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5
Pen - Present day
Itake the proffered drink from Grim and swallow back the contents in one go. It’s whisky, and the fiery liquid burns the whole way down my throat. “Another,” I state, pushing the glass back across the table.
“You need to slow down. You still have anesthesia in your bloodstream,” Xeno warns.
“I said, give me another.” My fingers clasp firmly around the glass as I glare at Xeno. Grim nods, pouring me a second generous shot. This time I sip it slowly, relishing the burn. Loving the way my legs feel heavy and everything Xeno’s just told me is a little less difficult to absorb.
“It’s a lot to take in,” Hudson says.
“A lot to take in? That’s the understatement of the century.” I shake my head, trying to make sense of everything. Right now, I just feel numb. This is all so much bigger than I had ever anticipated. I knew they were keeping secrets, but this? I had no fucking idea. “So you were hired to take down this Santiago Garcia guy in return for riches and freedom from the Skins, is that right?” I ask Xeno, but it’s Hudson who answers.
“Yes,” he confirms. “For the past year the Breakers have been working undercover, gathering information and feeding it back to me. In turn, myself and my brothers have been passing that information on to Interpol who are gathering a case together.”
“So you can get your revenge?” I spit, narrowing my eyes at Hudson, and I can feel it, that anger boiling inside of me. How dare he use my Breakers like this? How dare he put them indangerlike this. I’m not stupid, I know how this shit works. Fuck, Jeb put a bullet in his security guard’s brain right in front of me without a second thought because he failed to do his job and keep his secret from being found out. I’ll never forget walking in on Jeb getting his dick sucked by a man, but this is nothing compared to that. I can’t bear to think what could happen to them if Jeb, if Santiago, finds out what they’re doing. I’m betting whatever they’d do, a bullet to the brain would be the better option.
“Pen, it’s not as simple as that,” Grim says, noticing my sudden change in mood. I’ve gone from shocked to pissed off in under a second.
“No? It seems pretty fucking simple to me. Your best friend here, the man you’re asking me to trust, is using my Breakers, the menIlove to mete out his revenge. He’s put them in danger, Grim, and you’re asking me to listen to what he says? I can’t fucking believe it.”
“Do you think we can’t handle ourselves? Is that it, Pen?” Xeno asks me in a tone of voice that pisses me the fuck off.
“That’s not what I said—”
“Do you think we’re weak fools who follow Hudson’s lead because we can’t think for ourselves? Stop looking at us like we’re those boys you knew and start seeing us for what wereallyare. Maybe then you wouldn’t be so blinded by your love,” Xeno snaps.
I scowl, every word coming out through gritted teeth. “I’mnotblinded by my love, Xeno. Don’t throw that back in my face as though you’re somehow allergic to it. I might not know what you’ve been doing these past three years exactly, but I can fucking guess. But right now, all I see is someone with a different kind of power using you to get what he wants,” I say, narrowing my eyes at Hudson. “If you’re offended by what I’ve just said, that’s because I want you to be.”
Hudson nods, but he doesn’t try to deny it. “Understood.”
Xeno shakes his head in frustration. “Maybe that was true when we were kids. Maybe we were led by the nose by Jeb. Not anymore. Hudson doesn’t own the Breakers, and he sure as fuck isn’t the boss of me, though at times he fucking acts like it,” Xeno states, casting a scathing look at Hudson and daring him to object. “We’re doing this forus. We’re doing this because we fuckingcan. Jeb’s a piece of shit. Santiago is a dangerous man, granted, but a piece of shit nonetheless. We help Hudson, he helps us. It’s a win-win. A partnership,” he points out.
“Not to mention your Breakers have already done pretty well out of this deal, and will continue to do so,” Grim interjects, then cants her head at me. “I understand you’ve already had an evening at Jewels Nightclub...”
I snap my head around to look at Xeno. “Youown Jewels Nightclub? Rag ‘n’ Bone man played there. How did you manage—”
Xeno shrugs, like it’s no big deal. “It’s a cool club, singers want to perform there. We own Chastity Nightclub too.”
“Thesex club?” I choke out.
“Why do you think I was so angry you were there? I know exactly what goes on in that club because I fucking own it.”
“Jesus Christ. Are there any other clubs you own that I should know about?” I ask, my head spinning.
“No. Just those two.”
“And what does Jeb think about your little side venture? Is he skimming the profit from your clubs just like he does with The Pink Albatross? When I ran into Jeb there, he basically said he owned the place even though D-Neath’s name is on the deeds.”
“Jeb doesn’t know shit about our clubs and that’s the way it’s gonna stay,” Xeno says, his words brooking no arguments.
“So you’re telling me that Jeb doesn’t have a clue that you’re double-crossing him? That you’re owners of not one but two exclusive clubs in his city and he doesn’t know about it,” I ask, doubtful.
“As far as he’s concerned, we’re his most trustworthy soldiers and that’s the way it’s going to stay until the time comes to pull the fucking rug out from under him. We own those clubs, but if anyone were to go digging, they’d see Grim’s name on the deeds.”
“Sothat’swhere you come in,” I say, barking out a laugh, even more pissed off than before.
“You’re set to gain an awful lot if this goes tits up, right? Fuck, you really are smart.” It’s not a compliment and she knows it.
