by Brook Wilder
“Hello?”
“Your brother was a traitor. He deserved what he got.”
The raspy voice caught me off guard, the words causing goosebumps to break out all over my skin.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, bitch,” they continued, their voice barely above a whisper. “Traitor.”
“Fuck you,” I said before hanging up the call and throwing it on the table.
I had grown used to the stares after Leo’s death, the brotherhood that had taken us in and treated both of us like family ignoring me as I walked past.
But none of them had been brave enough to outright threaten me.
I wasn’t scared, I was pissed.
Was it the Horsemen or someone else? My money was on the DHMC. They would hold a grudge against my brother, regardless of what kind of proof I brought them, Neil included.
Well, I wasn’t going to give up. My brother was no traitor to the brotherhood or to anyone else in this damn town, and I would die continuing to clear his name.
Chapter Four
Neil
I angrily snapped the saddlebag closed before climbing on the bike, my patience wearing thin. I had spent the last few days tracking one of Grayson’s followers all over the county, hoping to get a glimpse of the man himself. For three days I had not eaten, hardly sleeping, as I’d watched him meet with others, enjoy some beers, and some women.
I had briefly thought about ending his life while he was in my sights, so I could move on, but held out in the hope he would give me something.
And now, because of my holding up, I had lost the bastard. How he had snuck out of the motel was beyond me, but the room was empty, no trace of the one good lead I’d had in quite some time.
Swinging my leg over the bike, I gunned the engine and pulled it out from behind the motel where I had left it. I was pissed at myself for letting him slip through my fingers, tired and hungry, and ready to get home.
But the good thing about being away from Cibolo for a few days was that it had allowed me to think about the letter tucked in my bag.
And Rox. I’d done a lot of thinking about that woman.
Turning the bike toward home, I gunned it down the highway, the adrenaline in my veins making me push the bike to the limits for a few miles. The words we had exchanged that day on my front lawn had been harsh, but not far from the truth. She had been right. I had not stood by Leo when the rumors had started flying; my loyalty had been with the club and no one else.
But what the hell else could I do? The evidence had been there. But now, after this letter, I was second guessing everything I knew. An undercover job? Why would Leo take that chance by himself?
The thought stayed with me all the way back to Cibolo.
I was hot and sweaty by the time I reached the familiar house, pulling in front of the manicured lawn. The house next door had been razed long ago, after the Tates had the final hurrah as a family. I would never forget that night as long as I lived.
***
The banging on the door woke me up, and I darted out of bed, grabbing the rifle from behind the door just in case. There had been a rash of burglaries lately, and since it was just me and Ma, I wasn’t taking any chances.
Ma’s bedroom door opened and she exited, hastily tying her robe, as another pounding on the door split the silent night.
“What on earth?” she asked, looking at me.
I motioned for her to stay behind me, keeping the rifle at my side as I approached the door. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, dammit! Open up!”
The fear in Leo’s voice had me throwing the locks in a heartbeat, flinging the door open. Leo stood on the doorstep with Roxanne in his arms, her cheek red and bleeding.
“Oh my God,” Ma gasped, hurrying forward to touch her forehead. “Get her in this house. I swear, that man!”
“He’s dead,” Leo said flatly, his eyes void of emotion as Roxanne huddled against his chest, whimpering.
I took a look at my friend, a new fear in my veins.
“Do we need to…?” I couldn’t finish the statement.
If he had killed his old man, I was going to help him hide the evidence.
He shook his head, tears in his eyes.
“Mom did it then killed herself. H-he went after Rox something fierce tonight. Damn, I think she’s got some broken ribs.”
“Get her in this house,” Ma said instantly, pointing to the couch. “Call the police, Neil. It’s finally over.”
***
I had done just as she had asked, and after the cops had finished swarming both houses, beating us with questions until the wee hours of the morning, it was over with.
Rox and Leo had moved into their aunt’s house for about a year, and then Leo had gone on to the club with me. The town razed the house, and no one had built on that lot since then, leaving a gaping hole between the rows of houses, a constant reminder of what had transpired there.
Rox had never talked about it, not even during our time together, and I had never brought it up. I had been scared shitless for her that night, torn between putting another bullet in the dead man’s body for what he had done to my friends and comforting her.
Shutting off the engine, I climbed off the bike, frowning at the car that was already parked in the drive.
Sundays I had a standing date with Ma, her one stipulation in my adult life that I honored every Sunday. It was a chance for me to decompress and pretend for an hour or two that my life was normal.
But my cousin wasn’t part of that weekly visit, and I wondered why he was here now.
Walking to the door, I opened it to the smells of fried chicken, the customary Sunday meal that my Ma fed me.
“Hey Ma!” I called out, shutting the door before she complained about me letting the AC out.
“Neil, we are in the kitchen!” she hollered back.
I took a moment to use the hall bathroom to wash up, smoothing my hair back and knocking the dust off my clothes to make myself presentable. Then I walked into the kitchen.
Michael was seated at the table, his white bald head shining in the overhead light. Ma was at the stove, stirring her famous beans, humming along to the church music that was on the radio.
“Neil,” he said with a grin, holding up a beer. “Good to see you.”
I gave him a nod as I crossed the kitchen and pressed a kiss to Ma’s weathered cheek.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“I never expect you on time,” she smiled, patting me on the cheek. “And you washed up too. Go on, talk to your cousin. He came to see you. Play nice.”
I grumbled as I walked over to the fridge, reaching in to grab a beer as well.
Michael was my cousin, but he wasn’t a favorite. Michael was a member of the Teutonic Brotherhood, a group of Neo-Nazis that specialized in illegal gun trades. We were no angels in what we did, me included, but the Teutonic was the reason we had dangerous guns on the streets of Cibolo, in the hands of kids who were killing each other. We had stopped more than one shipment of guns coming into these neighborhoods lately.
Seating myself at the table, I stared at him.
“What are you doing here, Michael?”
Michael grinned, leaning back in his chair.
“You don’t seem happy to see me, cuz.”
I gave a little shrug and took a swallow of my beer, careful with my words. While Ma knew more than she probably should about the dealings of the club, I didn’t want to put her in the middle of a turf war.
That, and she would smack me upside the head if I messed up Sunday lunch.
“It’s got nothing to do with me seeing you, Michael. See you are still doing the bald look.”
He chuckled, running a hand over his head.
“You should see it when it gets burnt.”
I chuckled as well. Though we were on opposite sides now, there had been a time when we had enjoyed each other’s company.
“You still look like a penis.”
/> “Neil!” Ma said sharply, not even turning around to glare at me.
“Sorry Ma,” I answered as Michael snickered.
No matter how old I got, I knew she ruled this house.
She stirred the beans one more time.
“I’m going to wash up and then we can eat.”
We both nodded as she walked out of the room. I wasted no time, questioning my cousin.
“What the hell are you doing here Michael?” I asked, a lethal edge to my voice.
He held up his hands.
“I’m not here to harm your mother. I’m not that stupid.”
“I’ll fucking kill you with my bare hands if you do,” I growled.
I didn’t care if people saw me as a mama’s boy or not. That woman had sacrificed to raise me by herself, and I would die protecting her.
“I’m not,” he repeated. “But I am wondering how much longer you are going to pretend to be a Horseman. That club is falling apart at the seams.”
“You think I would come to your brotherhood?” I asked, arching a brow.
He shrugged.
“Why not? You could do some real work then.”
I laughed, unable to help myself.
“I would have to be dead to want to be part of your shit brotherhood. You are giving guns to kids, you asshole. Where’s the pride in that?”
To his credit, Michael kept his smile, though his eyes grew hard.
“The same that you have when you kill innocent men.”
“Touché,” I said, lifting my beer toward him.
He did the same as Ma came back into the kitchen.
“Who’s hungry?”
**
Two hours later, I walked Michael out to his car, his arms loaded down with leftovers.
The lunch had been relatively civil between us, as we had kept our differences aside for the sake of the woman in the room. Instead we had regaled our glory days as kids, keeping Ma laughing well after dessert had been served.
“Thanks,” I forced myself to say, as Michael dumped the food in the passenger seat.
“For what?” he asked, climbing in the car.
“For not making this about the shit between us,” I grumbled.
He stared out of the windshield for a moment, his hand tightening on the steering wheel.
“When I drive away, we are enemies again. I won’t come back to this house, but I did come to give you a word of warning.”
“You did?” I said, not surprised.
This hadn’t been a friendly visit. I knew that, and Ma probably did as well. Michael hadn’t graced these doors for five or more years.
“Yeah,” he said, blowing out a breath, as if it pained him to say it.
“You’re looking for Grayson. He’s already gone after loved-ones before. Don’t think he won’t hesitate to do it again.”
I gritted my teeth. That thought had crossed my mind more than once. Grayson had taken Harley. I would hate to know who else was on his list.
Shutting the door, I backed away from the car and allowed Michael to leave, watching him head down the street until I was sure he wasn’t going to come back. Having Michael there had unsettled me, putting him too close to those that I loved and cared about.
I didn’t like it.
Walking back into the house, I found Ma wiping down the counter, the radio blaring out some gospel song.
“Michael gone?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I answered, reaching for my sack of leftovers. “You’ll call me if he shows up again.”
It wasn’t a question, but a statement, letting her know I didn’t trust him around her.
She turned, reaching into her apron pocket and pulling out the pistol I had shown her how to shoot years ago.
“I’m not worried about Michael. I’m worried about you.”
I paused at the door.
“Why?”
She tucked the gun back into the pocket, walking over to put her hands on my face.
“I know what you are doing, and I pray for your safety every night. But, Neil, when are you gonna settle down? A man can’t live like this forever and not have his number called eventually.”
I sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. This wasn’t the first time we had had this conversation, nor did I expect it to be the last. Rox’s face flitted through my mind, and I pushed her aside. That I would have to deal with soon.
“I love you, Ma.”
She chuckled.
“I love you too, son.”
Chapter Five
Rox
I was knee deep in Leo’s closet, throwing clothes out left and right. Even after a full day at the salon, I wasn’t ready to go home yet.
Instead, I went back to work on my brother’s house, deciding that I needed to really get my butt moving on getting myself into this house. My rental lease was up at the end of the month, and I didn’t want to stay in that shithole any longer.
But it was more than that. I couldn’t sleep. After the call the other night, I had struggled to find some peace in my life.
That, and Neil was on my mind.
Blowing out a breath, I collapsed amongst the clothes, the smell of my brother’s cologne all around me. I didn’t know why he was on my mind. I was beyond pissed at him, wanting to push him out of my life and never look back. All of that wasted time with Neil, believing he was on my side, on Leo’s side, it made me sick.
But it was something in Leo’s words that had me hesitating just a little bit. My brother had trusted Neil, and clearly if I was in trouble, Neil was the only one I was to trust.
Neil, the man who had killed my brother. Had he known that his best friend was on his tail? It was no secret that Neil had been hunting down Grayson Barnes’ associates, and if they thought he was part of the conspiracy, Leo must have known he had a target on his back from his best friend.
So, why had he told me to trust Neil then?
I ran a hand over my face, my shoulders slumping in defeat. Neil had been everything to me for such a short period of time in my life, even though I had been in love with him all my life. I had literally been sick for days after Leo’s death, my mind reeling with the fact that in his last moments he had been alone. Had he known that Neil had fired the fatal shot?
I thought about the last time I had seen my brother and Neil together. My heart had been full that night, the smiles on their faces something I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was right before the shit hit the fan and Grayson split them into sides.
***
“Bam! You lose, again!”
Neil shook his head as he threw down the pool stick on the table, his chuckles hard to contain.
“You always were the better one at pool, dude. I should know better than to go up against you.”
Leo grinned, and I laughed, watching the two friends clap each other on the back. Neil looked over at me and I felt my cheeks burn, wondering when he was going to notice me as the woman I had become. I was all grown up now, honing my body into something I knew was an eye-catcher, but the one man I wanted to notice had failed to.
Yet.
“I think y’all fight about this every time you play,” I finally said, giving Neil a small smile. “Why do you play?”
Leo grinned, slapping Neil on the back.
“It gives me a chance to one up this guy here. He beats me at everything else. I mean, even after all his training I still can’t shoot the broad side of a barn.”
“You’ll get there,” Neil grinned. “Or I will need to be there to shoot for you.”
Leo walked over to me and slung his arm over my shoulder.
“Or Roxy could do it. She’s a much better shot than I am.”
I grinned as Neil held up his beer to me, giving me a wink.
“That she is.”
Leo raised his own beer, squeezing my shoulders.
“To family. May it always be the tie that binds us together.”
“You get poetic when you get wasted,” I laughed, leaning
into his touch, savoring his warmth. “To family.”
