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My wife twists around in the front seat, and I know I’m going to have a fight on my hands before I even get out of the car.
“The hell you are!”
“Barbs,” Sparky warns.
“No. He was shot, lost a kidney, and died twice. He’s going home.”
The turnoff for the club is coming up. “Sparks, take me to the club. If my wife pulls any funny shit, you have my permission to throw her over your shoulder and lock her in the main house.”
Alannah laughs, and since I know every one of her laughs, this one sends a shiver down my spine. I’m in trouble.
“It’s as if the two of you actually think you scare me.”
“Babe, I’ve got a rat to kill, and brothers to bring together. I’m not going home.”
“You get one hour. I dare you to push that hour and test me.”
I bite down on my lip to hide my grin she’ll want to wipe straight off if she sees it. I can’t help the chuckle that escapes, though.
“You can laugh all you want, Cas Jackson, but I wasn’t laughing when you flatlined.”
And like that, all humour is lost.
“I’m sorry. I’ll kill the rat quick, talk to the guys, and then I’ll go home.”
When Sparky drives into the club, I finally relax. I’m home. Parking up, Sparky climbs out to open my door, but I hold my hand up to halt him.
“I’m going to be fine, babe.”
Blowing out a long, deep breath, she continues to face forward.
“I don’t regret a thing in my life, Cas. I have so many amazing memories, and I’ve laughed more than most people ever will. I’ve been lucky, and I’ve been blessed, but loving you the way I do is hard. I’ve understood the life, and I’ve never questioned it, but sometimes I need you to be my husband and for you to let me be your wife.”
“Babe—”
“No. I will never have enough time with you, but I’d like to have as much of it as possible, and it—”
“I get it. I’ll be thirty minutes, and then I’ll be home. I’m not ready to leave you either, but I need the club settled before I can relax and heal.”
There’s no chance of me chilling out at home, knowing the rat is still breathing, and my brothers need to know it’s time we move forward.
I try to open the door, but I don’t have the strength to open it completely. Seeing this, Sparky swings it open. Leaning in, I grit my teeth as he helps me out. I hate how much I need his help to get out of a fucking car.
“Where is everyone?”
It’s too quiet out here. Sparky hovers close as we walk into the bar, where I find them all waiting on us.
“Nothing can kill this motherfucker!” Sparky hollers, and my brothers, the men who would die in my place, cheer. Fists bang on tables, overriding the pounding of my heart. This is home, and always will be. But right now, our house needs cleaning.
Raising my hand, the thunderous noise dies down. “Let’s kill the fucking rat!”
More cheers circulate while I work to breathe through the pain.
This is what we need, to act out the final piece of the puzzle. My club needs his blood for their revenge. We need to know the threat is gone for good. This is how we heal, how we’ve always healed.
The stairs are a bitch, but I make it down and step into the basement, my hand itching to go for my gun. The sight of club betrayal by one of our so-called own is too much.
“Look who came back from the dead just to take you out.” Sparky starts to laugh, causing Ethan to cringe.
