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Julius
Sitting in my sedan,watching my daughter and Hemmingway through my binoculars as they walk up the cement path, hand-in-hand, has every protective instinct inside of me ready to pounce, to drag them back to the safety and protection of the underground city I’ve built to safeguard my family, and to find another way to get my hands on the Crumley brothers’ little secret—our ace.
The hardest part of this entire thing was when I sat back helplessly, watching the two women come to blows. They had to make it look good… legit, needing a multitude of abrasions to display when they ask for sanctuary, but it still hurts my heart to watch two of my girls rip into each other's flesh like they’re street fighters. They marked the other with bruises and lacerations. By the time they lost steam, they both had the appearance of someone who survived domestic abuse… which was the idea.
Still don’t like it.
Not one damn bit.
For the thousandth time, I wonder if we're doing the right thing. Is there another way we can get our hands on the woman without putting our girls in a dangerous situation?
Out of my peripheral vision, I see Tyson’s hands clench and his jaw tick.
Master’s looking unhinged, ready for a throw down.
Country’s face is pinched, as if he’s close to having a coronary.
Three growls simultaneously emit from the depths of their chests when the doors open and the girls walk through, darting out of our sights.
“Audio, now!” Master demands, gnashing his teeth, causing Country to snap out of his fog and act accordingly.
My son-in-law’s fingers shake and twitch as he hits the buttons on this high-tech military equipment he somehow managed to get his hands on. The black market has a multitude of things that you wouldn’t think a commoner could acquire. Some of the items in stock are downright frightening and shouldn’t be available to the public. Others are damn helpful, especially during times such as this.
“On it,” Country remarks, anger emitting from his pores. “Should’ve found a way to get video, too.” His muttering has me scowling because he’s right. We jumped into this too fast.
We should’ve laid a more structurally stable foundation. Made the girls easier for us to access, to hear, and to see what’s happening behind the scenes. We’ll all storm in, guns blazin’ if we hear anything unscrupulous going on, but will it be in time? Charlee and Hemmi are capable of protecting themselves in most situations, but considering we don’t know how far the Crumley’s reach is, it makes me feel uneasy.
I’m burdened with it.
I’m angered by it.
Even those wearing sacred drapery can be swayed if the money’s right.
Just because you look angelic doesn’t mean you are.
“Gunner’s balls are probably itching.” Luca snickers like a melodramatic schoolgirl.
“Like your asshole is puckering,” Country returns with snark lacing his tone, his volume low and growly.
Instead of making the conversation more awkward than it is for any bystanders—in particular me—Luca chooses to stick with one of his go-to, smartass remarks, saying, “Good one, Country bumpkin.” When my brother reaches up to ruffle my son-in-law’s hair, Country bats his hand away, releasing a snarl. “Someone’s touchy.”
“Someone has work to do,” Country rebuts. “Somepeople know when to act like adults.”
Through all the back-and-forth bickering, my eyes stay circumspectly glued to the doors, transfixed on the abbey, as if I removed them or allowed them to stray even a quarter of an inch, I’d miss something prudent. So, I wasn’t prepared for the elbow to my ribs and acted accordingly. Before I can stop myself and think things through logically, Luca is pinned to the door, my knife edged to his throat, and a snarl lifting my upper lip.
“There are times for playing, and times to be serious. Guess which one this is, Luca?” I ask, my voice void of life. I love my brother. I’d take a bullet for him, die for him. What I won’t do is put my girls at risk for him.
A succinct snarl is aimed back my way, and I feel something hard and sharp pressed into my groin, making my dick shrivel behind my zipper. If he feels the urge, and flicks his wrist a little to the left, my manhood will suffer the consequences and be rendered useless. Not that I’ve had any lovers since my wife passed. Even if she’s gone from this world, I’d still feel like I’m cheating on her. I haven’t been with another woman since the day she crossed my path all those years ago.
“Learned long ago, big brother. But if life has taught me anything, you only get to live once, and I’m not going to lose my sense of humor. I understand how serious this situation is, and you can fuck off with your bullshit.” Luca is a jokester, but he’s also lethal, deadly, and not an adversary to take lightly. He’s a sneaky bastard. He’ll smile in your face, make a few light-hearted commentaries that render you speechless, all while removing your balls.
Just to prove I have the upper hand, I dig my blade a little deeper into his trachea, and profess, “If you’re going to threaten me, Luca, make sure you pick an organ that I don’t give a fuck if I live without.”
“You need your dick to piss, Julius,” he counters.
“I can piss through a bag, Luca. Don’t fuck with me.”
“But you can’t jack off a bag, Julius,” he spits.
