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“I was going to give it to the authorities…” she says barely above a whisper.
I take it out of the bag and lay it out flat, subconsciously tracing my finger along the intricate flames licking up the back and shoulders. There’s a name—Kain—stitched on the front, along with a phrase I don’t recognize apart from it being of Latin descent. Memento mori. Curiously, I turn it around and notice a skull at the back of the flames with a name sewn across in thick black cursive.
Hellfyre Motorcycle Club.
CHAPTER FOUR
KAIN
“What the FUCK were you thinking?” John roars, his face purpling from his sheer pent-up rage. “How dare you go off on your own without consulting me? Do you know what you’ve done? To me? To this club?”
I lean back in the red leather armchair and give John an icy glare of my own, refusing to answer his insipid outburst. John’s office is nice, if a bit gaudy for my taste, but I’m glad we’re having the conversation here so the gossips outside won’t be able to eavesdrop.
“You killed the head of the Serpents!” John bellows, the veins in his neck threatening to burst. “Not just that! Bear told me they took you to the hospital! Do you even realize how stupid that was?”
It was kind of hard for me to resist while my lungs were filling with blood, but there’s no point in explaining it to him.
Instead, I roll my eye. John “Onyx” Wallace is all bark, no bite, despite what the rest of the club is made to believe. He’s been our leader ever since my father was exiled and joined—and led, until today—our rival club, the Serpents. Under John’s rule, we’ve been able to keep war from breaking out between the clubs, and most of the members of the Hellfyre Club think that’s a good thing.
I happen to disagree.
My eyes shoot fire at the so-called unbendable man. He pounds his fist on the oak desk in front of him, meaning to intimidate me into speaking.
“Why is it so fucking hard to get through that thick skull of yours?” He shakes his head sadly, stepping back from the desk when he realizes his usual tactics won’t work on me. “I try not to get involved in your business, Kain. What you do is vital for this organization. As my second-in-command, I know it more than anyone. But now you’ve murdered the head of the Serpents, and I have to step in. You do realize that, right?”
I crack my knuckles and stare him down across the desk, my fingers itching with the need to wrap around his thick neck. When he realizes I’m not going to respond, he lets out a heavy sigh.
“Why did you have to do it, Kain? Just tell me that, and I’ll drop it. I just need to know why.”
I shrug, my face going slack. He might have forgotten, might have even forgiven my father’s sins, but I never will.
“To send a message,” I say.
“To hell with your message!” John bellows. “We’re trying to make peace, not start a goddamn war! And that’s exactly what’s going to happen now that you’ve killed their leader!”
I sigh, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose. This is the problem with John. He has no stomach for the things that need to happen to men who cross the line. My father was one of those men, and he had to be dealt with accordingly.
If he can sleep at night knowing they’re out there doing fucked-up shit under our noses, then he can be my guest. But I can’t, and I won’t.
“What do you really want to say to me, John?” He flinches at his birth name, and something akin to joy sparks in my chest. If any of the other members dared to utter it, he would have taken their heads. But not me. Never me.
“First off, I’d like a little respect,” he growls, his voice low and murderous despite the nervous shift in his eyes. “And second… you’re not allowed to do a damn thing without consulting me from now on.”
I tip my chin. “Really?” This is actually kind of comical.
“Yes, really!” he roars, his neck purpling. “And if you refuse to listen, then you will be the one solely responsible for the downfall of this club.” He sighs, shoving a rugged hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “You and I both know I can’t make you do anything, Kain. But I’m asking you—for the sake of this club, for the sake of me—please, just lay low for a while.”
I take in his expression carefully, contemplating what to say to appease him. John may be a bit of a pussy, but he can sniff out bullshit better than anyone I know. Unless I want him to have me tailed, I’ll need to be convincing.
The last thing I need is someone getting in the way of my new plans. My plans for her.
Letting out a deep sigh, I run my hand over my face and feign a tortured expression. “Fine. I’ll lay low. For the club.”
Thankfully, that’s all it takes for him to believe me.
“Okay, then,” John grumbles, letting out a breath. “You’re going to give me a stroke one of these days, you know that?” he groans, slumping down into his armchair.
“Too bad you need me,” I say, giving him a careless shrug for good measure.
