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“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing yet?” Jude glances from me to Nightmare’s solemn face as we climb off the bikes later that afternoon. He’s not a talker, so she’s assed out asking him anything. I’m usually the one with a big mouth when it comes to the brothers.
“Sure baby, we’re here to shake someone down real quick.” Gripping her waist, I help her hop off the bike as well, careful to keep her gorgeous legs away from the pipes. “We gotta get you some more clothes, boxers are not good riding wear. You did good, though, gettin’ used to being on the bike.”
She glances down at her clothes and then back at me, nodding. “A shakedown because it’s the first of the month?”
Her question is so innocent it even has Night’s lip turning up in amusement. We don’t go around collecting money on the first of the month from fuckers like this normally. We aren’t drug dealers or some shit. This is much more serious than a petty loan.
Chuckling, I grab her hand, tugging her along. “Nah, where’d you come up with that?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know, just figured maybe someone owed you guys money or something and when payday rolls around...” She trails off, clearly having watched too many movies.
“More like a life,” Night lets slip, and I nod in agreement. For the shit he’s done, he owes blood in the least.
“A life?” she echoes with a gasp.
“You just stay out of the way, and you’ll be fine, baby. Sinner wants you to learn about the other side of things with me. You may not care for it, but then you’ll know just the sort of bad man you’re getting into bed with.”
“But I already know enough.” Her eyes begin to fill with tears. “I accept you both for who you are.”
Her proclamation has me leaning over to press a chaste peck on her forehead. To hear her say it and so genuinely has her making my empty soul not feel so hollow with her around. “You’re a good girl, but this is our life. You need to see firsthand how ugly we really are.”
The tears break free, falling like mini rain drops.
“Shh, you’ll be all right, little darlin’,” Nightmare murmurs, not comfortable with her upset. He’s a complete hardass except when it comes to women I’ve discovered. He’ll toss someone into a dumpster and light it on fire without a second thought, but if his ol’ lady so much as pouts, he’s out buying her flowers.
“Wha-what’s going to happen?”
We ignore her question, not wanting to put it into words. She’d be hightailing it for the cop shop if I attempted to explain it.
“Murphy?” I holler, trampling over garbage and who knows what as we head behind the burnt down trailer. “You around?” We get no response, so we continue our trek, searching out the lowlife druggie. Prez said he’d be out here somewhere.
Trailing over the various piles of debris, we eventually find him hiding on the side of an old stripped down, weathered car. He’s raggedy as all hell, clothes and face filthy, visibly shaking. He obviously was able to scrounge up some cash to get whatever drugs he’s on but was too stupid to not pay up to the Oath Keepers. Bad decision on his part, that’s for sure.
“Jesus,” Nightmare mutters staring down at the shell of a man before us. The brother could probably break him in two if he just stepped on him with his giant leather boot. I’m not going to let him have all the fun though.
“Judgment day, fucker,” I warn, a bit giddy with anticipation and his head shakes back and forth so much, it damn near looks as if he’ll knock himself out if he’s not careful. This guy’s a freaking wacko.
“Nope, nope, nope.” He continues to swing his head back and forth.
“You’re nice and doped up, huh? That’ll make what I have to do less painful for you. Too bad. You deserve to feel every ounce of it.” I wish there was a way to sober his ass up some so he could experience just a smidge of the pain he deserves to be compensated with.
“What did he do?” Jude whispers, her hand gripping the back of my cut as she hides behind me. I’m glad she’s back there, I’d never let the man die if he were to hurt her, accidently or on purpose. I’d torture the fucker for the rest of his life.
“An entire laundry list of shit, baby.”
Peeking over my arm, she mumbles into the back of my bicep. “So why are you here?”
“To give the little girl he hurt some real-life justice.”
“Oh God,” she gasps.
Nodding, I give her just a slight bit of backstory. “He fucked her up pretty bad. Her momma came to the Oath Keepers for help since the law didn’t come through for her. Anyhow, we’re doing a favor for the other club. You keep that to yourself; I’m not supposed to share club business. I’m making an exception right now, so you understand why I’m doing what I am.”
“What are you doing?” she quietly asks, repeating her earlier question and meets my stern gaze. She already knows, but clearly, she wants to hear me say it aloud.
“I’m going to kill him, Jude, and you’re going to watch. Not only will I take his life, but I’ll let him bleed dry. The blood will soak into the soil and be offered as a tribute to my ancestors for their sacrifices they’ve given to offer my family life.”
More tears tumble down her face, coming quicker now, but her weeping remains silent. She’s scared, and she has every right to be. In doing this, she’ll also discover that I can protect her if need be, that I’m not just a soulless monster to be feared.
