Page 136 of Bitter’s Sweet

“You weren’t.”

“My car was.”

“Sweet.”

“My life was.”

“It was twenty minutes. Ghoul drove it. Brothers had the whole road covered.”

She laughs, one sharp sound.

“That is exactly what men like you do.”

That lands harder than a fist.

“Watch it.”

“No.” Her eyes flash now, finally angry. “You don’t get to tell me to watch anything. You stood in your apartment last night and made me believe you understood the difference.”

“I do.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you do it?”

Because Ravenfork was watching the shipment. Because I remember brothers bleeding. Because Hyde said club comes first. Because Lena taught me love turns into leverage if a man is stupid enough to let it.

Because I knew if I asked you, you might say no, and I knew what I was supposed to do if you did.

All of it is true.

Only one answer matters.

“The club needed to know if Razor was tied to the Reapers watching our shipment.”

She stares at me.

“And you chose the club.”

The garage goes silent.

Even Boogie has enough sense not to move.

This is the moment. The one where a better man finds another answer. The one where I could tell her I knew exactly what I was risking when I said yes.

I ain’t him.

“The club comes first.”

Sweet flinches.

Barely.

I would rather she slapped me.

Mercy whispers, “Bitter.”