Nothing is missing except her makeup bag.

And her purse.

Everything she needs to make a quick exit.

She left everything else behind. All of her clothes, her personal things, and me.

Especially me.

I can’t believe she took off without saying a word. Not even a ‘fuck you Sam, you’re going to jail, asshole,’ as she slipped out the door.

Deep down, I felt something was wrong last night. Her every touch told me she was getting ready to run. And that she didn’t want to go.

Why the fuck didn’t I say something to stop her?

I was always thinking and hoping we would be able to work things out before it was too late. Waiting for her to open up and be honest. Tell me everything so we could both stop playing this fucking game and fight our way through hell to be together.

Maybe she thinks I couldn’t forgive her.

Now she’s gone and I don’t know how to get her back.

I still can’t believe this is happening.

Hurrying back into the bedroom, I dress quickly and reach for my cell phone on the bedside table. Out of habit, I turn it on and check for messages. There’s only one message. From Lila:

“Goodbye Sam. I’m sorry.”

Immediately, I hit her number and the call goes straight to her voice mail. The automated message says her mailbox is full.

“Fuck!” I yell.

I’m not going to let her just walk away.

This isn’t over.

***

I unlock the door to the tattoo shop and flip on the lights. After crawling under my desk, I reach around and feel with my fingers for the surveillance bug.

It’s gone.

Shit!

If I had doubts that Lila was gone for good, I don’t now.

How the hell did she get in here without breaking the lock?

Obviously she’s had a set of keys all along to the shop. I wonder how many times she’s slipped in and out of here to switch out bugs or sift through our financial records. She probably made copies of every piece of paper in the shop and listened in on all of my conversations with customers.

Now she’s taking all of that information straight to the ATF.

She’s probably there already, unloading a carload of incriminating shit on me and the rest of the Steel Infidels. I bet she’ll get a big promotion or at least a raise for fucking me over. Her bosses should be pleased with a job well done.

I can see them all now. Standing around the coffee pot in the office break room, laughing about how she sucker-punched a bunch of dumbass North Georgia bikers.

The facts can’t be denied any longer.

She outsmarted me, and now we’re all fucked.

It’s time to head home so I can tell Jesse that I failed.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Lila

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