by J, Bella
“Go inside, Tanit,” I ordered, not wanting the moment to stretch to the point where it would become uncomfortable.
The heels of her boots clicked as she walked up the porch and into the house.
“Yup, she’d still suck your dick, man.”
I scowled at Onyx. “Shut up.”
“Just sayin’. That woman is like a bitch in heat around you.” He shot me a cocky grin. “Better sleep with one eye open, or you might wake up with the wrong pussy in your bed.”
I shoved him with my shoulder. “Shut the fuck up.”
Fucker was clearly having fun at my expense.
He stepped inside the house, and I took a deep breath while rolling the aches out of my shoulders. Things could have ended differently for Tanit tonight. She could have ended up looking like Neon, or worse—if that was even possible. But, thank God, she didn’t. This club wouldn’t have been able to handle another goddamn crucifixion.
After walking inside, I took the stairs down to the basement. Dutch would have Trick and Tanit down there as well. Now that the Pythons knew about Tanit, having her on their radar, we couldn’t chance it. Hiding the girls was our only option.
Ink approached me when I took the last stair. “One would think it’s the goddamn end of the world with everyone we’re hiding down here.”
“Yeah, well, we don’t have a choice. I’m not risking any of the girls. Especially after—” I bit my tongue.
Ink roughed his hand through his hair. “I know, man. It’s just crazy that we need to keep them down here like fucking cattle.”
“We need to end this war as soon as fucking possible.”
“And how the fuck do we do that? You know I love slicing Python throats, but you and I”—he gestured between us—“we can’t do this on our own. The more we kill, the more Slither recruits. This could go on for-fucking-ever.”
My phone vibrated, and I pulled it out of my jeans pocket, wondering who the fuck was calling me at this hour.
“Jesus Christ.”
Ink frowned. “Who is it.”
“It’s the goddamn PC.”
“Shit.”
I pulled my hand down my beard, staring at my phone screen. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
“You have to, man. PC will want to know how close we are to finding Alyx.”
I glanced at him. “And why his streets are currently soiled with Pythons.”
“That too.”
I swiped the screen and answered. “It’s a bit early for business, ain’t it, PC?”
“It’s been too long, Granite. Where’s my daughter?”
“Relax. We’re on top of it.”
“Don’t you tell me to relax.” I pulled the receiver from my ear and shot Ink a worried look. “My daughter goes missing, and suddenly I have a fucking war on my streets.”
“I told you it was going to get dirty, and you agreed.”
“That was before you fucking handed the Sixes over to those bastards.”
My spine chilled, and I bit the side of my cheek.
“That’s right, Granite. I know about your trade with the Pythons. These are my streets, remember? Nothing happens here without me knowing about it. Question is, what did they give you in return?”
I balled my fists and ground my teeth, wanting to crack the fucking concrete wall. Ink cleared his throat, distracting me, and pulled a face, telling me to keep my shit together.
I took a deep breath. “It’s all part of the plan.”
“What plan?” The PC’s tone was rubbing me the wrong way, and it took every ounce of control I had to not lash back.
“Just let me do my thing, okay?”
“You said you’ll get my daughter back,” he bellowed through the receiver.
“And I will.”
“We don’t even know if she’s still alive.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. With all the shit that was happening, I was too focused on Alyx and Neon and killing Pythons. I didn’t have time to think how to handle the PC.
“She’s alive. I guarantee it.”
“How? How can you guarantee it?”
Ink pulled out his phone and pointed at the camera before heading down the hall.
“I got pictures. I’ll get a messenger boy to deliver it in a few hours.”
“Granite,” the PC’s voice was hard yet laced with concern, “if I don’t get my daughter back—”
“You’ll get Alyx back. I’ll make sure of it.”
I hung up, and the urge to crush my phone in my palm was overwhelming. How the fuck did I lose control of everything so goddamn fast?
“Who was that?”
Jesus. I spun around, and Alyx stared at me with those innocent blue eyes.
“Who were talking to?”
“No one.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
Alyx squared her shoulders, scrutinizing me. “Who was that, Granite? And why did Ink just take pictures of me?”
“Jesus Christ!” I was on the edge of fucking losing my shit. There was nothing more that could possibly go fucking wrong in one goddamn day.
“Is that the PC’s daughter?”
Oh, my God. I got swallowed into a giant vortex of shit only to get spat out in the most fucked up situation ever.
Tanit leaned against the open doorframe, and I stood there, dumbfounded.
I bit my lip, suppressing a sentence that consisted solely of f-bombs.
“Okay,” I held out my hand toward both of them and glared at Tanit, “you get back in your room. And you,” I cut my gaze to Alyx, “that was your father on the phone, and yes, he wants his pretty ballerina girl back. But that’s not going to happen. You can cry, you can scream, you can fucking starve yourself, for all I care, but you are not going back. You are staying here with me, and I am going to get a grip on everything that is going fucking wrong right now, and I am going to make dead fucking sure that not one single person in this entire goddamn house gets hurt again. Ever.”
My heart beat like a jackhammer against my ribs, my nostrils flaring and head pounding. Anger, frustration, uncertainty—it was all swirling around in me, turning me into a goddamn ticking timebomb.
Alyx dropped her arms to her side, her expression unreadable. God, I didn’t mean to be an ass.
“Look, Alyx. I didn’t mean—”
She stepped right up to me, taking my hand in hers. The different shades of blue in her eyes flickered with something I couldn’t place.
My heart raced having her so close, the sweet scent of vanilla circling me. As she lifted herself on the tips of her toes, she guided my arm around her waist and reached up to cup my cheek.
She didn’t say a word. She simply stared at me like she could see something no one else could. Her eyes were soft, gentle, compassionate—things a man like me didn’t deserve. I had been inside this woman twice, but somehow this single moment felt more powerful, the seconds that passed ticking away inside my heart.
“I am yours,” she murmured. “I was yours since the first time our eyes met through my bedroom window.”
I closed my eyes and leaned deeper into her touch.
“Like you said, there’s no use denying it. And I’m done fighting it.”
I opened my eyes to look at her, and all I saw was warmth in her gaze. No tears. No remorse. No shame. But peace.
“It’s exhausting fighting this, Granite. Fighting us.”
I wrapped my other arm around her waist and lifted her feet off the ground. “You’re mine.” It wasn’t a question.
She looked down at me while I held her. “I am yours.”
Sweet lips brushed against mine, and I squeezed her tighter against me, wishing I could kiss her for days without end. This woman was everything. After all I had put her through, the lies, the pain, the betrayal, she was still strong enough to accept her fate—a fate I had forced her into. But I didn’t give a fuck. If having her meant I had to do everything all over again, I would,
and I still wouldn’t give a fuck about a moral compass I didn’t even fucking have.
With her soft tongue lapping against mine, feeling her wet lips against my mouth, my cock hardened, and I was two breaths away from tearing through her tights and fucking her against the wall…until someone cleared his throat, interrupting what could have been an epic fuck.
I groaned, instantly annoyed and ready to break the skull of whoever the fuck it was. Easing Alyx down to the ground, I shot Onyx the kind of glare that could incinerate any grown-ass man.
“This better be fucking important.”
“Our crew got ambushed on their way back.”
My first instinct was to tell him to shut the fuck up until I got Alyx back to her room. We never discussed business in front of women. But the expression on Onyx’s face was downright grim, and it gave me the fucking chills.
I let go of Alyx’s hand. “What happened?”
“Texas called.” Onyx paled, his brows knitted and forehead creased. “Junkyard…” His voice trailed off, eyes searching like he was confused. “Junkyard didn’t make it.” Onyx pulled his palm down his face. “They killed him.”
12
Alyx
Through all that had happened, I was sure I had seen Granite at his worst, at his most angry. But I was wrong. The anger reverberated off him in heated waves, and I could practically smell the pungent scent of rage oozing out of him. I stepped back as I watched his face harden, his green eyes nothing but orbs of chaos. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare the shit out of me.
“Where?” The edge in his voice sliced through the silence, and I shuddered.
Onyx violently pulled his hands through his hair, cursing out loud. “The fuckers ambushed them right outside the gym, man. They were waiting for them, knowing we wouldn’t be there. Fuck!”
Granite crouched, bending his knees and leaning against the wall, hands cupped in front of his mouth as he stared into space.
Onyx crossed his arms, rocking from one leg to the other, traumatized and enraged. “What do you want us to do now?”
Dutch and Ink came rushing toward us, Dutch immediately looking down at Granite. “Manic and I will go back to NYC, see what the fuck is going on.”
“No.” Granite’s simple yet stern reply silenced everyone. He pulled both palms down his face, sighing. “No one is going back.”
“What?” Onyx frowned. “We still have half a crew up there. We need to go back and show these bastards we won’t be fucked with.”
Granite straightened, cheeks red and forehead creased. “Call our crew at the club and tell them to leave. Now.”
“Granite, what the fuck, man?”
I took another step back, feeling like I had no right being there. From the corner of my eye, I saw a woman move, and I turned her way. Her face was bruised on one side, and she had a cut down her thick bottom lip. But even with a banged-up face, she was beautiful, with an hourglass shaped body and big breasts. Her perfection made me hyperaware of my imperfections.
She took her long, dark hair in her hands and tied it high behind her head. I didn’t recognize her, but by the way she stared at me, she clearly recognized me. Had she been there the whole time?
My attention was forced back to the four men in front of me when Onyx slammed his fist against the wall. A growl ripped from his throat, his body quivering. It was hard to miss the vein in his neck pulsing with anger.
“You cannot expect us to stay here and do nothing,” he gritted between clenched teeth. “We need to find those fuckers now and end this.”
Even though Granite seemed calm, I could see in the depths of his eyes how he was struggling to stay in control. “They’re expecting us to rush back and defend our turf. They’ll be waiting for us.”
“Good,” Onyx snarled. “And we’ll be ready for them.”
“No!” Granite’s voice boomed down the hall, and I flinched from the roar.
Granite straightened. Whether it was the fury that raged within him, or the fear that stung inside me, I wasn’t sure. But to me, it seemed like he made himself taller, bigger, his presence filling every goddamn space around us.
“We made the mistake of underestimating them”—he glanced at the woman standing by the doorway—“twice. But not this time.” He turned back to face Onyx. “Slither won’t fuck us in the ass again. So, we stay right the fuck here.”
“This is bullshit!”
For a moment, I half expected Onyx to launch himself at Granite. He was livid, eyes wild and skin flushed all the way from his neck up to his cheeks. “By hiding here, we look like fucking cowards.”
Granite took a huge step, putting him in Onyx’s face. “If protecting the crew makes us look like cowards, then so be it. There’s a difference between being angry and smart, and being furious and reckless. If you can’t see that, you walk right on back to Neon’s room and look at her goddamn face. Maybe that will remind you of the fucking mistake we made by underestimating these bastards.” Granite brushed past his brother, knocking into his shoulder. “Everyone stays the fuck here. Dutch, make the call. Tell the crew to lay low.”
Just when I thought some of the tension would dissipate, Onyx spun around. “We’re making a mistake, brother. And if you can’t see that, you go to Junkyard’s wife and kids and tell them he got killed because he wore the Kings cut…and we’re not going to do shit about it.”
Granite stilled, and my heart was ready to crawl up my throat. The atmosphere was palpable, laden with tension sharp enough to desecrate the silence.
He looked halfway over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, brother. I’ll go to his wife and kids, tell them how we failed—how I failed. But this time, it’s the last. I won’t fail any of the Kings again.”
I sucked in a breath as his words cracked my chest wide open, pulling at every ounce of sympathy I had. That was when it hit me, the amount of responsibility this man carried alone. Every man here, every woman connected to the Kings, was his responsibility. His to protect and defend. Yes, he had his crew, but in the end it all came down on him…and him alone.
Ink placed his hands on his hips, cursing. “I agree with Granite.”
“Oh, fuck off, would ya?” Onyx blurted. “You just don’t want to go out there because you’re too busy chasing after Neon’s pussy. When the fuck will you realize she doesn’t want you, man? Huh? She doesn’t want to ride your fucking dick.”
I didn’t see it coming…and neither did Onyx. Ink launched himself at Onyx, swinging his arm, punching him right in the face. Onyx reacted, slamming his shoulder into Ink’s gut, forcing him back and crashing into the wall.
It happened so fast, and all I could do was flatten myself against the concrete wall behind me, holding my breath while watching two men tear each other apart.
The sound of bodies colliding and fists swinging, the rush of air as they knocked the wind out of each other, was scary as hell. Terrified and frozen solid, I stood there shocked and unable to take a breath.
Dutch forced his way between them, trying to tear them away from each other, when I felt two hands grab and pull me to the other side, away from the impending carnage of two savage giants.
The man shoved me in behind him when I heard Granite’s voice cut through the chaos. “Enough!”
I peeked around the broad shoulder standing in front of me, Dutch forcing Ink to the side while Granite had Onyx pinned against the wall by his throat.
“Dutch, get Ink the fuck out of here,” Granite growled, never taking his eyes off his brother. “Manic, take Alyx back to her room. Now.”
The guy in front of me turned, and I cringed when I saw the grotesque scar on his face, the big, fat line of skin stretching from one eye to the other side of his mouth.
He winked at me. “Pretty, ain’t it?”
“Wha…what—”
“Watching two assholes trying to kill each other.”
I closed my gaping mouth. But the grin on his face made it clear his question had double meanin
g.
“Come on. You heard the man.” He gestured for me to walk the other way, and I glanced at Granite one more time. But as I turned, I noticed the dark-haired woman still standing in the exact same spot, glowering my way, arms crossed and animosity toxic.
“Who is that?” I asked Manic without looking at him.
He glanced her way. “Oh, that’s Tanit. Sister of an old lady. Now, go on, before Granite has a hernia.”
“What’s an old lady?”
He raised a brow, the scar moving with it. “Do I look like a crew Q and A? Now, hustle. I want to get back in time to see the brothers kill each other.”
“O…kay.” I blinked, not exactly sure if I should try to say anything else. So, I turned and walked the other way, listening to his footsteps behind me.
As we got to my bedroom door, I stopped. “Can I go to Neon’s room instead?”
He crinkled his nose, his lips pouted. He shrugged. “Why the fuck not. Go, go, go.” He rushed by, pushing me farther down the hall.
What a strange man.
A little unsure and slightly uncomfortable, I slowly stepped in the direction of Neon’s room. The more steps I took, the faster I began to walk. The entire situation was too unsettling, and I needed to be around someone—someone familiar. And something told me Granite would be occupied for quite a while.
I gently eased the door open, peeking inside to see whether she was awake. The doctor stood by her bedside talking to her, so I knocked.
“May I come in?”
The doctor looked at me then down at Neon, whispering something before approaching me. “Sure. She’s awake. Just don’t stay too long. The more she rests, the better.”
“Thanks, Doctor.” I smiled and waited for him to leave before making my way around the bed.
Neon’s eye opened, and the corner of her mouth curved. “Hey, Swan Lake.”
“Hey.” I pulled up a chair and took a seat next to her. “How you feeling?”
