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“I vote we kill them.”
Axel nods eagerly along with him, but I halt that idea. “No, no way. Well… not yet, at least,” I amend, but Axel and Gray still glare at me like stubborn toddlers who just had their favorite toy taken away.
“I didn’t know they were connected with you, but the fact remains the same. Freddie was clearly fucking close with them in some way. Which means—”
“They might actually be familiar with the Brutes,” Emmett finishes, and I nod.
Fuck.
“That only makes me want to kill them more, Reaper.” Axel folds his arms over his chest, a pointed look on his face as I smile at him.
“They either have information we need or are linked to them. Once we figure that out, you can do with them as you please, but I really think we can use them to our advantage a little first.” All eyes shoot to Ryker, the prez, for a final answer, but there’s another detail we need to add before we confirm or deny anything. “I also think we should push the fact I'm a club whore here too.”
“Fuck no,” Gray grunts, wagging his finger in my direction as Axel growls, Emmett shakes his head, and Ryker glares at me.
“They need to see me as nothing here. Inconsequential. They’ll either realize my abilities or my importance to…” I trail off, almost embarrassed and diffident to finish the sentence, but Ryker happily takes over.
“Or your importance to us.” Silence drapes over the room as the words settle and he reluctantly sighs. “She’s right.”
“Of course she is,” Axel grumbles, and I smirk. Fucker. “Then it’s settled.”
“Not a single other man lays a hand on you, Snowflake. Not one. I will give up the secret before I allow that,” Emmett bites, and fuck does it make my core clench.
“I’m yours and yours alone,” I breathe, my heart soaring at the fact. “Now please, let me fucking shower the blood off of me and let me see Emily with my own damn eyes.”
“Whatever you need, Rebel.”
TWO
Emmett
Anger burnsthrough my veins at the pain that still lingers in Emily’s eyes when I look at her, at the distress that drapes over Scarlett, and the loss of another life at the hands of the motherfucking Brutes.
I’m done with all this bullshit, just like I’m sure my brothers are too. Action needs to be taken, but it can’t be any more small moves. It needs to be nuclear, and if that means biding my time for a moment or two, then I’ll persevere.
My heart ached at every word that fell from Emily’s mouth, the panic that Scarlett was gone for good weighing heavy on me until she careened up the club drive as crazed as ever. We shouldn’t have expected anything less from her. She’s a survivor, through and through. Those fuckers didn’t stand a chance against her.
I find Maggie behind the bar. Her gaze flickers to the Church doors, indicating that’s where our guests are. She’s the most vital part of the Ruthless Brothers, without actually being a damn member. She holds us together like glue, the heart of our leathers. Like Scarlett does.
I have to get my thoughts and emotions under control before I step in there, though. They can’t see the core of our problems shining in my eyes, not now that we know the paths they have chosen.
“Shift is with Emily. We’ll catch him up on everything afterward,” Ryker murmurs, tucking his cell phone away. The last thing I want or need is for my sister to be unattended right now. She might give me hell and rage about being a grown-ass woman, but I lost ten years of my life today. It’s going to take me more than a minute to get over that.
“Please remind me why we just agreed to act casual as shit in there?” Gray grunts, pointing at the Church doors that sit slightly ajar, offering a peek at the unwanted men inside. “We called them for help, not more bullshit.”
“It’s going to serve us in the long run, Brother,” Ryker murmurs, walking in line with the three of us as every single person here watches our every move.
“I don’t like it,” Gray grouches back, and I can’t help but agree with him.
“Me either, but I trust Scarlett and I trust her judgment. Do you?” He glances at Axel to his left first before casting his eyes over Gray and me, and the two of us nod reluctantly.
“With my life,” Axel bites, making my steps falter and my eyes widen.
Well, fuck.
It was something else entirely when I watched Scarlett run straight into his arms. The shock almost dropped me to my knees, but hearing him admit that he trusts her, a woman, with his life, is ground-altering.
He doesn’t slow his pace, like the three of us gaping at him; instead, he cuts the remaining steps to the Church with determination, giving us no time to push on his thoughts and feelings. Which is a good thing because we need our game faces on to deal with these assholes.
