Chapter 10: The Promise That Broke Us Apart
The silence after Cole’s words felt heavier than any fight I had ever been in.
The parking lot was still.
Too still.
The kind of silence that comes before something breaks.
I stared at him.
At the man who had been my brother for half my life.
The man who knew every scar I carried.
Every mistake I regretted.
Every fear I never admitted.
And now he was standing in front of me, telling me the biggest secret of my life had been hidden because my own sister asked him to.
“Explain.””
My voice came out colder than I expected.
Cole looked at Marcus.
Then at me.
“I need you to understand something.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“I need you to answer one question.””
Cole waited.
“Why did my sister leave me?””
His face changed.
The question hurt him.
Good.
Because it had hurt me every day for fifteen years.
Cole looked down.
“Because she thought you would die if she stayed.””
My anger froze.
“What?””
Marcus crossed his arms.
“Careful, Cole.””
I turned toward Marcus.
“You don’t get to stand there and act like you’re helping.””
His smile disappeared.
“I know more than you think.””
“Then talk.””
Marcus looked at Eli.
The boy immediately moved closer to me.
That small movement told me everything.
Eli didn’t trust Marcus.
Neither did I.
Marcus noticed.
“She really told him everything, didn’t she?””
I frowned.
“Who?””
“Nia.””
The way he said her name made my fists tighten.
“Don’t say her name like you knew her.””
Marcus laughed quietly.
“Bear, you have no idea what happened.””
“Then tell me.””
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Marcus said:
“Fifteen years ago, Nia discovered someone inside the Iron Saints was selling information.””
I nodded.
“We know.””
“No.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You know the small part.””
He stepped closer.
“She discovered someone wasn’t just selling information.””
The wind moved through the parking lot.
“He was building a list.””
“A list of what?””
Marcus looked at me.
“People who could be controlled.””
My stomach tightened.
“Controlled?””
“Your enemies. Your allies. Your weaknesses.””
He looked toward the motorcycles.
“Everything about the club.””
Cole interrupted.
“Stop.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Still protecting him?””
Cole’s voice became hard.
“Don’t involve Eli.””
Marcus smiled.
“There it is.””
I looked between them.
“What does that mean?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
Cole did.
“Marcus knew about Eli.””
The words hit instantly.
I looked at Marcus.
“You knew?””
Marcus said nothing.
“Did you know my nephew existed?””
His silence was enough.
My anger rose.
“You knew.””
Marcus sighed.
“I knew there was a child.””
“A child?””
My voice echoed.
“He’s not a file. He’s not information.””
Eli looked down.
I saw him shrinking into himself.
I immediately softened.
“Eli.””
He looked up.
“You okay?””
He nodded.
But he wasn’t.
No child should hear adults discussing their existence like a secret.
I turned back to Marcus.
“Why?””
Marcus stared at the ground.
“Because Nia made sure nobody could find him.””
“And you tried?””
“No.””
The answer surprised me.
“I didn’t.””
“Why?””
Marcus looked at Cole.
“Because he asked me not to.””
I turned.
“Cole?””
Cole closed his eyes.
“I made a deal.””
My heart sank.
“There it is.””
“Bear—”
“No.””
I stepped away.
“You keep saying you protected her.””
Cole’s voice cracked.
“I did.””
“Then why did you need Marcus?””
“Because I couldn’t do it alone.””
The parking lot blurred for a second.
I hated that part of me still wanted to understand him.
Still wanted him to be telling the truth.
Cole continued.
“After Nia left, I found out someone was watching me.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
“Again.””
His jaw tightened.
“I’m not hiding anything.””
“You’ve hidden everything.””
He looked at me.
“That’s fair.””
The honesty caught me off guard.
Cole took a breath.
“Nia wanted me to make sure Eli grew up away from the club.””
“Why?””
His answer was quiet.
“Because she believed the club was the reason people would come after him.””
I looked at the Iron Saints symbol on my vest.
Something I had spent my life building.
Something I thought represented family.
Now I wasn’t sure what family meant anymore.
Marcus stepped forward.
“You’re asking the wrong question.””
I looked at him.
“What?””
“You keep asking who betrayed you.””
He pointed toward the club.
“You should be asking why everyone was afraid to tell you.””
Nobody spoke.
Because he was right.
Too many people knew something.
Too many people stayed silent.
My phone buzzed.
Everyone froze.
Unknown number.
Again.
I opened it.
A photo appeared.
Nia.
Alive.
Sitting in a room.
Her face tired.
But alive.
My breath caught.
The message appeared below.
“Bring Bear alone if you want your sister back.””
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
“Leave Cole behind.””
I looked up.
Cole saw my expression.
“What is it?””
I locked the phone.
“Nothing.””
But he knew.
Because Cole had spent years reading me.
He knew when I lied.
May you like
And this time…
I was lying to him.
