I have never felt more betrayed in my life. Even what Ryan did didn't compare to this, but I guess I'm the idiot that thought 2.5 million dollars wouldn't change things...or people.

"Are you Okay?" I finally ask Lana after driving in silence for a few minutes once we were on the strip.

"I'm-I think I'm in shock?" Her voice sounded lost.

I looked for a place to pull over and stopped my Jeep some place on the strip. I think I'm in shock too, my body feels like ice and I'm shaking.

"We can't go to the club, I don't know what I was thinking? I have to be smart about this, I need to think a minute" I said as I spaced off out of the windshield.

She whipped her head to me

"But Ghost is waiting-

"I know but he needs to come to us, where else could we meet up with him?" I asked her

"I don't know but I can call him, give me your phone" she demanded with her hand out.

"Hails?" She questioned softly "why do you think Rex had something to do with what happened?"

I handed her my phone

"Because when I called Cole for help in the safe room, Rex answered and told me to 'enjoy my road trip home bitch' and hung up on me" I quoted her what he told me.

"And you think Cole had something to do with it?" She asked softly

I nodded as tears welled up in my eyes

"I'm not sure and I don't know what to do, I'm scared of him now, I would have just given him the money if he told me he needed it" I was crying now and sending my body further into shock and I started to shiver uncontrollably.

"Don't cry Hailey" Lana reached over and put an arm around my shoulder in a side hug.

"I don't think Cole would do that though. He loves you, like really loves you, this has to be something Rex did on his own behind Coles back" she offered trying to console me

"I killed four people" I whispered as it finally really hit me that I took the lives of four people.

"You saved us, they were going to kill us for that money Hailey, it was self defense"

"Then we should have stayed and waited for the cops, now what are we going to do?! I'm going to go to prison!" I said in a panic

"I'm calling Bennie and telling her to meet us-where the hell are we?" She asked looking around trying to figure out where I pulled into.

She dialed Bennie

"Hey can you meet us at Ron's Pawn on the north end of the strip?" She asked Bennie

"No...no we aren't meeting there anymore. There is some serious shit going down. Don't tell anyone where we are Bennie and please bring a blunt B" she continued to talk to Bennie and I stared out the window in deep thought.

I didn't notice that she had called Ghost until I heard his loud voice boom over the phone in a panic to know where we were.

"Don't tell anyone Jimmy, please don't tell Cole, I know what I am asking of you to do is against the code of the club, to keep Cole out of the loop, but it's important" she pleaded with him "Okay hurry baby"

She hung up.

"He is going to come alone he said, I guess we will see. He said he has no idea what's going on Hail, he's freaking out!I can't imagine Cole knows what Rex did"

"Until I know for sure, I just don't trust anyone but you, Bennie and Ghost right now"

We spent the next twenty minutes trying to stay calm when Bennie pulled up next to my Jeep in her black Cadillac, alone thank God, I knew I could trust her.

She got into my Jeep and sat down on the bench seat in the back that Cole and I had slept together on and lit up a blunt and handed it to me.

"Now talk, What the fuck is going on? The whole house is on lockdown, I had to sneak out. Cole is in Psycho mode trying to find you" her voice was calm and firm in her deep tone as she let me know the situation she had left back at the house.

"Was Ghost at the house?" Lana asked Bennie

"No, him and Cole weren't there, they left earlier to find you" she responded "Cole put the club on lockdown and left Duck in charge, that's how I was able to leave, he was busy with club business"

"Shit!" I panicked "Ghost is with Cole Lana! Which means he probably is headed here with him now, we gotta go, now!" I stressed

Bikes rumbled on the strip not far away striking fear in my entire body. That sound was like a nail in my coffin, at least that's how I felt. Why did I trust Ghost?! Hell! Why did I trust Cole or any of them? They are criminals and I told them I had millions of dollars in cash?! I'm naive and either thought he loved me or the dick was too good and clouded my judgement. Either way, I'm an idiot.

"Out Bennie, thanks, I love you but he's coming" I said starting my car

"Stop Hailey! I need to see Ghost and I think you should talk to Cole, you don't know if he even knew what Rex did!" She exclaimed

Too late now

Two bikes rolled up next to us and I could tell by Coles' quick pace to get to the Jeep that this wasn't going to be good.

My drivers door was yanked open with such force it rocked the Jeep.

His ocean eyes met mine, swirling dark in blues and gray, a warning of the storm brewing inside him.

"He seethed through clenched teeth making me jump in my seat and then looked at Bennie, then Lana, making them scramble to get out.

"Lana don't you leave me damn it!" I yelled at her but she just looked back at me with sympathetic eyes and mouthed "I'm sorry" at me and got out of the Jeep followed by Bennie.

"Get in the back"

I did what he said and grabbed my purse I had thrown back there with the briefcase when I left Lana's house. I set it in my lap so if I had to protect myself I would have my gun.

Please God don't make me have to do that

I said a silent prayer to myself as I watched Cole climb into the Jeep and come at me quickly making me recoil from his touch.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw my reaction

"What the fuck is going on Hail? I thought this running bullshit was done?! I'm sorry I was a dick at breakfast, you know my old man makes me fuckin nuts! Why are you running now?!" He wasn't exactly yelling at me, it was more of an anxiousness of really not knowing what was happening.

But was he just acting like he didn't know? I don't know now and my trust issues are making it hard for me to read him.

"You really don't know?" I furrowed my eyebrows in question at him.

"Where is your dad Cole? You know I would have just given you the money if you told me you needed it?" I said angrily

His eyes snapped to mine confused

"What the fuck are you talking about? What does my pop-

"Your father tried to fuckin' kill me and Lana by sending 5 guys over to Lana's house to kill us and take the money. Oh no-actually I'm sorry, I forgot he was sending me back to Ryan after he took the money! So forgive me for not trusting you right now Cole!"

I saw his eyes darken as he clenched his jaw. He reached out and snatched my chin with his thumb and pointer finger, pulling me by my jaw to him, looking me right in the eyes.

Just by instinct of his invasion of my personal space, I tried to pull back from him but he didn't release his firm grip on me.

"Do you honestly think I had anything to do with whatever that crazy bastard concocted in his head?" He asked with more of a hurt tone than anger.

I fought back tears because I'm trying so hard not to be that weak girl anymore

"I didn't want to think that Cole but after the way you acted yesterday at breakfast, I just didn't know. You know I have serious fucking trust issues. I called you for help and Rex answered...do you know what he said? 'Enjoy your road trip home bitch'. He said it through a laugh Cole" I told him as the tears I had been holding back broke and rolled down my cheeks.

"Don't cry baby, please, I didn't know. Please believe me" His voice softened to the Cole I knew. He used his thumbs to wipe my the single tears that ran.

That's all I gave this whole fucked up mess, two tears, then I shut it behind a door in my mind. Now that I knew that Cole didn't have anything to do with what happened, all I could think about was my declaration to find both Ryan and Rex to finish this.

When I looked at Cole again his eyes were back to a mix of green and blue, he let go of my face to hold my hand. I looked down at our joined hands and took a deep breath before I looked up and met his eyes again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me" he said softly with sincerity, which was exactly what I needed from him in that moment. Then he kissed me in a way I knew how sorry he was.

"Now what?" I asked when we pulled back from each other.

A dark, wicked, look grew on his face, he was the scary, intimidating Cole now.

"We go hunting and use my old man to do it. He will lead us to Ryan and then we deal with them both" he said coldly

I thought about the men I killed in Lana's house. I need to tell him.

"Cole? I-when those men came into Lana's, I fought for my life, for our lives. I killed 4 of the 5 men with the guns from the safe. The shots brought the neighbors out and the cops came but we were able to get out before they showed up" I told him as butterflies swarmed in my belly from my nerves.

A smirk pulled at the left corner of his mouth "I knew you could if you ever had to. I'll call a friend, it'll be okay, don't worry baby. Come here, I missed you" he opened his arms to me and I happily climbed in his lap.

"You're going to make a good partner in crime baby" he grinned wickedly at me before pulling my lips to his.