Runner: A dark enemies to lovers gang romance (Sapphire Duet Book 1)
Runner: Chapter 26

“She’s not going to come,” Gray muttered, leaning back on the couch. “Not after last night.”

I continued pacing in front of the window, my anger making it impossible for me to keep still. “She’ll come. She’s not scared of us. And I can guarantee she’s pissed that we told the city she’s ours.”

We were in our private room above the club, and I peered through the one-way glass, waiting to see her come through the front doors. Last night had been a shit show, and she’d just disappeared from it all. Vic and Juan were angrier with me than ever because the biker I shot ended up dying. And now other motorcycle clubs were not happy. But I’d deal with that after we talked to Mili.

“I’m just gonna say, she probably never would have egged on the biker if you didn’t try making her feel trapped,” Gray said quietly. “You knew she would flip out.”

I ground my teeth. “The bartender told us she’d been there an hour before he blurted out what I said at the club.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t get the biker’s attention until she found out.”

“I don’t know why the fuck we’re arguing about this. That’s not even the reason we need to talk to her.”

The other night played back in my head again. Gray and I were having some drinks at the club until we overheard a group of guys talking about Mili. Not many in town knew her name, but it was obvious who he was talking about when he described her. And when they started discussing what they wanted to do to her, I lost it. Fucking saw red and told the entire club she was off-limits.

Looking through the glass, I spotted her pushing her way through the thick crowd, and my heart skipped. This wasn’t going to be a fun conversation, but we needed fucking answers. She was messing with business now, and it had to end. Either she fell in line, or we needed to get her to leave Ridgewood.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, and she strode inside. If she was nervous about what happened yesterday, she wasn’t showing it. Not that I expected her to. She was dressed casually in leggings and a T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back, revealing the small bruises that asshole biker left on her jaw last night. Her eyes trailed over each of us, most likely taking note that we’d come unarmed. Something I doubted she did.

“You needed to talk?” she asked, not coming any closer to us.

“You left us last night,” Gray said, staying on the couch.

“After you started it. I didn’t tell you to shoot that prick. Or help me at all.” Her gaze fell to me. “Or tell your fucking city that I was your girl.”

And that was why she was here. Not because we asked her to come, but because she wanted to make it clear that what we did wasn’t going to stand.

“How the hell did you even replace me last night?” she asked, suspicion flitting into her gaze.

I just smirked, knowing it would aggravate her.

“Are you tracking me?” Her voice got higher as she thought of that. I was sure once she left, she’d be checking everything we came into contact with to see if we’d bugged it.

“We have eyes everywhere,” Gray murmured. “We know where you are in this city the second you’re in public. Especially on the north side.”

“Where’d you go after you left the bar?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual while getting to the reason we were here.

“Home. After everything, I needed a nice bath to calm down.”

Her lie fell from her lips, and if I hadn’t already known what she was really up to, it would have been easy to believe. My stomach knotted, wondering what else she’d lied to us about.

“Interesting.” Gray jumped up, and she tensed for a moment until he turned away from her, heading to the bar. “Care to explain this, then?”

Her curiosity got the better of her, and she finally inched forward, leaving the doorway. I stayed where I was while Gray grabbed the remote, flicking on the screen that was mounted behind the counter. Camera angles from outside the club appeared on the screen until he pushed a button, playing the tape.

The screen wasn’t large, and she moved closer, her eyes glued to the TV. I watched her, studying her reaction as she stared at the video of herself. The one recorded last night of her shoving a guy in a trunk before shooting him and driving off. Her entire body locked up, the blood draining from her face. For the first time since we’d met her, we’d completely blindsided her. From the genuine shock on her face, she had no idea she’d been on camera. Probably because at some point she had checked for them. Gray and I put up temporary cameras before the meeting Vic was supposed to have so we didn’t need to worry about an ambush. When the guy didn’t show up, we played the tape. Mili killing him was the last thing I expected to see.

I silently stepped to the side, putting myself in the way of the door. A second later, she whirled around with the clear intent to bolt. She caught my stare, and her eyes narrowed.

“Get out of my way,” she hissed.

“How the hell did you know about that meeting?” I asked, my voice hard. “You spying on us?”

Gray crept toward her as she faced me. “Or did you know that Ryan guy?”

She turned, making sure neither of us were out of her sight as she backed up until she hit the window. Her eyes were darting between us, as if figuring out what to tell us.

“No lies,” I snapped. “You’re fucking with our business. Vic and Juan want answers.”

“They know too?” she asked, swallowing hard.

“They were there when we watched the tape.” Gray crossed his arms. “Why’d you do it?”

After a deep breath, her unfazed demeanor was back, and she waved her hand dismissively. “He wouldn’t have been good for your business.”

“And how do you know that?” I stopped stalking toward her when her fingers twitched, most likely getting ready to pull whatever weapon she’d brought.

“Because I worked with him in the past,” she replied stiffly. “And he screwed me over.”

“So he deserved to die?” Gray asked with a frown.

“Why’d you do it?” I asked at the same time.

“Because he was going to interfere with my business,” she stated coldly.

I raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“That’s not your concern.”

“Jesus fuck,” I snarled. “Do you realize what you did? Vic and Juan think you’re going behind our back to screw us over. Just fucking tell us how you knew and why you did it.”

She sighed. “All you need to know is that he would have fucked you over if you worked with him.”

“We’re going to pull out of the Panther job,” Gray murmured. “The crew won’t have any part of it if we think you’re going to hurt us.”

Her lips parted in surprise. “The payout for that job is more than you make in a fucking year. You’re really going to turn that down?”

“Don’t care,” I said bluntly.

“He’s early,” Gray interrupted the conversation as he looked at the screen, which now showed the security cameras at the club. I saw the guy walk in through the front entrance, and blew out a breath, looking back at Mili.

“We need to talk about this later,” I said gruffly. “But if you want us to work with you, then we need answers.”

“You scheduled a meeting for the same time you wanted to talk to me?”

“Go,” I demanded. “You being here for this will only make it worse.”

She tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because we’re meeting with the MCs to try and fix what happened last night,” Gray answered. “And Juan and Vic are coming too.”

I could see her calculating the odds of getting out of here if things turned bad. Apparently, she figured she could handle herself against us, but she was smart enough to know five to one wouldn’t work out in her favor.

“Hmm,” she hummed out, suddenly rushing toward me. “Speaking of last night, you need to fix it.”

My grin was smug. “Fix what?”

“Tell everyone you made a mistake. That I’m not yours. Or Gray’s.”

Her chest brushed mine, and I looked down at her, making sure she didn’t miss my answer. “No.”

My breath hitched when something sharp pressed against my jeans, right where my dick was. She smirked at my reaction, pressing whatever she had in her hand harder against my crotch.

“I fucking dare you to try to keep your claim on me,” she whispered, her eyes lighting up in challenge.

There was a knock before a new voice filled the room. “Am I interrupting?”

I glanced at the doorway, just now realizing that Mili had left it open when she came in. Most likely for an easy way out if the conversation went south. The biker we were meeting with filled the doorway, his wary stare on me and Mili.

“No. She’s just leaving,” I said, nearly sagging with relief when she backed away. I caught a peek of her blade before it disappeared in her pocket. “This isn’t finished, Little Hellion. We still want answers.”

I purposely didn’t use her name in front of the biker, knowing it would only piss her off all over again. She studied me for a moment before turning on her heel and walking toward the biker. She slowed her steps, studying him and his leather cut.

“You’re not wearing the same patch as the bikers I saw last night,” she stated, making Gray groan.

“No. I’m here as the middleman,” he answered, sizing her up. “Who are you?”

I opened my mouth, but Mili spoke first. “I’m the reason your biker friend is dead. If you have an issue with that, then you can talk to me.”

Shock coursed through me, wondering what the hell she was doing. Was she trying to put the blame on herself? Why? It sure as fuck wasn’t to protect me. The guy raised his green eyes to me, arching an eyebrow.

“I thought you shot him?” he asked me.

“He did,” Mili piped up. “But only because I started it. The asshole touched me. If I’d gotten to my gun first, I would have done it.”

His gaze fell back on her. “You with their crew?”

“No.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “But if you ever get tired of your motorcycle and need a good car, I’m the one you can call.”

He stared at her for a moment before chuckling. “You remind me of someone I know.”

“Why?”

“Because you both scream trouble.”

Her body relaxed slightly, not seeing him as a threat. “Only when it replaces me.”

He extended his hand. “I’m Don. President of the Dusty Devils.”

She shook his hand, not introducing herself. “Nice to meet you. I’ll leave so you big men can get down to business.”

Without another glance at me or Gray, she bounded down the stairs. Don glanced over his shoulder, watching her leave before turning his attention back to us. Gray moved behind the bar and pulled some beers out of the fridge, offering one to Don.

“You heard her,” I said, leaning against the counter. “The guy was feeling her up. In our city. We gave him a chance to walk away, and he chose violence.”

Don seemed to ponder that as he took a swig of beer. “She yours?”

I glanced at Gray. “Yes.”

That one word would change it all now, and Mili was going to rage when she found out. It wouldn’t just be the people in our city who saw her as ours now. It would be the entire criminal circle we ran in. Don would tell his MC, and it would spread from there.

“If that’s true, why did she have a pocketknife to your junk when I walked in?” he asked, a twinkle of amusement in his gaze.

“She doesn’t like being told what to do,” Gray grumbled.

The back door opened, and I straightened up when Vic and Juan joined us. They nodded to Don before turning their scowls on me. We made polite conversation with Don, making sure he knew what happened last night. The other biker club had no reason to retaliate since I technically did nothing wrong. I was protecting my girl—in my city. Or that was what they’d believe. They didn’t have to replace out Mili would rather slice off my dick than be called mine.

“I’ll talk to the MC president, but I don’t think there will be an issue,” Don assured us. “This isn’t the first time they’ve had trouble with that guy.”

I really didn’t care either way. We could have handled the MC, and I was itching for a fight to take out my anger. Or a race. I needed to do something or I would go insane. Don finished his beer and stood from the stool.

“The Aces need an extra vehicle,” Don said, mentioning another MC that we did business with. “It’s a busy month.”

“No problem,” I muttered. We supplied their cars to ship the guns they sold, and it was an easy job. We never had issues with the Aces, and they always paid their bills.

Don left, shutting the door behind him. Vic and Juan focused on me, and I bit my tongue to keep quiet.

“Did you talk to her?” Juan asked.

“Yes,” Gray answered before I could. “She told us she used to work with the guy, and that he was a piece of shit.”

“How did she know about the meeting?” Vic snapped. “We’re careful to make sure our business dealings stay quiet. She clearly knew every detail about it.”

“She won’t tell us,” I admitted gruffly, moving to grab another beer.

“Unacceptable.” Juan stared at the security camera screen. “She’s in your city, and she agreed to respect it. We have a fucking reputation to uphold. Between her killing a potential business partner and getting you to kill for her, she’s done too much.”

Vic nodded in agreement. “Get her under control. Or we will.”

I bristled, anger rushing through me. “What will you do?”

Vic stared at me. “What changed?”

“What?” I asked, falling onto the couch.

“Neither of you wanted her here, and suddenly you’re puffing your fucking chest out—at me—when I threaten her.” Vic kept his glare on me, waiting for an answer.

“She’s Sapphire,” Gray said, as if they should know. “She isn’t someone we can bend to our will. Or get rid of. Not without consequences. She has people with special skills working for her. She’s not a one-person operation.”

“She’s more trouble than she’s worth,” Juan said quietly. “Did you two forget how large we are? We aren’t some small-time gang. We can handle her.”

Vic clicked his tongue, looking at me. “And we will if you two can’t. I want her connections. I want her to work for us. If that’s not possible, we get rid of her.”

I kept a blank expression on my face, nodding as if I agreed with them. They didn’t know her like we did. If we killed her, she’d bring us down with her. But that wasn’t what was plaguing my soul. It was the fact that I didn’t want her dead. Or gone. I wanted her to stay here. No matter how infuriatingly angry she got me every time she opened her mouth. But that wouldn’t happen. Not if Vic and Juan didn’t trust her. The other option was to force her out of Ridgewood.

“We have to go run a job,” Gray lied, shooting to his feet.

“What job?” Juan asked.

“Off the books,” I replied, following Gray to the door. “A favor for someone.”

“Figure it out with her,” Vic called after us. “Or we’ll intervene.”

I gritted my teeth as I went down the stairs. Ridgewood was mine and Gray’s. But the crew was still theirs. And they would do anything to make sure nothing happened to their legacy. They were the bosses, and our men followed their orders over ours. We answered to them. But when it came to Mili, I wanted them to stay the fuck out of it.

“She’s not going to suddenly start listening,” Gray mumbled as we pushed through the crowd until we got outside. “And she won’t tell us anything she doesn’t want to share, no matter what we threaten her with.”

“I know.” I leaned against my Jaguar, a heaviness filling my limbs. “We need to get her to leave. For good.”

“Force her out?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Either she stays and Vic and Juan get involved, or we make her leave.”

“She doesn’t want to go. She won’t make it easy.”

“We’re not going to give her a choice.” I could feel Gray’s stare, but just kept looking ahead. “We’re going to push her past her limits and hope to fuck she doesn’t kill us. Which will still be a huge possibility.”

“We only got a peek of her past, but it was enough to know that if we do something that horrible to her, she won’t forgive us,” Gray said carefully. “You can admit she’s gotten to you since she came to town. I know she got me.”

“She either hates us and leaves—or stays and possibly dies or gets blackmailed into work for the crew.” I finally turned my head, meeting his stare. “Which would you want for her?”

Gray didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to. Because I felt the same way. I fucking wished the lies I’d told the biker president were true. That she was our girl. Last night, when I shot the asshole, I didn’t give it a second thought. I saw his hands on her and went into a blind rage. I wanted her. But if the tattoo on her spine was anything to go by, she wanted to live her life free. She didn’t want to answer to anyone or be tied down. And if we showed her that was exactly what we wanted, she’d bolt in a heartbeat.

Which was why I planned to use that to get her to leave town.