Epilogue

Draven blinked and groggily lifted his head. The first question he thought was what the hell had he drunk last night to get him so wasted? He hadn’t gone on a bender for years, not since the day his cousin Tom had died, then he’d lost a whole week due to living at the bottom of a bottle. When he’d finally emerged from his drunken haze, he vowed never to touch a drop again, which he’d broken only a couple of weeks later since he spent so much time at the Wolves’ clubhouse and those fellows certainly never heard the word sobriety.

He went to wipe his eyes and that’s when he realized his wrists were handcuffed.

“What the fuck?” he muttered, finally looking around. He sat in a chair in a dark room, confined to the metal armrests.

“What the fuck!” he yelled, hoping to get someone’s attention. “Someone better get in here and free me! Or I’m going to tear your fucking head off!”

He struggled, pulling and twisting. The chair was bolted to the floor so he couldn’t even get to his feet. Pissed off, he grew angrier with every second. Then the door opened and his hatred exploded when a man stepped into the room. Not just any man.

The fed who had killed his cousin.

“You!” Draven shouted, straining to get his hands around the man’s neck. “Fucking FBI! I’m going to kill you.”

“Calm down,” the man ordered. He sat in the chair he’d brought with him and turned it around so he could straddle it and rest his arms along the back. He was a big guy who made the chair look like doll furniture. “My name is—”

“I don’t need to know your fucking name,” Draven spat. “I know your face. And as soon as my hands are free, I’m going to wrap them around your neck.”

“As I was saying,” he continued unruffled. “My name is Agent Cadence Vanaker. I know you hate me, John, but you’re going to have to put that aside if you want to save your club.”

Draven narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“We know about the drug run you just did,” Cade said. “And we know about the money laundering at the tattoo parlor.”

Fear shot through Draven—not for him, but for the club and for his brothers. A federal conviction meant years in prison and some of the older dudes, like Nick, didn’t have it in them for the harsh conditions. He tried to calm himself so he could pay attention, although his whole body remained tense.

“How the hell do you know that?” he asked.

“That’s not important,” Cade said dismissively. “When I found out you were taking this run to Vegas, I put some plans in motion. Ones you’re going to help me with.”

“What do you want?”

“I don’t care about your club’s recent activities, especially since it all just started,” Cade replied, maintaining eye contact with Draven. “The FBI recently discovered a human trafficking ring operating in Destiny, Wyoming.”

“The hell you say!” Draven growled. “The Wolves would know if something like that was going on in our territory.”

“Unfortunately, it’s true,” Cade insisted. “I’ve been brought in to discover who’s running it and to take it down. And I’m going to need your help.”

Draven snorted “What makes you think I would help you or the fucking feds?”

“Because I can take away all the club’s felony charges,” Cade replied firmly. From the inside of his jacket, he produced a stack of neatly folded papers and held them up. “I can keep the DEA off your backs, if you agree to help me. But if you say no, your club has about forty-eight hours until the federal agents descend. And this deal also includes not killing me.”

Draven wanted so very much to do that right now. Or maybe punch the asshole in the face a few times before shooting the fucker.

“I hate you,” he whispered, putting as much malice in his voice as he possibly could.

“I know,” Cade said, almost sadly. “But whatever you think of me, push it aside. There have been sixteen women abducted. God knows how many more. Whoever is behind this has to be stopped, John.”

Draven was of two minds. One wanted to spit in the fucker’s face. The other wanted to help Agent Vanaker bring down the vermin who were hurting women, especially in his territory.

“Why me?”

“Opportunity. You’re going to bring me back as a new member for the club.”

“You’ve got to be joking.”

“You’re the only one who knows who I am. I need to go undercover and lay low while I gather Intel. Being with the Wolves is a perfect alibi. I have my suspicions but I need to get closer.”

Draven shook his head. “You can’t possibly pull off being a prospect.”

“No,” Cade said dryly. “I’m going in as a nomad.”

“You won’t be able to sit in on church.”

“And that’s why I’ll have you,” Cade said. “You will be my ears to the inner workings of the club.”

“The Wolves aren’t into human trafficking.”

“I agree. I don’t think they are. But until I find out who is, everyone’s a suspect. I can’t trust anyone.”

“I don’t trust you,” Draven stated.

“Fine. But we’re still going to be the best of buds. Just you wait and see.”