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It does me good to see Kat like this, happy and surrounded by people who love her. It feels like a window into what could be, once we get this shit with the Eagle’s Talon dealt with.
Neither Choppa or I mention what was discussed in church about the Royal Bastards tracking the Eagle’s Talon. It’s club business, for one thing. But also, there’s no reason to worry the women unnecessarily. Best to let them think things are under control without imagining any details.
Reenie asks Kat to come over to their place for lunch and to catch up some more. Much as I want to keep her to myself, I tell Kat to go ahead. It’ll give her some sense of normalcy that’s been missing from her life for the last couple of days. Not only that, I know she’ll be safe there. I pull Choppa aside and ask him to go home with them and keep an eye on the two of them.
“‘Course, Fury,” he grunts. “That gal will be in good hands, count on it.”
I thank him, grateful he’ll be there protecting her.
Because I’ve got someone I need to go see.
I drive back to my house and grab my bike.
Then I head straight for Eagle’s Talon territory.
* * *
It doesn’t take longfor a biker in a Royal Bastards cut to get noticed in this part of town, which is what I’m counting on. I ride past the Eagle’s Talon clubhouse, nice and slow, then continue on until I spot a large, deserted parking lot outside a shuttered farm supply store. I park, cut the engine, and light myself up a smoke, leaning up against the bike to wait.
Not five minutes later, another motorcycle rolls up. I snicker when I see it’s Kat’s brother himself.Must have some eagle eyes watching out from the Eagle’s Talon clubhouse.
I just keep smoking as he comes to a stop about twenty-five feet away. He climbs off the bike and starts for me, shoulders hunched and tense. “Fuck are you playin’ at?” are the first words out of Quad’s mouth.
“I’m just having myself a smoke.” I lift up my pack of cigarettes and offer him one.
“Don’t be cute,” he snarls. “You best get to the point pretty damn quick, Fury. I can have ten men here inside of a minute who’ll make you wish you had never been born.”
“You think it’d take ten Talons to take me on?” I chuckle. “Hey, your words, not mine.”
“You’re playin’ with fire.” He steps closer, squaring off to face me. “What. The fuck. Are you doing here?”
“All right. I’ll tell you why I’m here.” I take a last drag on my smoke and toss it away. My jaw tightens as I work to control the wave of rage inside me that has been threatening to break through ever since I caught sight of this son of a bitch. “Youeverlay a hand on Kat again. One single hand. I will fuckingendyou.”
“Kat’s my sister,” he spits back, posturing. “It’s my job to protect her.”
I take another step forward, praying that this motherfucker makes the mistake that gives me the excuse I’m looking for to beat the living hell out of him. “Bruises all up and down her FUCKING arms?” I shout. “That’s what you call PROTECTING HER?”
The fury inside me is unleashed. I advance on him, certain that I’m about to fucking kill him with my bare hands. Quad flinches, takes a step back, and slips a hand inside his cut. The wild look in his eyes tells me he ain’t bluffing — he’s armed, and he’s scared enough that he’s ready to pull out his piece.
Fucking coward knows he can’t rely on his fists against me in a fight. His nostrils flare. I can practically smell the adrenaline on him. For a split-second, I think he’s gonna pull the gun on me. And if I end up shot to death in Eagle’s Talon territory right now, Kat’s future will be out of my control.
Get it together, Fury. You’re no use to her dead.
“She’s your sister,” I grit out, barely holding it together. “You’re putting her in danger. Don’t you fucking care about that?”
“You’re the one dragging her into the middle of all this, Fury. She belongs to me. She’s my fucking family. You’re just the pretty boy who turned her head and got into her pants.” He lets out a bitter snort. “If you really want to protect her, you’ll walk away from her. You’re the one butting in where you don’t belong. And if you don’t walk away right the fuck now, you’re gonna get hurt, motherfucker. Hurt real bad. And when it happens, I may just make sure that my dear sister has a front row seat for the whole show.”
He hawks once, noisily, and spits on the ground between us. With a final sneer he storms away, straddles his bike and roars out of the parking lot.
My jaw is clenched so hard I feel like my teeth are about to shatter. My hands are shaking from the effort of not killing Kat’s brother.
Jesus.
Nothing is resolved. But resolution is not why I came. I came to see for myself first-hand what the stakes are here. And one thing is sure: Quad will not think twice about hurting Kat if it benefits him in some way. He doesn’t give one single shit about her. He’d toss her to the wolves without a moment of a guilty conscience if he thinks it will benefit him.
And right now, that wolf is named Hooch.
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