AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What gibberish are you spewing?” I ask, wondering if the bastard has finally gone senile.
Anderson chuckles like I just cracked the fucking joke of the century. “I see you haven’t heard,” he says with a loud snicker. “How ironic, considering the fact that we are going to be in-laws soon.”
“Shut the fuck up, motherfucker,” I growl angrily. “That’s never going to happen even in your most imaginative dream. So if you have nothing meaningful to say, I’ll just….”
“Evanesce called me,” Anderson interrupts in such a soft voice that I almost think I imagined his words. But no…they ring clear in my ears and echo in my head.
“That’s not true,” I say, shaking my head as if he could see me.
“Oh, it’s true alright,” Anderson says haughtily. “And we had a lengthy conversation on how to move things forward and what’s best for each party. We came to a conclusion to formalize our alliance in three months. Why do you think I let your man go? You should receive a withdrawal letter from the Department of Code Enforcement tomorrow. In the end, we all get what we want.”
My heart tightens painfully in my chest. I can feel beads of sweat already forming on my temples. I run my hand through my hair and down my face. “You…You motherfucking lying piece of shit!” I snarl into the phone. “One more word about my sister from your filthy mouth, and I’ll tear it to shreds and feed your tattered flesh to the reptiles in my yard.”
“Easy, tiger,” Anderson says, sounding completely unbothered by my threat. “The deal is sealed. Little Evanesce is mine.”
“You….”
The line goes dead. I stare blankly at the phone for a second, waiting to be jerked out of one nightmare into another – I don’t care if it’s the darkest part of my hellish past. I just want to wake up in a world where my sister is not a pawn on the gameboard of a sick bastard like Anderson Gray. But as usual, the universe is giving me its middle finger while cackling at my damned fate. This is no nightmare….
“Fuck!” I bark angrily, hurling my phone across the lawn, as far away from me as possible. I wish my fury was enough to erase Anderson Grey’s call – or existence.
* * *
Everyone is in church, just as I ordered. I slowly looked into the faces of the members of the club, trying to determine who the culprit was. The only people who knew the details of Anderson’s demand were those of us in this room with me, my men. Now, how the hell did Evanesce get to know about the situation with Anderson?
Bones clears his throat loudly and shifts uncontrollably in his chair. “Uhm…I know I’ve caused the club a lot of trouble in the past few days. I’m sorry, Prez, everyone. I’ll take my punishment accordingly.”
“Being locked up in there for days is punishment enough, Bones,” I reply, and his face instantly registers relief. “The crime deserving of punishment, however, is taking club business out of the club,” I drawl, slowly looking into the faces of the clubhouse members once again. I immediately sense the distinct combination of his fear, anxiety, and guilt. I can almost taste his guilt in my mouth.
I lock my eyes on him, pinning him with my gaze. “Blight? Do you mind explaining why you called Evanesce to report Anderson Grey’s situation to the club members?”
Blight’s forest-green eyes widen in surprise. I suppose him being new to the club and all that contributes to his naivety, but it doesn’t excuse his stupidity. Blight jumps to his feet, fiddling nervously with his hands.
The young man is sweating gallons, and I almost take pity on him – almost, being the keyword.
“I…uhmm…,” Blight swallows hard and clears his throat nervously. “I…the Missus told me to keep her updated on…on the Em…Eminent notice and everything that happens around here. She promised it would be fine…so when Prez told us about Anderson’s order, I…I thought she should know about it.”
“Fucking idiot,” Gator hisses loudly.
“And what’s that rule about keeping church discussions in church?” I ask calmly, and Blight seems to go several shades whiter. “As punishment, you will be excluded from club activities for two weeks. You are not allowed to participate in church or associate with your brothers. During that period, take your time to reflect on your mistakes and how they may affect this organization.”
Blight hangs his head and bites his lips. “I’m…I’m sorry, Prez…brothers.”
“We understand you are,” I say, softening my voice a little. “It’s fine. But your punishment has started already. You have to leave now.”
Blight walks out of the room, head hung in shame. I raise my eyes in time to catch Seer’s pointed look. “What?” I ask. That came out more sharply than I intended.
“That wasn’t punishment enough for breaking the code of conduct, and you know it, Prez,” Seer says with a resigned sigh.
I shrug a little. “I can’t entirely blame the boy. Evanesce gets her way no matter what.”
She’s always been that way; stubborn and headstrong. She does whatever she believes is right and good for everyone. She probably knew I’d do anything to stop her, and that was why she went ahead to make that deal with Anderson on her own. I felt my stomach churn violently as the gravity of her actions dawned on me.Oh, Evanesce, you foolish child….
“What’s this new development, Prez?” Hemlock asks, finally speaking the mind of our fellow brothers.
I heave a heavy sigh. “Evanesce called to make a deal with Anderson Grey,” I say dejectedly. “They agreed to get married in three months.”
“What!” Seer snaps, his bright blue eyes wide in surprise. The others have varying degrees of responses, from gasps to grunts and angry growls. I raise my hand to restore order, and the room quiets down.
