The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 425

Chapter 208-2

“You’re not in business with anyone,” Locke growls, his voice carrying the dangerous weight of a predator cornered. “Vane doesn’t own shit on paper. That was the whole point of him using Knox as a front man. But you’re right about one thing: the Howlers know where that money came from, and they know what’s at stake.”

He exhales a heavy, grim breath.

“That’s why I was at the clubhouse this morning,” Locke says. “Our boys picked up movement in the Howlers’ inner circle. Knox’s blood wasn’t even cold before Grit Sterling stepped up to claim the president’s patch.”

“Grit?”

“Yeah. Knox was a greedy bastard, but Grit? Grit is an absolute fucking psychopath.”

“Psychopath how?”

“He’s spent the last five years acting as the Howlers’ VP and Enforcer, cutting throats and burning down competitors. With Knox gone and Vane breathing down their necks for a return on his investment, Grit is desperate. He needs those distribution warehouses unlocked, and he needs to get Vane his fentanyl before Vane starts wiping out the whole damn club.”

“Oh, God.”

“This changes our timeline,” Locke murmurs, more to himself than to me. “The Night Howler officers think Knox’s businesses and bank accounts are open season. They think they can just stroll in and seize control of the warehouses under street rule.”

“I bet they do.”

“But the second they realize a probate judge is freezing those accounts and assets, and handing the whole thing to you, they’re going to panic. Grit isn’t going to wait for a court hearing. He’s going to try and take what he thinks is his by force.”

I shiver, wrapping my cardigan tighter around my shoulders. “They’re going to come after me, aren’t they?”

“They can try,” Locke says. “We already have three full patches posted on the perimeter of this building, and I’ll have Cobra put twenty-four-hour surveillance on Mr. Meade’s office starting tonight. No one steps within fifty yards of you or your lawyer without my permission.”

He crouches down beside my chair once again, taking my face in his massive hands, forcing

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Chapter 208-2

me to look directly into his wolf eyes.

“We don’t run from this, though, baby. We use it.”

“Use it? How?”

+25 Points

“Knox built a machine designed to poison this city and enrich himself,” Locke says. “He used those legal fronts to hide behind the law while his club did the dirty work. But now… the man is in a pine box, his club is scattered, and you hold legal title to every single square foot of his infrastructure.”

He runs his thumb gently over my split lip, his touch reverent despite the darkness of his

words.

“We take those bank accounts and we liquidate every cent,” Locke says. “We take those warehouses and we sell them off to legitimate commercial developers. We cancel the dock leases. We shut down the body shops. We take Knox McVale’s entire legacy – the blood money, the land, the brick, and the steel – and we burn it to the fucking ground until there’s no thing left for anyone to claim.”

“And the million in cash?” I say, my voice barely above a whisper as I search his face. “What do we do with money that was earned off human misery?”

“We cleanse it,” Locke answers without a moment’s hesitation. “Every single dollar goes into an irrevocable trust. We donate it anonymously to drug addiction recovery centers, and youth shelters across the state. Knox spent his life destroying families for profit, and we’ll use his own bank accounts to rebuild what he tore apart.”

A heavy, emotional lump forms in my throat as his words wash over me. The suffocating panic that’s been crushing my chest since the call with Mr. Meade slowly begins to dissipate, replaced by a fierce sense of purpose.

“Can… can we really do that?” I ask. “Can we really wipe him and his name out of the city?”

“We have to,” Locke says, his hand moving down to cover my stomach, resting warm and protective over our growing child. “Because as long as those titles exist on paper, you’re tied to Knox’s filth. We’re going to clear the board completely.”

I take a deep shuddering breath. “Okay.”

“Meade wants you to sign those probate papers tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Sign them, and take control, Zara. Take the titles. Take the money. And then hand them to me to carry with you. I’ll make sure we turn Knox McVale’s life’s work to fucking dust.”

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+25 Points

I nod slowly, closing my eyes and burying my face into his chest, holding on to him as if he were the only solid thing left in the world.

The ghost of Knox McVale tried to pull me back into the dark from beyond the grave. But as Locke’s arms wrap around me, holding me tight against his heart, I know that this time, we aren’t just going to survive the fire.

We’re going to burn his legacy to ashes.

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