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Jigsaw nodded, striding away as I ignored how quiet the room had gotten.
Three a.m. and every single one of my brothers were awake. Rael and Exorcist were in the dungeon downstairs. I didn’t see Mammoth and figured he joined them.
Bodie, Lucky, Hannibal, and Diablo weren’t saying shit. Hannibal was flipping his goddamn lighter open and closed, oblivious to the noise as he perched on a stool at the bar. Bodie and Lucky paused their game of pool, taking in the room and the weird vibe. Diablo was hitting a bong hard, long ago high enough to fly a damn kite, but he didn’t seem to notice. Even Xenon was staring at me with his hands in his pockets and looking awkward without any of his tech devices.
“Guest room 1 is open,” Grim announced. Staring at the others, he gestured to the hall. “Church at noon. Get some sleep. I’m gonna be pissed if anyone is late.”
Bodie and Lucky were quick to return to their pregnant ol’ ladies as Diablo picked up the bong and took it with him, exiting down the hall with a snicker. Asshole.
Hannibal finally shoved his lighter into one of the pockets of his cut. “Funny thing about fate. Has a way of showing up with a swift kick in the ass.”
Grim smirked as Hannibal slid from the stool and headed toward his room, weaving slightly along the way.
It didn’t escape my notice that the nicest guest room we had was the one he was offering to Tawni and Zane. Also happened to be just three doors down from my own.
Patriot rounded the corner with Jigsaw. “I got you, Wraith.”
Those three words meant more than I could possibly convey. “Thanks.”
“No problem, brother. Let’s get them moved to the guest room.”
Approaching Zane, I noticed the glazed look in his eyes and the dark circles underneath. Kid was exhausted and fought the fatigue because he didn’t want to sleep until he knew if his mother was alright. He didn’t have to say those words for me to understand. His body language was proof enough. Angled to shield her from harm, he stared me down as I sat across from him.
“Zane, we’ve got a room you can stay in. I’m gonna carry your mom, and Patriot here is gonna look her over.”
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Are you a doctor or something?”
“A Marine. I’ve tended a lot of wounds. Plenty worse than your mother, and that was just the first year out of boot camp. I’ve got plenty of experience, and I know what I’m doing.”
That must have been enough to convince Zane. His shoulders relaxed a bit as he moved aside. I scooped up his mother and held her to my chest, following Patriot down the hall. Zane was close behind, and although he didn’t say a word, I could feel his hostility. Maybe he didn’t believe that I wasn’t to blame for her injuries.
Once we entered the guest room, I carefully placed Tawni on the mattress, reluctant to release her before I knew she was going to be okay.
“Hey,” he announced as Patriot began his exam, “What they call you?”
“Wraith,” I answered, giving him my full attention.
“Good. Then you can disappear. Don’t need anyone but the Marine in here with my mom and me.”
As much as I didn’t like his attitude, I couldn’t blame him for feeling overwhelmed and protective about Tawni.
“You got it, kid. I’ll check on you both in the morning.”
I barely got the words out and made it to the door before he was shutting the damn thing in my face.
––––––––
AGGRAVATED, I STOMPEDdown the stairs into the dungeon, glaring at the two fuckers exposed and ready for reaping. Rael had them trussed up with nylon rope like a couple of piglets and seemed to be enjoying the fact that the two goons were naked as the day they were born. Grown men with their limp dicks just hanging there vulnerable placed them in an awkward and uncomfortable position, and that was the point.
Mammoth, our V.P., stood there like a bouncer who used heavy steroids all his life. He didn’t. Corn fed and born in Ohio; he was just born big and beefy. Nearly six and a half feet tall, Mammoth towered over most men. His shoulders were so broad he turned sideways to enter and exit through the doors of the Crossroads, and we had them built extra roomy when Grim took the place over.
Exorcist was drinking a beer and waiting on word from Rael as he leaned against the wall, feet crossed at the ankles. Frankly, I was confident he would fall over without the support. His bloodshot eyes proved he was wasted. I didn’t say shit because Exorcist could handle his booze and weed. Wasn’t my place to call him out on his shit. He could get an ol’ lady for that.
Not that he ever would.
Since Rael was SAA and I was finally here, Mammoth gave him a nod of approval to get started. The first guy complained about the pepper spray in his eyes and how they burned like we all gave a fuck. We didn’t.
Striding up to the metal table he was strapped on, I leaned down close to his ear. “You the one who hit my woman?”
