

"All this time, you and Ghost have been a thing?" I asked, trying to piece together a timeline.

She scoffed. "Not exactly. I left after high school, went to Texas Tech, and that's where I met your 'Uncle' Larry. We were together for a long time—until a few years ago."

I immediately rolled my eyes at the mention of her ex-husband.

"Don't call him my uncle," I said in mock disgust—but in reality, I meant it.

"Fine," she corrected herself, "he was your uncle."

I still rolled my eyes.

"I think I met him once when we visited you in Texas. He was such a dick. Honestly, I have no idea what you saw in him," I said, lying back on the bed, propping my head up with my arm.

Larry had been a nightmare. A former football star turned absolute scumbag, he cheated on her constantly and treated her like garbage. When we visited, he had even tried hitting on my mom—and worse, made inappropriate comments toward me when I was only fifteen.

"When I moved back and opened my practice, I'd see Ghost here and there, but I think he was always too nervous to approach me," she said, lying back on the bed beside me. "Even though he's this big, bad biker president now."

She smirked.

"I think you coming home finally gave him an excuse to say something."

We both laughed, continuing to catch up, filling in the gaps of all the years we had missed.

_________________

EVEREST POV

"I hope you enjoyed your little getaway like I told you," Ghost says, his tone edged with tension. "Because now, shit hit the fan sooner than we expected."

I don't respond right away. Instead, I light a cigarette, inhaling deeply as I wait for him to finish.

"I went to check on Teagan at her practice," he continues. "The place was trashed. I found her there—completely out, beaten to hell. Got her back to the club, cleaned her up. She told me she saw the Devil's Blood's logo before everything went dark. Then some blond fuck started grilling her about Avery."

My hands clench into fists. Stupid motherfucker.

I meant what I told Avery last night. I don't give a damn what the mob wants to do with him—I'll have my turn first. Hiding behind the Devil's Blood without even knowing who they are? A bunch of cowards.

"She still here?" I ask, my voice tight.

Ghost nods, flicking his hand toward the hall where his bedroom is.

"Yeah. She's in rough shape, so I'll have her stay here for a while. I filled her in—bare minimum. The less she knows, the better. She said she won't tell Avery anything."

I nod, exhaling smoke as I let my head rest back against the chair. My mind drifts to last night.

"I love you," Avery had whispered against my chest before passing out.

For a long time, I convinced myself she wanted nothing to do with me—that she didn't love me the way she did when we were sixteen.

But last night, everything shifted. The way she wrapped herself around me, the way we lost ourselves in each other—nothing but heat, pleasure, and sweat between us.

Being inside her, touching every inch of her, kissing every inch of her... if I died tomorrow, I'd die a happy man.

And yet, a deep, festering rage burned inside me when she told me how she got her scar. I wanted to destroy everything in my path. But I didn't. Because I knew myself—I knew if I let that anger surface, I'd ruin the night. And I wasn't going to let anything take that away from us.

I barely slept. Just laid there, watching her, my eyes refusing to close. Every nerve in my body was wired, adrenaline keeping me on edge, making sure nothing could touch her.

After a while, I make my way down the hall toward the bar, spotting Avery and her aunt deep in conversation.

Then, like a bad habit I can't shake, Bree steps in front of me, placing her palm against my chest.

Her brown eyes—lifeless, dull—stare up at me. All I can think about is Avery's gray eyes, the way they shine whether she's pissed off or crying.

"Hey, baby," Bree purrs, leaning into me. "I've missed you."

I groan, rolling my eyes so hard it damn near hurts.

I glance back toward the bar—Avery hasn't noticed me yet. Without hesitation, I grab Bree by the wrist and drag her into the nearest bedroom.

"It's over, Bree," I snap, releasing her. "I want your shit out of the trailer. And stop fucking coming up to me like this."

Her face twists into a frown as she shoves at my chest.

"But baby, we've been doing so good," she whines, pushing harder until I stumble back onto the bed.

"There is no us," I bite out, jaw tightening. "There's never been an us. I was just fucking you. Get that through your thick skull."

Her expression darkens, and she stomps her foot like a damn child.

When Avery did it, it was cute. This? This is just exhausting.

Bree suddenly drops onto the bed beside me, and I move to stand, but she grabs my arm, yanking me back down. Before I can push her off, she swings a leg over me, straddling my lap.

My lip curls in disgust.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Then, Avery's voice slices through the air like a blade.

I whip my head toward the door. She stands there, eyes locked on the scene before her.

Fuck.

I throw Bree off me and shoot to my feet, going after Avery—knowing damn well this is about to blow up in my face.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

AVERY'S POV:

Fuming, I storm out of the bar, disgusted by the scene I just walked in on. The club had grown more crowded, bodies pressing together, making it difficult to push my way through. My frustration only mounts as I try to escape.

Just as I near the exit, two strong arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me against a firm chest. One arm tightens around my torso, the other securing my upper half.

"Calm down," Everest murmurs in my ear.

I thrash against his hold, trying to break free. "Let go of me, Sin," I snap, my voice laced with fury. How could he do this? After this weekend—after last night?

Was what I gave him not enough?

"I'm not letting you go until you calm the fuck down." His grip remains firm as he rocks us slightly, blending us into the sway of the crowd around us. The heat of the room, mixed with my growing anger, makes my skin burn.

"I don't want to be anywhere near you, let alone have you touching me right now." My voice wavers, my emotions threatening to crack through my anger. Images of last night flood my mind, only to be tainted by the vision of her on top of him. Tears sting the back of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall.

"I'm not arguing with you tonight, Avery. Not after this weekend," he states firmly.

"I don't—" I start, but he cuts me off.

"You're going to let me finish." His tone is sharp, leaving no room for argument.

"She stopped me in the hallway. I was telling her to get the fuck out of my trailer because I'm done with her."

I refuse to relax in his hold, unwilling to believe him so easily. He's lied before—what makes this time any different?

"It sure looked like you were telling her that while she was on top of you," I bite back, attempting to pull away again. But he only tightens his grip, shifting so we're face to face. One hand presses firmly against my lower back, the other resting at the nape of my neck—firm, but not forceful. Just enough to keep me from pulling away.

"She's the one who got on top of me."

I glare up at him, my anger unwavering. His expression remains neutral, unfazed. Of course, it does. Everything is always so simple when it comes to him. But if the situation were reversed? If it had been me in that room with another man? He would've burned the entire club down.

"Didn't look like you were pushing her off," I counter.

He chuckles, still moving us with the rhythm of the crowd. "She ain't got shit on you, babe. Not even close." His voice drops as he leans in, whispering in my ear.

I roll my eyes, every part of me wanting to resist—to fight back. After everything I've been through, trust doesn't come easy. My body wants to give in, to believe him, but my mind won't let me.

I trust Everest with my life. I know he would never let anything happen to me. I know he would never lay a hand on me. But that doesn't mean he won't hurt me in other ways.

I remember what I said last night before I fell asleep. I meant it. It had been clawing at my chest, suffocating me, until I finally let it out.

I love Everest.

Sure, I tried moving on. I tried pretending. But no matter what I did, he was always there—lingering in the back of my mind. I had spent years wondering what our life could have been, and this weekend had given me a glimpse of what it still could be.

With a deep breath, I exhale the tension from my body. Slowly, I wrap my arms around his neck, melting into the way he holds me. His grip on my waist tightens, his hands sliding lower until he grabs my ass, pulling me closer.

"I want to trust you, Sin," I whisper, my voice softer now.

His lips curl into a smirk. That cocky, knowing look that always drives me insane.

"I love you, Avery," he says simply, his voice rough, but certain.

Something inside me shatters—not in the heartbreaking way I feared, but in a way that makes my chest feel too full, like my heart might burst.

I don't think. I don't hesitate.

I just grab the back of his head, pull him down to me, and kiss him.