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“Who?”
“Bullseye.”
“Fine.”
Aric turns on his heel, shooting me a look, but I ignore him, seething. She can’t get away with this. Naomi could have died or worse. I open my mouth, but the VP claps me on the shoulder, his fingers digging in as he forcibly guides me out of the room. Behind us, Bruiser takes a step toward Joey. I miss what she says to him as the door swings shut behind us.
Chapter 21
VIPER
It’s silent in the basement corridor. Whatever Bruiser and Joey are saying is lost to us through the soundproofing. They can’t hear us, which is just as well as I round on Aric.
“Phoenix agreed to take her?”
Aric shoots me a glare. I shut my mouth, stewing as I trail Aric upstairs, through the double doors, and along the back hallway to the chapel. Everyone is in here – except Bruiser. After a moment, the doors swing open, and he walks in.
“Where’s Joey?” Aric asks, gesturing for the two of us to take our seats.
“Ryder and Crow are escorting her home and staying with her while she packs.” He turns his creepy blue eyes on me. “They’re also going to collect Naomi’s things from behind the couch. You’ll have them back by the end of the day.”
Well, that’s a bonus, but it’s not what I want to talk about right now. I stand in front of my seat as Aric and Bruiser drop into theirs, but I don’t sit. Everyone’s eyes are on me as Holton’s eyebrows slowly raise. My gaze finds Aric. This is between us.
“Like fuck Joey is going to Phoenix. Who the fuck knows what could have happened to Naomi after Joey’s little stunt? I want blood!”
“You’ll get it,” Holton grunts, cutting my rant short. I fall silent, turning to look at him.
“She caused Lisa physical pain,” Palmer interjects, “I should get to do it.”
“She tried to run Lacey off,” Buster chimes in, shooting a poisonous glare at Palmer. “Your old lady got a few cuts and bruises. I almost lost mine.”
Bruiser and Strafe share a look.
“Yeah, I vote for Buster,” Strafe smirks, Bruiser nodding. What the fuck? Are they serious? I went after Buster’s old lady with him. Joey scared her off. Big fucking deal. As for Palmer, a cut palm and a few scraped knees? I think they’re all forgetting one very big detail.
“She knocked Naomi out, put her on a fucking bus with twenty bucks in her pocket and no phone. This ismine.”
“Aric will be doing it,” Holton says, his tone quiet with authority, cutting across our squabbles.
Aric sighs, nodding his head. My fingers flex, but I hold my tongue. Fine. If that’s how the Prez wants to play this, then fine. I nod stiffly, the others all grumbling but falling in line.
I drop into my seat, the image of Naomi the first time I laid eyes on her floating in front of my face. Dressed for her mama’s funeral, trying to getJoey, who can’t stand her, to go to the wake. Fucking fuck.
“Naomi will want the body for a proper funeral.”
“Fucking hell,” Aric grumbles. “No coroner in the city is going to sign off an accidental death from a bullet to the brain. Way to make my life fucking harder.”
I shrug. That’s not my problem. I’m sure if they let me have my blood, I could get creative so Naomi could still have the body. Aric and I lock glares in a silent standoff.
“She thinks she’s going to Phoenix, right?” Strafe pipes up, looking thoughtful.
“Yeah,” Aric grunts, glowering at me.
Strafe shrugs. “I’ll loosen her wheel nuts. It’s an older model. She won’t notice some extra vibrations. She’ll lose a tire when she hits the highway. Take her out the desert way, Bullseye. You have her follow you. You won’t be in danger.”
Buster and Palmer are grumbling. I’m with those boys. She deserves something more…straightforward. She deserves to have to look someone in the eye and know death is coming. But that doesn’t exactly gel well with a coroner signing off on the death and Naomi getting the body. Fucking hell.
“It’s better than she deserves,” Bruiser growls, raising his hand. Fangs, Bullseye, Justice, and Strafe all raise their hands. After a beat, Aric shrugs and raises his. Merch hesitates, shooting his buddy a look. Palmer shrugs, and Merch raises his hand. Holton slowly moves his gaze between us three holdouts.
