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“Like I’d believe you, motherfucker,” the man snaps.
“Then how about believing me?” I cry. “This man and his club saved me from some very bad men.”
“I have proof they took you,” he insists, but he doesn’t sound so sure now.
Judge asks, “What proof?”
The man pulls a cell phone from the pocket of his business suit, taps the screen a few times, and tosses it to me. “Look for yourself.”
It’s the image of a woman, bloody, beaten, and tied to a chair. My mouth drops and my gut twists. That poor woman. But there’s one thing… the woman in the photo has red hair. Mine is pink.
“That’s not me,” I tell him. “My hair isn’t red, and it hasn’t been for a very long time.”
The man steps forward and takes the phone from my hand, his brow furrowed as he studies it. His eyes go from the photo to me and back again.
Lowering my voice, I explain, “They tricked you,” hoping maybe now, he’ll finally understand.
“They could’ve forced you to dye it.” His voice is defiant, but his expression remains puzzled.
Rolling my eyes, I twirl a lock around my fingers. “Look how faded it is. I’ve only been here a few days. This is a month's worth of fading. It was literally pink-pink.”
“Then who is this?”
“Another girl…” Bile rises in my throat at the thought of her going through the torture they caused, just to perpetuate their lie. A lie that worked too. “The Screwballs are fucking with you. They’re using you to take out the Black Hoods.”
He shakes his head, his brow furrowing as he struggles to understand. “Why would they do that?”
I’m done with this shit. “Put down the guns, let Priest go, and then we’ll talk.”
He quietly looks around the crowded room. “And if I don’t?”
“You all end up killing each other for no reason at all.”
I can see him struggling with everything he’s been told, and then finally, he looks at one of his men and nods.
As one, his goons lower their weapons and release Priest. The Black Hoods follow suit, and Priest moves in my direction, but my “brother” jams a hand into his chest.
“No. Until I know what the fuck is going on here, you stay away from her.”
“Like hell,” Priest growls. “She’s mine.”
His words send an unpleasant jolt through my body. Since when did I become his? He said nobody owned me.
“She’s my fucking sister. Don’t think for one second that I’m going to ignore what I saw when I walked into this room.”
Priest stands tall, towering over everybody in the room. “What you saw was none of your goddamn business.”
God, this is so embarrassing. My face burns, and I’m willing to bet it’s as red as my hair should be. “Stop,” I say, wishing I could crawl into a hole and never come out. “Just let him by and leave the room. I’d like to get dressed so we can get this sorted.”
His eyes narrow at me. “I’m not leaving you here with him.”
“If you want to talk to me, I need to get dressed. And he’s staying. This is his room, and he’s the only person I trust right now.”
Anger, confusion, and frustration flicker behind his green eyes. After a few moments, he seems to come to his senses and steps aside. “Fine. Five minutes. You have five minutes, and if you’re not out of this room, I’m coming back for you.”
With another nod, the men in the room head out, leaving me alone with Priest. As soon as the door closes, Priest moves, pulling me against his chest. “Jesus Christ, Angel. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I squeak out, my body trembling from the adrenaline rush. “That was terrifying. And also, if that really is my brother, I wish he hadn’t walked in on what we were doing.”
