“It could be legit,” Jake offered slowly. “Derek was never in Marcus’s inner circle from what I remember. He Kept his head down, did his job, avoided the political games. That’s either because he’s a good actor or because he genuinely didn’t approve of Marcus’s methods.”

“Or it’s a trap,” one of the Iron Fangs muttered. “They join us, we let our guard down, and then their sleeper agents blow everything up from the inside.”

“Or,” I said carefully, feeling multiple ...