by Tillie Cole
“Father,” I replied, the taste of blood coming from my busted lip. We’d been here many times before.
“So. All this?” he mocked, pointing to my cut. “All this for a fucking spic?” My teeth gritted together as that word left his mouth.
I stepped closer to him. Close enough that my boots touched the toe of his expensive shoes. “You speak about Adelita like that again, and I’ll kill you.”
My father’s mouth twitched. Landry got up and came round the table they sat behind. The asshole just plowed his fist into my stomach, then my face.
He kept going until my father pulled him back. “Patience,” my father said to him.
I glared across the table at Beau. “You next?”
Beau, as silent as always, actually got to his feet. Dressed in black, his brown hair falling over his face, he came toward us. He stopped in front of me with his arms folded across his chest. My fucking kid brother, the one who never left my side, was gonna be here as I died. As our uncle and father killed me.
Wade got up too. “Wade,” I said coldly, like the guy wasn’t on my side. I had to protect him.
“Shut your fucking mouth, traitor,” he snapped. His face was red as he spat at me, and his hands were balled into fists at his side. He was doing a good fucking good job at pretending he was pissed.
“Untie him,” my father ordered my brother. Beau moved behind me and cut the cable tie that was holding my hands together. I fisted my hands, ready. My uncle and father stepped back. When Wade joined them, not a fucking flicker of allegiance in his eyes, I waited. Beau moved beside them. The four of them were glaring my way. I eyed my little brother one last time. How the fuck had it come to this?
“Get against the wall,” my father ordered.
I did as he said and backed up four steps until my back hit the wall. Beau, Landry, Wade, and my father all raised their guns.
A fucking shooting wall. An execution. I wouldn’t close my eyes. I would watch them until I was dragged to fucking hell.
“You always were a fucking pussy,” my father said. “You were never the solider your people needed you to be. From being a kid, always questioning shit and being a sniffling lil’ disappointment.”
My old man clicked the safety off his gun. Just as he went to fire, Beau jumped out of line and fired two perfectly aimed shots . . . right through Wade and Landry’s heads. In seconds, he’d knocked the gun from my father’s hands. It went sailing across the floor, well out of reach.
My heart started to quicken. “What the fuck?” my father snapped at Beau.
My eyes dropped to Landry and Wade, dead on the floor, their eyes wide open. Kenny and Lars came smashing through the door. Beau turned and sent them to the boatman too.
Beau came to stand beside me. I stared at my kid brother as he faced our old man. “If I have to listen to one more fucking white-power chant, see one more Nazi salute, or attend one more fucking rally, I’ll slaughter every one of y’all.”
Our father’s face drained of blood. Then it quickly reddened. “You—” He went to hit Beau, but I grabbed his hand and threw the fucker back. His eyes stared daggers at us both. “You planned this,” he hissed at Beau.
Beau smirked. “All of it.” I looked at my little brother in shock. He glanced between me and our old man, his eyes finally staying on me. “I pretended to be Wade. I needed you to think I was all in to this Nazi shit.”
“You weren’t?” I asked, my throat fucking getting thicker by the second. I’d thought he was all in . . . I thought he hated me . . . I thought he was Klan through and through . . .
“Never was. You knew that.”
“I did . . . but then I assumed I was wrong when I left and you took over the leadership. You were quiet when we were kids. Thought I’d got you wrong all these years. That you did believe it after all.”
Beau shook his head. “I never wanted this life. Fucking hated all of it. Every fucking day under that cunt’s rules.” He nudged his head toward our old man.
“Why did you stay? Why the fuck didn’t you leave too?”
Beau paused, then quietly said, “You.” His arms folded over his chest. I knew this Beau. The one who never gave anything away. My baby brother never spoke much, never opened up. Ever. Crossing his arms over his chest? That was him protecting himself from whatever truth he was about to spill. I wanted to fucking pull him to my chest. Protect him like I always did. But I knew he needed to say whatever it was he needed to say.
Beau flicked his chin in the direction of our old man. “He ain’t my fucking family.” He pointed at Landry. “Neither was that redneck prick.” Beau looked at me. “You were, Tann. You were my only fucking family . . . and then you left me behind.”
“I wanted Adelita. I couldn’t be in the Klan life and have her.” I shook my head. “You were away with the army. And I didn’t believe in that shit anymore. Realized it was all bull. I got my chance to leave, through Tank. So I took it. You never came and looked for me after you got out. I figured you were done with me along with these cunts.”
“You fucking left me behind,” Beau snapped, anger lacing his voice. My stomach sank. I hadn’t known . . . if I did, I never would have left.
“But you’ve been leading the Klan. Training the soldiers. You sure as shit acted like you were still an all-in Nazi.”
“Had to look the part.” I couldn’t get it through my fucking head. I couldn’t fucking think. I eyed my father beneath my foot. He looked about ready to combust as he listened to Beau. Fucking stock still as Beau told me it all. “I had to get us in a position where I could take them down. Destroy them before they destroyed you.”
“What?”
“They were always gonna kill you, Tann. You were a betrayer of your race. The cause. The great invisible fucking empire. They were never gonna let you live . . . they were gonna wipe out the Hangmen. You seem happy there. So I had to figure out a way to take the Klan down from inside before they could.” He shrugged. “Had to make you believe I was all in so nothing could go fucking wrong. Needed you to believe I wanted to kill you too . . . I needed you to believe that you had nothing left.”
“You little shit!” our papa hissed. He rushed at Beau, but I smashed my fist into his face before he even got close. The asshole dropped to the floor. I watched him crawling on the ground, and all I felt was disgust. He was a weak-as-piss asshole. Always fucking had been. He abused the fuck out of us as kids, paid some bitch to give birth to us so he could raise his fucking white-power heirs. He was as pathetic as they came.
Our old man held his nose, blood seeping onto his expensive suit. I stood beside him, putting my foot on his back to make sure he didn’t move.
Beau didn’t even acknowledge him. “I needed everyone down here. In one place. Needed you here too.”
“I came because they killed her. Diego fucking killed her.” Beau rocked on his feet. Then his words from before sunk in . . . I needed you to believe you had nothing left . . . “Diego killed her, right? Adelita . . .
I fucking cleared my thick throat. “She’s gone?” I didn’t wanna fucking hope. Didn’t wanna give myself any hope she was still alive. I didn’t—
“She’s alive.” Beau interrupted my thoughts. My heart started hammering. My ears filled with a fucking pulsating roar.
“What?”
“The last time I checked, she was alive.”
“You . . . you fucking told me she was dead!” I had to fight the urge to hurt him.
“I had to! I had to get you here. Had to stop them from coming for you. I knew if you thought she was dead, it would happen.” Rage. I felt nothing but rage. But when I looked at Beau, I saw the truth in his eyes. And he was right. I came here because I had nothing to lose. The Klan and cartel were here to plan an attack on the Hangmen . . . Beau had prevented it all.
Kicking my old man, I walked to Beau and fucking pulled him to my chest. I kissed him on the head, feeling him lose the tension in his always tense body. It was just like whe
n we were kids . . . Beau and me.
All we ever had was each other.
I suddenly felt the cold barrel of a gun on the back of my head. I froze. So did Beau. “Well isn’t this a nice fucking reunion?” my father’s voice said coldly. I pushed Beau away from me.
I opened my mouth to speak, when the door burst open and a voice said, “Governor fucking Ayers!” The gun immediately left my head. I turned to see Ky Willis pointing his Uzi at my father. Styx came in next, followed by my chapter. Tank was through after Styx, and his eyes fixed on mine. I saw the relief on his face—I was fucking alive.
Ky looked down at my uncle, then Wade, Kenny, and Lars dead on the ground. “Looks like we missed the fucking party.” My father, for once, looked nervous. All my brothers had their guns trained on him . . . my fucking brothers were here.
“Been a while, Gov,” Ky said, and he sat on the edge of the table.
My father backed up until he was against the far wall. “You can’t kill me,” he said. “I’m a governor. People will question where I am.” The fucker smiled. “And I have insurance in place if I do.” By the smug look on his face, that insurance involved me, the Hangmen, or both.
Ky nodded, then took out his cell. He snapped a few pictures. It only took me a second to see what my old man was in front of—Nazi and white-power flags on the wall. Ky gave him a wide grin. “For our insurance.” He got up from the table. “Sure your constituents would love to know you don’t go to sleep at night without wanking off to German porn and screaming Heil Hitler when you come.”
“You piece of shit—”
“Think you’ll find that’s you,” Tank snapped, and he moved beside me. I saw his eyes darken when they landed on Beau. I stood in front of my brother. Not one of these men—including Tank—was touching him.
Styx whistled, and signed for Vike to open the door. “Go,” he signed to my father. Ky gave the order. Styx smirked. My old man edged to the door. Styx stood in his way the minute he was almost free.
“Valdez has the cartel.” My father’s face fell when Ky spoke Styx’s words aloud. Styx stepped closer and closer still. “And you have no men left.” My eyes widened when he said that. My fucking pulse kicked into a fast sprint. “We killed them all . . . every last one.” Styx just glared at my father, silently. Then, “You’re on your own.” Styx glanced down to my uncle and the other three dead men. “You have no one left . . . Governor.”
Styx moved aside, and my father glared at me and Beau. “You’re gonna regret this. One day you’ll fucking regret this.” Then he was gone. I didn’t know how he would get back to Texas without any men. But I didn’t fucking care. He was gone.
Ky faced me and Beau and pointed his gun at my brother. “Now, time for this fucker to go to the boatman.”
I shoved Beau behind me. “No,” I hissed. “It was Beau all along,” I said, and saw Tank watching me. “The contact . . . it was Beau. He was taking the Klan down from the inside . . .” I told them what Beau had told me. All of it. Every fucking thing.
“That true, Beau?” Tank asked.
Beau pushed me to the side so he could be seen. “I’m good, Tann.” Facing my brothers, he said, “It’s true. All of it. They were coming for y’all. Wasn’t gonna let that happen. They weren’t getting to Tanner.”
“No one’s fucking touching him,” I said, and meant every damn word. “Believe him or not. It’s true. But no fucker here is gonna lay a damn finger on him or we’ll have trouble.”
Ky and Styx looked to each other. Ky shrugged. “Then it looks like we owe mini Ayers a motherfucking drink.” I exhaled a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. Tank came over and slapped Beau on the back. As always, my brother didn’t react. Forever in his own head. Silent and giving nothing away. But I could tell by his eyes he was relieved.
“You really took out the Klan?” I asked Styx. He nodded. “And Valdez really took the Quintana cartel?” He nodded again . . . “Adelita?” I held my breath.
“Wasn’t there when they raided. She got out somehow,” Ky said. He looked to Styx, a strange expression on his face.
“What?” Tension filled the room. “What?”
Ky came toward me. “Turns out your bitch was always Hangmen property.” I frowned, confused, when he added, “Quintana wasn’t her old man. Not by blood. His wife wasn’t her mother.”
I didn’t know what the fuck was going on. “Then who was?”
Ky pointed at Styx. “Styx’s mama.” Ky slammed his hand down on my shoulder. “Styx here just learned he’s got a sister . . .” Ky let the sentence go. “Adelita.”
My fucking head pounded. But when I met Styx’s eyes, I knew it was true. “Where is she?”
“We’ll find her,” Styx signed.
“We’ve taken the Klan’s camp. We’re using it as our base.”
Vike and Rudge led the way out of the safe house, when one face suddenly entered my head and I asked, “Diego? Valdez get him too?”
“He fled,” Tank answered. “Valdez is on it. He won’t be alive for long. Valdez has all his men out looking for him. He won’t make it to dawn. Fucking dead man walking.” I wanted to kill him. I wanted to be the one who watched that fucker die. “We’ll get her back, Tann. I fucking promise.” My mind immediately went back to Adelita.
I was gonna find her.
She was out there, somewhere.
And we were alive . . . everything we ever fucking wanted.
*****
“You good?” I asked Beau. Beau lay back on the bed.
Beau nodded, closed his eyes, and I knew that was him closing himself off. I waited until he was asleep before I ducked out of the room. My fucking head was still spinning from everything that had happened. My brothers, along with the Diablos and the other Hangmen chapters, were all outside. Some on patrol, others beside fires, celebrating the win. The bodies had all been moved before we got back. Valdez sent some contact he had to collect them—black-market shit I was sure.
I’d just sat down beside Tank when a black car pulled into the camp. I got to my feet and fell behind Styx and Ky.
“Valdez’s car,” Ky said. Still, my brothers were all armed up.
The driver got out of the car like hundreds of guns weren’t aimed at him. He came toward us. “Tanner Ayers?” he said, his Mexican accent thick.
My eyes narrowed, but I flicked my chin. The driver handed me a piece of paper. “Adela Quintana has been found.” I looked down at the paper. It had a number written on it. “You’re to call this number. We got instructions that it must only be you. You need to personally arrange where to pick her up.”
The driver walked to the car and drove away. I didn’t fucking wait. I hightailed it to the headquarters where the phones were. I dialed the number. After three rings, a voice asked, “Tanner?”
It took me a minute to recognize the voice. “Father Reyes?” I’d met him a few times when I was at Adelita’s hacienda.
“She’s with me. She’s safe.” All the tension I’d been holding onto melted the fuck away and nothing but relief set in my bones. “She’s hurt, Tanner.” In a second, that relief faded. “Lita is okay. But Diego . . . he hurt her. Beat her. I found her on the floor in her bedroom, barely conscious. I’ve cleaned her up and brought her to a remote chapel. No one knows where we are.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and fought back the rage that was building inside me. “I’m coming for her,” I announced. “I—” I stopped speaking and looked out of the window. My brothers were waiting for me outside. Styx kept looking my way. I still couldn’t get my fucking head around the fact Adelita—my Adelita—was Styx’s and Chavez’s sister. “Can she walk, Luis?”
“Yes. She’s bruised and tired, but otherwise she’s well. Nothing is broken.”
“Can she talk?”
“Yes. She’s not with me now. I didn’t want this call to be traced. But Tanner, she’s well, I promise. Bruised, hurting, but she’s tough. She’s always been a fighter.” My throat fucking clogg
ed, and I nodded my head as a fucking grunt of agreement left my mouth. “She is.” My voice was gravel, fucking eyes stinging. “She’s always been a fighter. Right from the very first moment I met her.” I took a fucking second to breathe. “Father Reyes, listen to me . . .” I spoke to the priest and made the plan. When I hung up, I walked outside to my chapter. “We get her tomorrow. Her friend saved her. I know him. And I know where to go.”
“Where?”
“A remote chapel. I’ve been given the directions. Luis knows where this camp is. Luis’s a priest. Her priest.” I told my brothers where the church was. “We’ll get her at dawn.” Styx nodded. “I’m gonna hit the hay,” I said.
I could see Tank’s suspicious expression. His eyes were narrowed on me. He knew something was up. That’s why I had to get to my room. I needed this night. Just this one fucking night with her on my own. Shit, I only needed a couple of hours.
Beau lifted his head when I opened the door. “I know where she is.” Beau nodded. I kept trying to read him to see if he had a problem with me being engaged to a Mexican. Klan ideology was hard to shake. But there was nothing in Beau’s face but acceptance.
“When you getting her back?”
I didn’t wanna lie to my brother, so I just said, “Soon.”
I lay down on the other small bed and knocked off the light. I stared at the ceiling, the darkness wrapping around me. And I waited. I waited until Beau’s breathing had evened out. And I waited until the sound of my brothers talking outside died down.
Checking the time, I quietly got off the bed and sneaked out the door. Most of the brothers hadn’t made it to their beds. They were passed out drunk or exhausted on the ground. Using my experience from my years in the army, I moved silently in the dark. Around the building and into the surrounding forest. I cut through the trees until I arrived at the village nearby.
