“Alright man.” He nods as his men help Linc load up the truck with the guns in tow.
“Oh, yeah.” He laughs out, turning around and looking at me. “I heard your girl is marrying that dirty cop. At least she’s consistent. But goddamn, what a piece of ass—”
I don’t care what else he has to say as I’m moving over to him.
“The fuck did you just call her?” I slam him into the truck, causing all the men to freeze. I’m sure that every single gun in the vicinity, well except for mine and Axe’s, are all pointed at me. I press mine up against Lucas’s chin and I’m sure Axe has his pointed at one of Lucas’s men.
“This isn’t smart Zane. Don’t make the same fucking mistake you dad did.”
“Don’t talk about my dad like that. You don’t know what he did.”
“Everyone knew your dad had a weakness for Caroline, and in the end, that’s what got him killed. You don’t want a female to be the reason you end up with a goddamn bullet in you, do you? But goddamn, I can see why you had such a thing for her, her tight little ass and I can only imagine—”
I can’t help but laugh. “Don’t you see, you spineless fuck? My mother was never a weakness. She made him fucking stronger. And I’d do a lot worse for Tatum than die.” I mumble to him, my hand finding the second gun in my holster milliseconds before I pull the trigger and Lucas’s brains spray out of the top of his head.
I feel the burning of a bullet as it grazes by me, fucking thugs and not knowing how to shoot. Quickly spinning around, I see his second-in-command fall as Axe fires a shot, Linc downing one, and then I fire one last shot at the man who grazed me.
“Fucking seriously?” Axe shouts as I shrug my shoulder, making my way over to the bike as the rest of the club comes skidding around us to help us clean up my mess.
Should I have done that? No.
Was it careless? Absolutely.
Would I do it again? You’re goddamn right, I would.
No one talks aboutmyfucking girl.
“You’re shot.”
“I know.” I nod my head.
“Wrap it so you don’t bleed on the scene.” Axe tells me, grabbing the bandana and we work to get my minor wound covered.
“Find the stray bullet, so it’s not here.” I tell my brothers who look around the scene before one pops up with it.
We work quick as we clean off the prints of the unregistered guns we have slipping them into the hands of the men who were shot, well all except for one, that one I clean off as best as possible, flicking it into the ocean, we grab our guns out of the back of the van, the duffle bags of money, and the entire club rides out.
We probably should have left the money, but now it just looks like something bad went on within the gang.
Passing by the garage, I react to seeing the car before I realize I’ve seen it. Swerving into the parking lot, kicking the stand down, I move over to it.
For a second I think that she’s thought it over and taken me up on my offer, but when I see how empty the inside is, I hate myself for the hope I had. What does it mean for the car to be here? Why would she just leave it here? It’s hers.
Moving across the parking lot as the revving of the engine from Axe’s bike finally makes it in, I unlock the door, moving in through the lobby, racking my mind with what is going on.
I hear the keys jingle as I kick them across the room. Looking down, the sheet of paper my foot is on catches my attention.
Kneeling, I pick it up, attempting to keep my rage in check as I read her handwriting.
Please take it back. If I keep it, he’s going to sell it.
I’m sorry… for everything.
“Your doing what’s right.” I whisper to myself in the mirror as I stand in the dressing suite. My dress hanging on the door behind me. Taking a deep breath, I turn around, reaching up, and pulling it down off of the hanger. I know I don’t love Darren, but is love really the only reason to get married. You can be in love without being married. Why can’t you be married without being in love? At the thought of love, I imagine Zane’s face as he took me back to the house from the desert. Reaching around my body, I hook the dress at the top of the zipper, attempting to zip up the back but becoming frustrated.
I feel nauseated, which I haven’t in a few days. I know that it’s because of what’s happening today. “Get it together.” I whisper to myself, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.
I jump as I feel hands up on my waist, quickly looking up in the mirror, and I swear I think I’m imagining things for a moment. A sob escapes me as I watch him zip up my dress.
