CHAPTER FOUR: BLOOD AND CHOICES

Derek stood ten feet away, his smile cold and familiar. Behind him, Colt's gun was already aimed at Derek's head.

"Step away from her," Colt said. His voice was death itself.

Derek laughed. "Or what? You will shoot me in your own clubhouse? In front of your girl?" He looked at me, and I saw the madness in his eyes. "Tell him, Jenna. Tell him what happens when people try to protect you."

My mouth was too dry to speak.

"Jenna." Colt's voice cut through my terror. "Get behind me. Now."

"She is not going anywhere." Derek's hand moved to his waistband. "Are you, baby? Because if you do, I will kill everyone in this building. Starting with the blonde in the kitchen. Candy, right? Pretty name."

"You son of—" Colt started forward.

"Ah, ah." Derek pulled out a detonator. Small. Black. His thumb rested on the button. "See this? There are three more explosives planted around your compound. One near the garage. One by the dorms. One in the bar where all your brothers are having their little meeting."

My legs nearly gave out. "Derek, please—"

"Please?" His voice turned sharp. "You left me, Jenna. You stole my car. My money. You made me look weak." He took a step closer. "Do you know what happens to men who look weak? They lose everything."

"I am sorry." The words tasted like ash. "I am so sorry. Just do not hurt them. Please."

"Then come here." He held out his hand. "Come with me. Right now. And I will let your biker boyfriend and his crew live."

"Do not." Colt's voice was a command. "Jenna, do not move."

But Derek's thumb pressed down slightly on the button. Not enough to trigger it. Just enough to show he meant it.

"Ten seconds," Derek said. "Then I blow this place to hell."

I looked at Colt. Really looked at him. Saw the boy who kissed me under the bleachers after football games. Who held my hand through my mother's funeral. Who promised me forever in a voice that did not know how to lie.

And I saw the man he became. Hard. Dangerous. A king in leather and steel.

"I am sorry," I whispered to him. "For everything."

I took a step toward Derek.

"Jenna, no—"

Derek's hand shot out and grabbed my arm, yanking me against him. The detonator pressed into my side.

"Good girl." His breath was hot against my ear. "Now we are leaving. You try anything, biker boy, and everyone here dies."

Colt's gun never wavered. "Let her go."

"Not a chance." Derek started backing toward the exit, dragging me with him. "She is mine. She has always been mine. You were just a stupid kid with stupid dreams."

"Colt." My voice broke. "Please. Let us go."

His eyes met mine. Steel and fury and something that looked like heartbreak.

Then he lowered his gun.

Derek laughed, triumphant. "Smart man. See, Jenna? He does not really care. If he did, he would have fought harder."

We were almost to the door when Colt spoke again.

"You are right about one thing," he said quietly. "I was a stupid kid with stupid dreams. But that kid is dead." His smile was terrifying. "And you just made a mistake coming into my territory."

"Your territory?" Derek scoffed. "Your territory is about to be rubble."

"Is it?" Colt tilted his head. "See, while you were busy making your dramatic entrance, my VP was checking your explosives. Turns out, they are fake. Just road flares and duct tape. Real cute."

Derek's arm tightened around me. "You are bluffing."

"Am I?" Colt's phone buzzed. He glanced at it, then smiled. "Razor just confirmed. No explosives. No detonator. You are just a coward with a fake bomb and a death wish."

The world tilted.

Derek's hand shook against my side. "You are lying. You have to be—"

The door behind us exploded inward.

Razor and four other MC members poured in, guns drawn. Derek spun, jerking me in front of him like a shield.

"Stay back!" His voice cracked. "Stay back or I will kill her! I swear to God—"

"With what?" Colt walked forward slowly. Deliberately. "You have no explosives. No backup. No plan." He stopped five feet away. "You have nothing."

"I have her!" Derek's arm crushed my throat. "I have her, and you want her. So here is the deal. You let me walk out of here, or I snap her neck."

"Derek, please—" I choked out.

"Shut up!" He squeezed harder. Black spots danced across my vision. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Colt's expression went blank. Empty. "You know what? Go ahead."

Everything stopped.

"What?" Derek's grip loosened slightly.

"Snap her neck." Colt shrugged. "She left me once. Destroyed me. Why would I care if you kill her? Go ahead. Do it."

"Colt—" My voice was barely a whisper.

"In fact, you would be doing me a favor." He looked at me, and his eyes were dead. Completely dead. "One less problem to deal with."

Derek laughed, but it sounded wrong. Uncertain. "You are bluffing."

"Try me."

For three seconds, nobody moved.

Then Derek made his choice.

His arm loosened completely, reaching for something in his jacket. A gun. A real one.

And Colt moved.

Fast. Brutal. Perfect.

His fist connected with Derek's jaw. Derek stumbled back, and I fell forward. Razor caught me as Colt descended on Derek like a wolf on wounded prey.

"You want to hurt her?" Colt's voice was inhuman. "You want to put your hands on what is mine?"

His fists rained down. Again. Again. Again.

"Colt, stop!" I screamed. "You are going to kill him!"

"That is the plan."

Derek's face was already pulp. Blood everywhere. He was not even fighting back anymore.

"Colt, please!" I broke free from Razor, grabbed Colt's arm. "Please stop!"

He froze. Fist raised. Blood dripping.

Slowly, he looked at me.

And what I saw in his eyes made my soul ache.

"You are defending him," he said softly. "After everything. You are defending the man who beat you."

"I am defending you." Tears streamed down my face. "If you kill him, you will go to prison. And I cannot lose you again. Not like this."

Something flickered in his eyes. Then died.

He stood, leaving Derek broken and bleeding on the floor.

"Lock her in the room upstairs," he told Razor. "Post two guards. She does not leave. She does not talk to anyone."

"Colt—"

"And get that trash out of my clubhouse." He looked down at Derek with pure disgust. "Take him to the warehouse. I will deal with him later."

"You cannot just—"

He turned on me so fast I flinched. "You made your choice ten years ago when you ran. You made your choice tonight when you went to him. You do not get to make choices anymore, Jenna. I do." He leaned in close. "And I choose to keep you alive. Whether you like it or not."

Razor's hand closed around my arm.

As they dragged me upstairs, I looked back at Colt one last time.

He stood in the blood-soaked hallway, looking more alone than any person I had ever seen.

And I realized that coming back to Redemption Creek was not a mistake.

It was a curse.

One that might destroy us both.