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“We won’t allow him to hurt you, baby.”
We stand silent for a beat as my promise takes root.
Salem clears his throat, breaking through the heavy silence encapsulating the room. “Listen up. It’s gettin’ late, and I have a body lying on the clubhouse floor.” He glances at his woman. “Sage, baby. Help Sukie, Juniper, and Alice settle in for the night.” He then gives everyone a sharp look. “No one leaves the clubhouse.”
I look back at my woman. “I got shit to handle. I’ll find you later.” I kiss her, then watch her walk out of the room with her mother and the other women.
Salem makes his way over to me as I stand over Bianca’s body. “I’ll have one of the others take care of it.” He stares at her, and I don’t argue. “Will you get blowback for her death?”
“Her father washed his hands of her after the wedding. She’s been with my father ever since.” Deep down, some part of me feels sorry for her.You reap what you sow.This is the bed she made. Unfortunately for her, the bed is made of cold earth; now, she must lie in it.
After Bianca’s body is dealt with, we gather for church.
“You should be in bed, restin’.” Juneau eyes Laredo.
Laredo shifts uncomfortably in his chair, holding his taped side. His face is still bruised and somewhat swollen. He eyes Juneau. “I’ll rest when I’m dead,” he grunts, gritting his teeth through the pain. “These fuckers got the better of me. I’ll be damned if they fuck with the rest of our family. I’m part of this, even if it kills me.” His voice is stern with resolve.
“What did you find out about Sukie’s car?” Mystic glances across the table at Salem.
“Jackson confirmed what we were all thinkin’. The brake lines were severed.”
I let out a guttural roar, drawing my brothers’ eyes. They watch me like they’re waiting for a bomb to explode. Amidst all the turmoil churning inside of me, there’s something else brewing—guilt. A lot of it. It’s festering, eating at my insides. I can end this all right now. I know it, and my brothers know it.
“I can’t allow this to continue. My father will not relent until he has what he wants.”
Salem takes a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, slides one out, and then tosses the box at me. He strikes a match across the rough surface of the table.
“Sit,” he orders.
I take my seat next to Baja. With a flick of my lighter, I ignite the tip of my cigarette. Inhaling deeply, I let the smoke fill my lungs, momentarily calming the storm within me.
“Has there been any word regarding contacting this other family your father is attempting to avoid war with?” Mystic asks.
“Nothing,” I tell him.
“Then we need to find another way to resolve this situation ourselves,” Salem states.
“His men are like cockroaches. You know they exist; you just don’t see them. We’ve been pounding pavement daily since the motherfucker stepped foot on our territory, reaping no results,” Mystic says.
Juneau looks at Salem. “His men outnumber us, brother. We walk head-on into the flames; there’s a good chance one, if not all of us, aren’t comin’ out on the other side.”
The truth in his statement is oppressive. It feels like death lurks in shadowy corners of the room, waiting for the next man to fall. Salem snubs his cigarette against the bottom of the ashtray. I take one final drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
My phone’s ringtone slices through the silence. Who the fuck is calling me this late at night? I take out my phone, and the screen readsunknown caller. Something tells me to answer, so I put it on speaker for everyone to listen.
“Who the fuck is this?” I growl.
“Ah, Luca. From the sounds of your voice, I see you’ve received my message. I hope you’ve come to your senses for your woman’s sake.”
My thoughts swim around Sukie’s life being tampered with, and my blood boils. “You are a dead man walking.” My voice drips with murderous intent.
“So, you keep saying, yet I’m still breathing.”
“Not for long,” I warn him.
“Tell me, how did it feel to see Bianca, knowing she prefers the feel and taste of your father’s cock?”
“Bianca is dead.”
