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I sit for a while with my back against the wall, forcing myself to look at death. There’s a lot of movement going on around me, but I pay no attention to it. Brax is busy barking down his cell and sounding panicked. While Thorne, Storm, and Grimm bring the girls out of the bedroom and lead them into the kitchen. My brother and Tac tie-up Kenny and the two other men, and we wait, with the sound of fearful sobs coming from the girls.
When the front door barges open, Troj is the first one through it. He lowers his gun when he sees it's clear. Jessie, Prez and Nyx follow in after him.
“Looks like you had all the fun without us,” Nyx looks at his brother Brax.
“We had to move in, the opportunity was too good,” Brax ignores him, talking straight to Prez. “There’s a link. That kid with a hole in his head is Raphael Verretti’s fucking nephew, Adriano's son. We got four girls being held, and before Screwy ended him, he told me Verretti has a photo of Grace. Where are the girls now?” he asks, sounding panicked when he looks around the room and realizes almost our whole Charter is here.
“Skid’s taking care of the club. Everyone’s bitch is sleeping in their beds. Verretti won’t know shit’s gone down yet,” Prez tries assuring him.
“What about Gracie?” Brax looks worried.
“Relax, she’s at my place. She was keeping Ella company. I just called and told her to keep her there,” Nyx cuts in.
“We need to protect them once this gets out. Verretti ain’t gonna hang around.” Troj looks at the dead kid, then at me, and I can't make out which one of us the pity he’s wearing is directed at.
“We’ll deal with it in the morning. By then we’ll have a plan in place, but right now, we all have to think straight.” Prez looks straight at Grimm. “What ya thinking?”
“It’s just one. We’ll bury him in the woods, and I’ll get this place cleaned up.” Grimm pushes himself off the wall he’s leaning against.
“Storm, make sure Grimm gets what he needs. Do whatever he says.”
“Nah, it's Tawk’s turn, we got a rota,” he answers back, and Prez moves so fast that Storm barely has time to brace himself.
Grabbing the shoulders of the kid's Prospect jacket, he throws him into the wall. “I just gave you a goddamn order, boy. I never cleared no rota. You're cleaning up, ya got that.” Prez’s phlegm sprays on Storm’s face as he makes his point clear.
“Got it.” Storm straightens out his cut when Prez has loosened his hold.
“Tawk, Nyx, and Jessie take these girls and these men back to the club. Have Marilyn take care of the girls and put the boys in the basement.”
“My basement,” Brax looks at Jessie coldly, and given the circumstances, there’s no way he’s gonna argue.
“Thorne and Tac, clear this place, take anything of value back to the clubhouse.”
“What about us?” Squealer asks. He’s revved. I can tell the shock of what just happened has turned into pure fucking adrenaline, and he wants fucking blood.
“You go home, and you rest up. We all need our heads to be focused tomorrow,” Prez tells us.
The room suddenly gets busy, everyone taking their orders and getting to work, but I remain still, staring at the body on the floor in front of me.
“The kid just wanted vengeance for his father's death,” I say under my breath to no one in particular.
“His nonce father’s death, Screwy,” Squealer reminds me.
“I wanna help you.” I ignore him and look up to Grimm, who’s currently assessing his latest inconvenience.
“Let's just go home, Screw,” Squealer says.
“You go home. I’m helping Grimm. Check in on Lydia if she's at your place. Keep her there, but don’t tell her about this. Not yet.”
“If you're staying, I’m staying too,” Squealer argues.
“Go be with the girls. I want to know Lydia’s safe.” The look I give my brother is enough for him not to argue. Maybe his twin theory was right. After all, he's still alive.
“What you did here tonight was justified. I wouldn’t care who had a gun to your head. I’d strike ‘em down,” he tells me before slapping me on the back and leaving.
It’s another four hours before I get back to the club. Grimm’s efficient in what he does, and no one will be finding Verretti’s nephew anytime soon. When I pull up outside my cabin and see the light shining on my porch, my heart drops because I’m not ready for her yet. Those innocent, naïve eyes look at me like I’m a good man, and tonight, after what I’ve done, I don’t think I can handle that.
The cabin door opens, and Screwy pauses when he steps inside. Like he wasn’t expecting me to be awake.
