by Sam Crescent
She nodded.
“Are you okay, baby?” Brass looked worried.
“I’m fine. I’ll go and help. I’m here, Brass. I’m not going anywhere.” She was in this for the long haul. They were staying together.
****
Duke wrapped his arms around Holly as she curled up in the chair. His heart was breaking for her. He had known she was planning to spend time with both Sheila and Russ.
“Any news?” Chip asked.
“Nothing yet. She’s in surgery.”
Holly sobbed.
Chip took a step toward him, and handed him a note.
Francis is on his way.
He nodded. He would deal with Francis when the time was right. For now, his woman needed him.
Kissing her temple, he closed his eyes, knowing that this was going to be hard for her. It didn’t look good. He had seen the doubt on the paramedic’s face when trying to deal with Sheila.
Pie came into the waiting room, and sat down next to them. Next were Brass and Eliza. Pike was at the clubhouse keeping an eye on Anton. Mary was taking care of his kids.
The minutes passed that soon turned into an hour. Two hours. Three hours.
Finally a doctor came out, and just from looking at his face, Duke knew the truth.
Sheila was gone.
****
Later that night Duke stood inside the basement of the Trojans MC. The club whores were gone, and all that remained were his close brothers. The monster who had destroyed his woman sat on a chair, tied up.
“She’s dead, isn’t she?” Anton asked, laughing. “I knew I’d gotten to her finally. It’s about time someone put that fucking bitch in the ground.”
Duke said nothing, and simply stared at the man that he hated more than anything. “You made my girl cry.”
“Her mother was a fucking whore, and she deserved it. I told you to pick one. You didn’t. You went behind my fucking back to my father. Do you really think I wouldn’t find out?”
“I didn’t give a fuck. You’re not the head of the Abelli. You’re a disgrace.”
Anton stopped laughing. “You can’t kill me.”
“I can’t?”
“To kill me would incite a war.”
Duke held his arms open. “You started this. You see, I had an agreement with the real head of the Abelli family. Maya stays quiet, Francis gets to see his grandkids, and you stayed away from us. Any deal we had fucking ended the moment you put a bullet in Russ and Sheila.” He grabbed the nearest blade and slammed it into Anton’s thigh. Duke relished the screams that poured from his throat. “Give it to me, Anton. Your ass is all mine. You will not be leaving this basement alive.”
He pulled the blade out, and slowly thrust it into Anton’s shoulder. There was no emotion inside him. All he could hear was Holly’s screams as her parents were taken from her. There was no remorse in this asshole, and anyone who made Holly cry, got hurt.
Pulling the blade out of the shoulder, Duke landed blow after blow against the man’s fucked up face.
Duke didn’t know how much time had passed, and he didn’t care. By the time Francis came in, Anton was hanging on by a thread.
“I’m so sorry. How is Holly?” Francis asked.
Holding the blade against Anton’s throat, Duke stared at the man who he had trusted. “She screamed, Francis. She begged for their lives, and this fucker still pulled the trigger.”
“I’m sorry, but this is not the way.”
“He will not be leaving my clubhouse alive.”
Francis dropped his hand. “Do not do this. Do not start a war that you cannot win.”
“A war? You think this is going to start a war?” Duke stared at Francis. “You promised me, Francis Abelli.” He made sure the Abelli name was filled with disgust, which was exactly how he felt. He pointed the blade at Francis. “You promised me Sheila and Russ would be safe. You gave me your word.”
“Duke, this is not the way. A war with me will not work.”
Duke burst out laughing. “I’ll win. You betrayed me.”
“I did no such thing.”
“You promised me that Sheila and Russ would be safe. Your word. You said that you’ll deal with Anton. Yet he came to my clubhouse, and shot two of my people. You declared war on me.”
“He’s my oldest son. I beg you. Whatever you want, I will grant it.”
“I will let Anton go free. I will let him walk out of here right now.”
“Thank you.”
“But the Abelli name will end. I already have it in my power to declare war on you, Francis Abelli. Anton walks out of here, and every single enemy, every single ally will know that Abelli means shit!”
Duke stared at him.
“You don’t know everyone,” Francis said, giving away his fear by turning pale.
“I don’t? Do you even know the relevance of why we’re called the Trojans?” He waited a few seconds. “Men like you don’t see us coming. We move in, and we find out your weaknesses. We find them, exploit them, and turn that shit against them. All you had to do was keep Anton in check. Keep him away from my town. You didn’t do that. You failed, and I have all the evidence I need to make it go public.” He stood and walked toward the television, playing the security footage that showed Anton acting against his father. “Were those your orders? Did the great Francis Abelli keep his little boy in check? Tell me, Francis. Is this what a deal means with you?” Duke saw he was getting to Francis. A powerful man was only so powerful if he kept to his word, and those around him, trusted him. “I wonder what the great Abelli name would be like once I start.” Duke shrugged. “Either way, I don’t end him, then you won’t have to worry about a sixteen year old girl telling tales.”
“You’d turn rat?” Francis asked.
“Not on my club.” Duke burst out laughing. “There is nothing binding me or my club to you. That,” he pointed at the television, “binds you to murder. I can find everything I need. Now, do you want to take him? Your precious oldest son!” He moved behind Anton, digging his fingers into Anton’s arm. “Tick-tock.”
He stared at Francis knowing either option wasn’t the best. Lose a son, or lose his entire name. Duke would make sure Abelli was destroyed, and he would do it slowly, bit by bit.
“Dad,” Anton said, trying to speak. The word was easy to make out, even though it was hurting Anton to say a single word. Duke pressed the blade against Anton’s throat.
Francis fisted his hands. “I see no reason for this to go any further, and in fact, you would be doing me a service.”
“Mom, no, Mom.”
Holly’s screams rang through his head. They would stay with him until the day he died. Pulling the blade away from Anton’s throat, he watched as Francis tensed up. In the next second, Duke pierced Anton’s throat, and held him still as Francis watched. Duke stared at Francis as Anton’s life ended.
Releasing Anton’s dead body, he watched as it slumped forward. Holding the knife he approached Francis. Holding out the blade, he placed it in Francis’s hands. “I want you out of my fucking town, and if anyone comes to my town in any association of Abelli, I will kill every single one of you. You think you’re a monster?” Duke moved in closer. “You don’t know who you’re fucking dealing with.” Duke had done his fair share of evil, and he wasn’t afraid to keep doing it again. “Back off, or Abelli will be a name no one remembers.”
Dropping the bloodied blade into his hand, Duke walked away. His job was done.
****
Later that night, Duke made his way home to where his girl was. Holly was curled up in bed, sobbing.
“Anton’s gone,” he said.
“Good. He’s a monster.”
Duke had already washed and changed out of his clothes. “I will declare war on Abelli, babe. Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it.”
Holly sniffled. “You’d risk the club for me.”
“I would do anything to make you happy. The club, they will follow me, and I wi
ll kill every last Abelli. Just tell me what you want.”
She didn’t say anything for the longest time. Duke wasn’t joking. Francis wouldn’t make it out of Vale Valley alive. All she had to do was give him the word.
“Hold me, Duke. Just hold me.”
Chapter Thirteen
Francis Abelli left town, and no one heard from him. Knuckles returned home with Beth to two funerals. Brass held Eliza’s hand as they stood by Russ and Sheila’s graveside. Even Matthew had returned to say his goodbyes.
No one could really believe it. Brass couldn’t grasp that he was never going to see Russ’s ugly face or Sheila’s smiling one. It was an end of an era with the two gone. He didn’t even want to admit that they were gone. Their blood had been on his hands.
Glancing over at Holly, he saw she was struggling to keep it together. Everyone was dressed in black.
He squeezed Eliza’s hand, trying to offer her comfort. She was giving him more comfort though.
“I’m here,” she said, whispering the words to him.
The service ended, and each of them threw roses onto the coffins. Duke held onto Holly tightly. Mary, Matthew, and Pike were helping with the kids during this time.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Knuckles said, coming to stand beside him.
“I know. It happened so fast.”
“I know what happened. Duke told me.” Knuckles turned to Eliza. “Congratulations. It’s good news for the two of you.”
“Thank you,” Eliza said.
This wasn’t the time for congratulations.
“We better be heading back.”
The whole of Vale Valley had turned out for Russ and Sheila’s send off. They may not have known it alive, but they had touched the hearts of the entire town. The reception had to be held in the town square there were so many people.
They walked toward the town square along with everyone else. Eliza rested her head against his chest.
“I’m so sorry you lost someone you loved,” she said.
“He was part of the club. Russ was a good guy. Had bad methods at times but he was a good guy.”
“I know.”
The walk didn’t take that long. Brass grabbed himself a beer and Eliza a glass of wine.
They stood with Leanna and Crazy talking about the service when Pie and Chip joined them.
“Who is that woman?” Chip asked.
“I saw her fucking first,” Pie said.
“Seriously, this is a fucking funeral and you’re looking at the ass available?” Brass asked.
“Look, it’s sad, but Russ wouldn’t blame us. She’s fucking hot.” Chip pointed toward Duke and Holly.
Crazy started laughing. “You two don’t have a chance with her. She’s a nurse, and her name is Kasey. She has too much class for the two of you.”
Brass saw the look on Pie’s and Chip’s faces. They were both going to compete to prove Crazy wrong.
The service was long, and it was tiring. Brass hated every second of it, so by the time he got back to his own place with Eliza he was more than happy. She kicked off her heels, as he pushed his shoes off his feet. “That was fucking exhausting,” he said.
“You should be nice. It was hard on everyone,” she said.
“I know. I hate funerals. I always have.”
“I don’t think anyone is supposed to enjoy it. Funerals are all supposed to suck.” She snuggled in against him on their sofa.
Brass held his woman and closed his eyes, basking in her scent. “It’s the loss that I can’t handle. Funerals are supposed to be about celebrating the person’s life.”
“They’re great for people who have lived their entire life, Brass. This was about more than the loss of life. It was taken. They were murdered.”
“I know.” He kissed the top of her head, and rummaged in his pocket. “It also spoilt my plans. I know I sound heartless, but I planned everything.”
“Planned what?” she asked.
He pulled out the velvet box. “I was kind of hoping you’d be my wife, and do me the honor of marrying me.”
She had frozen beside him. “You were going to propose?”
“Yeah. I was going to take you for a romantic meal, candles, nice words, and all the shit. I was hoping to impress you, and if that didn’t work I’d have fucked you into oblivion.”
Eliza giggled. “You’re still not good with words, are you?”
“I’m hoping my actions speak a lot louder than my words.”
She tilted her head back to look at him.
“Are you going to put me out of my misery?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I think I like you kind of sweating over what my answer is going to be.”
He slammed his lips down on hers, and held her close, leaving her breathless. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Tell me, baby.”
She opened her eyes, which had closed as he kissed her. Cupping his cheek, she ran her thumb across his lip. “I love you, Brass. Yes. A million and one times yes.”
That day was one of the worst of his life, but Eliza made it all so worth it by giving herself to him. He would make her as happy as she made him.
Epilogue
Two years later
“What do you think?” Brass asked.
“That Duke has way too much land.” Eliza placed her hands behind her back, and stared out across the acres of land. There was so much of it, and Duke had decided to expand, building several houses closer to his.
Brass moved up behind his woman, nuzzling her neck and placing his hands on her very heavy stomach. “I want to put an offer on a place.”
“What’s wrong with our apartment?” she asked.
“One of the rooms is your office, which you need as a bestselling author, and well, we need a room for these guys.” He was having twins. After two years together, a year and a half of wedded bliss, they were weeks away from being parents. Brass loved Eliza more every single day. She had come along way, and since her family had stopped having anything to do with her, she had flourished in ways that made him so proud.
She was so beautiful, and she had earned the respect of the club as his old lady. Standing by his side, by Holly’s side, everyone had found out how strong she was.
“Twins. You never warned me that you had multiple kids in your family,” she said.
“I didn’t know. You’re avoiding the question. Two little terrors are going to need a room to sleep, and a place to make mischief. My apartment is not big enough, and neither is the clubhouse. You know you love it out here. When we visit Duke and Holly, you always look at peace.”
She spun around in his arms. “I don’t want us to be struggling for money,” she said.
“You won’t be. I’m giving Brass, and any of the club brothers a discount,” Duke said, coming to stand with them. “You’ll have your privacy. I know Mary and Pike are taking the house just behind mine, and then this will be your plot.” Duke moved across the fields. Standing behind Eliza, he guided her in the same direction. “Think about it, Eliza. Here you could have a nice big kitchen overlooking our yard. The kids can mingle. We can leave everything open or you can have a fence. I don’t mind. We’re all a family. You’ve got room for an office, sitting room, dining room, and you’ll be close.”
Brass knew it was what she always wanted. She had spoken to him many times over the past three months about this plot of land. After the tenth time, he had taken the hint, and talked to Duke finally securing this plot.
Eliza spun around in his arms. “You really do listen.”
“Actions, baby. This is one of those moments.”
She pressed her lips against his, giggling.
“Do you want it?” he asked.
“Do you?”
“I want what you do.”
“I would love it.”
He turned to Duke. “I’ll take it.”
“Good. I already got the builders ready to come out. It will take some time, but you can always keep progres
s on the house.”
Duke left them alone, and Brass held his woman. “How are you doing?” he asked.
“My ankles are hurting, and so is my back. Our sons do not like sitting down.”
“They are going to make life interesting for us,” Brass said.
“For me, it already is.” She sank her fingers into his hair, holding him close.
He never thought it was possible to love someone this fiercely. Eliza was his soul mate, the other half of him, and he would do anything for her. Even when she was squeezing the life out of his hand a few weeks later. She gave birth to their two little terrors. She had given him a family, and he had given her love. Nothing could be better in his world.
The End
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Other Books by Sam Crescent:
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