“Back off,” Nic warns again but this time, it’s not clear if he’s talking to his father or me.
Kian laughs. “You think I’m bad,” he teases. “Your father was worse.”
I shake my head. “You don’t know a goddamn thing about my father.”
“Oh, really? Because it seems like you’re the one who doesn’t know anything, Sweetheart. Let me enlighten you.”
Nic steps in closer to me and I flinch from his closeness. “Dad. Don’t.”
Kian ignores him and I find myself listening intently. If someone around here is actually willing to tell me the truth, then I’m ready. I'm done being protected from the ugliness of this world. I’m not stupid. I know my father wouldn't be innocent. No one in this town is, but the question is just how bad could he have been to have a man like Kian Garcia accuse him of being worse?
Kian turns on Nic and grabs him around the throat, pulling him in close to his face. “Why are you still trying to protect her? She’s a nobody. She doesn’t even live here anymore. Get the fuck over this little fascination you have with her. If she wants to know the truth, then I’m going to tell her the fucking truth like you should have done in the first place. You think you’re keeping her safe by hiding this shit from her? All you’ve done is backed her into a corner, taught her to rely on you instead of being able to navigate her way around this and learn to survive on her own. What kind of bullshit protection is that?”
Kian releases him and Nic looks as though he’s only two seconds away from tearing his father apart. Kai puts a hand on his chest, reeling him back in as Kian looks back to me. “Let me tell you a little something about your father,” he starts, thrilled to be the one to get to break the news to me. “Your father wasn’t just a Wolf, Babydoll. He was second in command and a ruthless asshole. I tried to get him on my side once but he was loyal to his family. He was the best goddamn exterminator on this side of the fucking border.”
“Exterminator?” I ask, glancing at Sebastian, knowing he’s the only one who would have the balls to step up and offer me an answer.
His face breaks and his heart slips out to be worn on his sleeve. “Hitman, O. An exterminator is a hitman and your father was the best one I’ve ever seen.”
I shake my head. “No, you're lying. My father wasn’t a hitman. He wouldn’t do that.”
Kian scoffs. “Just like he wouldn’t sell his only daughter to a rich bastard to save himself? Yeah, Baby, he would. Your father was fucking lethal and could kill a man in seconds.”
“No,” I say, still refusing to believe it. “Hitmen are supposed to be rich. They do a job and get paid. My father didn’t have that kind of money. It’s not true. We struggled every fucking day.”
A grin lifts the corner of Kian’s lips and it’s disturbing how much he’s enjoying this. “That’s what made him so fucking sick. He wasn’t a career hitman, he did it for sport because he fucking loved it. He liked the look in someone’s eyes as he took their life away. Trust me, it’s a fucking rush watching the life fade out of someone under your hands. He was a fool really. He could have made a killing in the profession, but just like everything else, he fucked that up too.”
“So, who killed him then? Was it you?” I demand, wondering if I even care right now. This version of my father doesn’t sound like the kind of guy I want anything to do with, but at the same time, he was my daddy. He was the man that came home every day and sat across from me at the dinner table. He would tuck me in at night and turn out my light when I was a little girl and a part of me is desperately holding onto that.
Kian’s eyes blaze with anger and he reaches for me. “Listen here, you little bitch,” he growls, pulling me in close just like he’d done with Nic but something tells me that he won’t hurt me despite the way the boys tense and prepare themselves to dive in. “I had nothing to do with that. None of my boys did.”
I slam the folder with his mark into his chest, pulling myself free in the process. “Then why is your mark all over it? Pretty fucking suspicious, don’t you think? Your mark is on a folder found in Charles Carrington’s office when both he and my father were killed, clearly by the same person. You’re the third party in this little triangle, not to mention, there’s been a gang war between you and the Wolves for a good six months. Funny how it’s been exactly six months since he was murdered. Are they looking for revenge?”
“I had nothing to do with it,” he spits. “I won’t let you drag me down for this. I’ve told you what you wanted to know and now it’s time for you to fuck off, and now that you know you’re a fucking Wolf, don’t be so stupid as to come back here.”
I take a step back, my chest rising and falling with hard, sharp breaths and just like that, Kian decides we’re finished here and turns his back. He starts walking away and I’m left staring at the four boys who hid the fact that my father was a Wolf, hid the fact that he sold me, and hid the fact that I'm the daughter of a murderer..
I meet each of their eyes, leaving Nic’s for last and when his fall back on mine, I shake my head, pressing my lips into a tight broken line. “I’m done,” I tell him with finality, feeling everything inside of me break.
I turn and start walking back to the Ferrari but a slowing black SUV coming down the road catches my eyes. The two side windows begin lowering and as black shiny metal appears in the open window, Nic’s voice rings out loud. “GUN. GET DOWN.”
His heavy body slams into my back, throwing me down hard against the concrete. My head rebounds off the ground as my elbows and knees are torn to shreds. Nic’s large body holds me down, his arms curling protectively around my head as the deafening shots ring out over and over again.
A low, pained groan is heard behind me and tears instantly spring to my eyes, not knowing which of my boys was hit and despite how much I hate them right now, the thought of one of them being shot makes me sick.
I scream as bullets rain down around us. A second grunt of pain tears through the noise and I scream again, recognizing Eli’s groan anywhere.
Shots ring out from behind me and I peer under Nic’s arm to watch Kai shooting back. With the threat of retaliation, the SUV speeds off and I feel Nic relax on top of me. “Are you alright, Baby? Tell me you’re fucking alright.”
“I’m okay,” I say, feeling woozy from the bump on my head.
Nic pulls off me and as he helps me to my feet, I look over my boys to find Eli holding his shoulder with blood pouring out over his fingers, but that’s not where my attention stops.
Kian lays on his stomach not moving, just two feet away from the door of the compound with blood pooled around him.
Nic races to his father’s aid as the door of the compound is practically pulled off its hinges and Black Widows come pouring out. Nic reaches his father just before them and flips him over to find him barely holding on. “DAD,” he yells, slamming his hands down over the wound but he’s too far gone. Even if he called an ambulance, Kian’s not going to make it.
Sebastian gets on the phone while helping Elijah to keep pressure on his wound as Kairo drops down beside Nic, desperate to help him save his father.
“Who did this?” One of the Widows demands as everyone jumps into action, trying to help where they can.
Nic’s sharp gaze snaps up to the men around him. “Wolves,” he spits. “Black SUV heading west. I want every last one of those fuckers in my compound in five fucking minutes. I'm going to put each of them in a body bag.”
At least ten men run off, climbing onto Harley’s and taking off at the speed of light but when Kian starts sputtering and blood comes trailing out of his mouth, my attention falls back to him as he looks up at his son. “I love you, boy,” he says, choking on the blood building in his throat. “This is all yours now. Don’t let me down.”
Nic shakes his head. “Don’t you dare say goodbye, you hear me? You’re not going anywhere.”
Kian’s eyes start to grow heavy as tears race down my cheeks. “Tell your mother it was always her. Alwa
ys.”
Nic nods and as tears appear in his eyes, everything inside of me dies. Kian’s eyes close and his body goes heavy in Nic’s arms. “Dad?” he demands, shaking his father, desperate to hear his voice just one more time. “Dad.”
Kai’s hand falls to Nic’s shoulder and he pries him away. “He’s gone,” Kai murmurs. “Let him go.”
Nic cries out, his voice filled with pain. “NOOOO.”
I let out a shaky breath and despite everything we just went through, I find myself moving toward him. I step into his side and as he looks up at me from his position on the bloodied ground, I find a broken man, a version of Nic I’ve never seen before.
His arms curl around me and he pulls me down into his lap, holding me tighter and crushing me with his strength.
There’s nothing but silence as the grief tears through every last person standing around and after five minutes of gut-wrenching pain, all eyes begin to fall on Nic until he finally releases me and gets to his feet.
His chin raises and as he looks around at the Widows before him, every head bows, silently vowing their loyalty, and just like that, a broken, grieving Nic steps up as the rightful leader of the Black Widows.
Chapter 26
I sit at the bar in the compound, avoiding the eyes of the Black Widows as they stare at me. Their boss was just murdered and they know I don’t belong, yet their new king has insisted I stay, in fact, demanded it. They won’t go against him to kick me out, especially considering Kian was Nic’s father, but they’re certainly not happy about it.
My gut tells me that I should get up and leave. I want to hate Nic. I want to hate all of them. They knew these things about my father and not once did they come clean. How could they do that? I thought we had an understanding. I thought the trust between us was unbreakable, but lately, Nic and the boys have been testing that theory.
Nic silently sits beside me. I couldn't leave him. I should have. I should have gotten back in that damn Ferrari and taken my ass home. It’s stupid being within these walls. Men are pacing and despite having Widows out searching for the black SUV, the ones remaining are all searching for someone to blame, and considering I was the reason they were all out front, that blame falls on me.
I’ve never felt tension like this before. I’ve just walked right into the firing line of a gang war while technically being on the opposite side. If I was smart, I'd be hauling ass, yet the pain radiating out of Nic keeps me right here.
I watch him as he swirls the amber liquid around the bottom of his glass. He looks devastated and right now, I’m not sure if it’s because he lost his father or because of the responsibilities that have just fallen on his shoulders. He didn’t have much love for his father. Kian was dark and twisted and not in the romantic kind of way, but in the needs to be locked in prison wearing a straight jacket kind of way. He was dangerous and he made sure that Nic didn’t grow up with love, but as Nic grew and it became clear that he was a natural-born leader, Kian couldn’t resist reeling him back into his dark world.
What is it with the fathers around here? Is every man over a certain age just automatically a dick. My father had a web of lies and was a fucking hitman for the West Side Wolves, Colton’s father was an asshole who abused his wife and children, while Kian was a fucking monster.
I have to give it to the guy, he was the only person in my life who wasn’t afraid to tell me the truth and for that, I’m grateful even if it means putting my relationship with my boys on the rocks.
Things will never go back to normal after this. I will never have trust for them again. I mean, I sure as hell trust them to always protect me and always do what they think is right, but I will forever question their loyalty, their motives, and their hearts. It’s never a position I wanted to be in, but they’ve backed me into a corner and I’m left with no choice.
Nic throws back what's left in his glass before slamming it back down on the bar. His cup is instantly refilled and that one goes straight down the hatch too. it’s going to be a rough night.
I haven't seen Nic like this since … well, ever.
Not wanting to watch him self-destruct, I slide back off the bar stool and follow the loud grunts of agony until I’m standing before Eli. He instantly grabs hold of my hands as Kai stands at his shoulder with a pair of tweezers that look fucking dirty.
“Give me that,” I say, snatching them from his hands and grabbing the bottle of vodka at Eli’s side. “You’re going to give him an infection.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Kai says as I dump the vodka over the tweezers and clean them off as best as I can.
“Yeah, I know,” I grumble, setting my jaw and not wanting to meet either of their eyes. “Tell me, how’d that turn out for you?”
Kai huffs, knowing damn well that I’m talking about last year when he dug a bullet out of Nic’s arm and three days later ended up with an infection that had him hospitalized for forty-eight hours.
Confident that the tweezers are as clean as they’re going to get, I hand them back and look down at Eli sitting on the bench. His face is white and he looks close to passing out, but the second Kai touches him, it’s all going to change.
He grabs hold of my hand, preparing to squeeze the shit out of it while I pick up his discarded shirt, getting ready to shove it into his mouth so he doesn’t accidentally break all his damn teeth when he bites down. “Just … wait,” he murmurs as I lift it to his mouth, having done this way too many times. “I …”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t want to hear your broken apologies because right now, they mean nothing to me. I stayed because Nic needs me, not because I want to be here. Let’s get that straight. Things between us,” I say, glancing up at Kai so he knows this includes him, “will never be the same. You guys broke us by deciding not to be honest with me and because of that, no amount of shitty apologies will fix it.”
“Come on, babe,” Sebastian says, stepping into my side, his arm brushing along mine as he passes Eli a bottle of Absinthe that he instantly uncaps and raises to his mouth, cringing with the movement.
I flinch away from Sebastian’s touch and hate the way his face breaks. He's always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve, especially when it comes to me. He's not capable of hiding his feelings.
“Don’t. Don’t try and change my mind because it’s not going to work. You guys hurt me. You betrayed my trust and it’s going to take a shitload more than a few smiles and some shitty words to fix it. I just want to make sure that Nic is alright and then I’m out of here.”
Eli squeezes my hand but speaks to Kairo at his shoulder. “Let’s just get this over with.”
All strained conversation comes to an end as Kairo grunts and moves in closer. He gently nudges Eli, prompting him to lean over so he can see better and with a cringe and a quick drink of Absinthe, he does as he’s told.
Eli’s hold on my hand tightens and I quickly shove the discarded shirt between his teeth before giving him my other hand. He takes it eagerly and it reminds me just how much these guys need me. I hate how much I hate them right now, but I can’t seem to pull back on my basic instinct to protect them and offer comfort. They don’t deserve it, especially Nic, but at the same time, standing here and watching Eli in pain is killing me.
The tweezers dig into his skin and Eli groans low as his face turns a sickly shade of white. He squeezes down on my hand and I feel an agonizing crack in my left hand.
“Fuuuuuuuuck,” I shriek but don’t dare pull my hand away. My eyes fill with tears but he needs this more than I do. He got shot. I think I can handle a small fracture. I’ve had worse.
“Dude,” Sebastian says, looking between me and Eli. “You’re hurting her. Let go.”
“It’s fine,” I say through my teeth, looking up at a panicked Kai as Eli lets up on my hands. “Just get the fucking thing out.” Kai cringes, realizing exactly what’s at stake and digs deeper.
Eli doesn’t hesitate, squeezing my hands tighter as he bi
tes down on his shirt in absolute misery. A high-pitched squeak slips from between my lips. “Holy mother of sweet baby Jesus. Tell me you’ve nearly got it?”
“Nearly,” Kai grunts, leaning in closer to get a better look. “It’s lodged in the fucking bone. I don’t want to do any more damage.”
Eli groans, biting down on the shirt harder than humanly possible. “JUST. GET. IT. THE. FUCK. OUT.”
Kai glances up at Sebastian, “Get in here with that vodka, man. There’s fucking blood everywhere.”
Sebastian runs around and takes one look at the back of Eli’s shoulder before peeling off his own shirt and using it to help mop up the blood. I roll my eyes. Stupid fucking boys. Do they have no concept of infection control?
The bullet is finally pulled from his shoulder and Sebastian instantly gets in there with the vodka. He presses his shirt over the wound to control the stream of blood and Eli finally lets up on my hands.
I pull the shirt from between his teeth and he lets out a slow breath. “Are you alright?” He questions, still white as a ghost.
“I’ll live,” I grumble, glancing away.
All three of the boys stare at me and without another word, I turn my back and walk away.
“O,” I hear called in perfect unison by all three of them.
I spin around, fixing each of them with a hard stare. “Why the hell did you three just randomly appear in my life?” They all hesitate and the words come flying out of me. “TELL ME.”
Sebastian’s jaw clenches, the only sign that he’s about to talk. He raises his chin, finally ready to give it to me straight. “Kian learned who you were and put us in your life. He wanted to have you watched. He knew that you didn’t know who your father really was and he used that against him.”
Pain slices through me, right down to my core. “So, it was all a lie? You weren’t my friends at all. You were there watching my father and screwing over his daughter in the process.”
Cocky F*ck: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 2) Page 27
