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Making my way through the hallway, I turned my head just in time to see Skully sitting beneath the cross in the chapel. Bright red lights shone through stained glass windows, and the bench chairs were pushed up a little too close together since the space was small. In the background, I could hear cutlery clinking and the distant smell of roasted chicken, but I knew he would want to see me.
I took one step through the entry.
“Close the door.”
I paused before reaching back and closing both of the swinging doors. Turning back around, I took the steps towardhim, head cast down enough to not show my eyes. Also, where the fuck did he put her? Was she in here?
I counted the steps that echoed through the cold space until I was just behind his bench. Lowering myself down, I finally raised my head. “You wanted to see me?”
“Hangman…” One name, one meaning. I didn’t hate it, even though I knew I should. I just hoped that what he was doing with this girl, wasn’t what he usually did. “I got a new drop tonight.” I leaned back in my chair, eager to listen. I think he liked that about me over the other kids. I didn’t mind listening. I preferred it. If you listened close enough, people always told you who they were. “This one is different, though. She’s not for product.” My brows hit my hairline. I felt a sudden relief that that was the case. “Once a week, she will drop on our doorstep until she turns seventeen.”
“Seventeen?” I answered, squeezing my fists. “And how old is she right now?”
“Twelve.”
I winced. I shouldn’t. It never mattered to me before. I was named Hangman for a reason, I did my job expertly, even for all of my thirteen years. He knew it, I knew it.
“When she turns a certain age, you will be collected. You may choose one to go with you as your sibling.” Poppy. Instantly knew I would take her.
“Why?” I knew that I shouldn’t ask, but I couldn’t help it. My tongue wasn’t so restrained as the rest of me. “What made her different?”
“When you’re meant to know—” He turned to face me and his white eyes came to mine. “You will know.”
“Great,” I grumbled, my knee jiggling. “Why does she come once a week if I can’t hang her? Can I Dragon practice on her?”
He chuckled so deep it sounded demonic. “Although I think all of the training in the world is good, no. She comes one night, once a week.”
“What if she screams? Everyone hates the ones who scream.”
“She won’t,” Skully said, staring up at the Virgin Mary. “Simply because she will not ever know about this.”
I blink past the memory. Even as the coffin goes down, I can’t shake the anger that’s constantly simmering around my heart. Leaning down, I kiss Wolf on the top of his head, keeping my eyes on Victor. I know he can’t see me behind my dark glasses, but I feel it. It feels good to be able to do it freely.
Hiking Wolf up farther, I tighten my grip around him as Ruby leans down, picking up a white rose and bringing it to her lips, kissing the petals softly before dropping it down to Mama’s coffin. Even as a kid, Mama was a good person. She was pure-hearted and everything a teenage girl needed in their life. I know that this loss is going to be huge on Ruby, but as usual, she’ll hide it, but it’s always going to be my job to find her in her darkest areas and sit with her.
She steps back and Mikhail’s hand finds hers. That same rage burns to life, only hotter. I wish I could take satisfaction in the knowledge that he knows exactly who the fuck I am, but unfortunately, he doesn’t. Now I have to wear: the biker who knocked up Ruby years ago by accident. Yeah, and the dumb fuck actually believes it.
Royce moves into me. “I know you want to take this slow from here on out, but brother…”
“I know,” I whisper, keeping my eyes locked on Victor.
“You’ve waited long enough.”
“I know,” I repeat, squeezing Wolf into my chest.
He raises his little arms up and rests them around the back of my neck, and I take him to the roses, leaning down and pickingup two, giving one to him. “Drop it in for Nona.” He puckers his little lips and I drop it down into the dirt.
I kiss the petals and let it fall from my fingers. “I’m sorry,” I whisper under my breath. Only she knows what I’m sorry for, and that’s how it will always stay.
Wolf grabs my phone out of my leather pocket and I place him onto the ground to run toward Ruby as I ease back into the crowd, lost with Royce on one side, Khaos on the other, and three other brothers from the Chicago chapter that stayed on under my hand. There are another three hanging back at the clubhouse, and two on security near our bikes. There’s a complete flip to two worlds standing here. The mafia and the MC. I know I’m on the right side.
“You got a plan, brother?” Royce whispers.
I nod. “I do, but you’re not gonna like it.”
“Motherfucker, Jade is going to eat my dick on a platter for the next month if I don’t make my way home, so we’re gonna need to hurry this along.”
“I know,” I say. “It’s just trying to get her away from all of that.” Both him and Khaos turn as I say the words.
