Chapter 14. Blacktop Secrets

Meet me. Midnight. Old service station.

No name. But she knew who it was.

The service station sat on the edge of Crestwood, a rusted skeleton of gas pumps and cracked glass. The Wolves had claimed it years ago—neutral ground, or so the stories went.

Riven parked her bike in the shadows, engine ticking. The night was quiet, heavy with the smell of oil and dust.

Axel leaned against the pumps, hood up, his eyes catching the glow of the single working light overhead.

“You came,” he muttered.

“You asked.”

His mouth twitched like he wanted to smirk, but didn’t. Instead, he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.

“We don’t have much time.”

Riven’s pulse spiked. “Time for what?”

Axel’s gaze flicked toward the garage doors. “Magnus keeps records. Deals, rides, names he doesn’t want anyone remembering. They’re locked in the back office. If anyone knows what happened to Hale, it’ll be in there.”

Her stomach lurched. “An