It was gorgeous.
A tall cream-coloured French structure reached for the sky, with smooth surfaces and pretty curves in all the right places. It was like a sophisticated woman, the type that looked at me with disdain, then paid me extra to dirty her real good. Gorgeous on the outside, but fucked up on the inside, which was a perfect metaphor, considering my gang were definitely inside the beauty. Their motorbikes, revved-up cars, trucks, and Jasper’s ambulance, were all parked outside, tainting the pretty picture, minus the Harleys, because they always made things look better.
I got out of my banged-up truck and headed past the ambulance as the medics carried Jasper inside on a stretcher. Killer ran past them, yelling out for...
What the fuck? He was yelling for Rafael.
I stepped through the doorway, watching him race up the staircase.
“How’s it hanging, Tane?”
My eyes snapped to the man holding the door open. Mikhail nodded at me. His real name was Bob, but our prez had nicknamed him after Mikhail Gorbachev, due to the port-wine stain on his forehead.
Mikhail gave me a lopsided smile. One of his front teeth had a massive chip in it, while the rest were all bunched up and yellowed from smoking too much. I liked a ciggie just as much as he did, but had decided feeding my kid was more important than buying pack after pack. Though, I wasn’t opposed to bumming cigarettes off my mates. My eyes went to the pack of Pall Malls sticking out of Mikhail’s blue checked shirt. He placed a hand over it, probably thinking I was going to steal his stash. Yeah, I was kind of known for swiping ciggies from my mates, getting into more fights than I could count over it.
I tapped his hand, wanting at least one to calm my nerves down. Light it up, have a few drags, then get down to business. “C’mon, mate, don’t hog them all.”
He frowned.
“Stop being a tightwad, I only want one.”
He grunted and removed the packet, holding it out for me.
I smiled and slipped two out.
“Oi! You greedy bastard. You said one.”
I licked them both, pocketing one. I held the other out. “Light it up, sunshine.”
He grumbled and pulled out his Zippo, firing up the cherry. I took a much-needed drag on it, then nodded at him. “Ta, mate.”
He grumbled again but still nodded back. “Whatever, Tane. Enjoy my hard-earned cash.”
“I will.” I winked at him, getting a headshake, then a smile, the bro knowing he shouldn’t have held the pack out, because I always took more than I was offered.
“Where’s the prez?” I asked. “I needa talk to him stat.”
He indicated to the stairs. “Up there somewhere. The gang are hanging out in the upper lounge.”
“Upper lounge?”
“Yeah, this place is massive. Got loads of bedrooms, two lounges, a rumpus, even a gym, not to mention the beaut of a pool. Don’t know how the prez talked the owner into letting us hang here, cos I wouldn’t let us near this place if I were her.”
“Maybe Milan’s banging her behind his missus’s back.”
“Nah, the prez ain’t no cheat. Heard he got the place through our club’s lawyer.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Houghton seriously set this up for us?”
“Yeah, his connection heard what had happened and contacted him, saying she wanted to help out.”
“Why the fuck would a rich bitch want a gang in her house? She’ll have it stripped bare by the morning.”
“No fuckin’ idea, but she’s one hot looking wench. Wouldn’t mind hooking into some of that, but the snobby bitch turned her nose up at me. Anyway, the prez said we gotta be on our best behaviour. Look but don’t touch, both the bitch and her shit. If anything goes missing there’ll be hell to pay.”
I took a drag on the cigarette. “No worries, I only steal ciggies.”
He grimaced at me.
“And I won’t fuck her unless she pays through the nose.”
He laughed. “Who would’ve thought the great Tane Rata’s a prossie.”
“I ain’t a prostitute, dipshit. I don’t walk corners in heels, I root bitches in heels. Hot bitches that your ugly arse couldn’t pay to fuck.” I flipped him the finger and headed up the stairs, the dipshit not laughing now, because he knew it was true.
I turned right at the top of the staircase and headed down the passage, getting reeled in by the voices. I stepped through a doorway that opened up onto a massive lounge. It looked almost like a ballroom with its monster chandelier and prissy floral wallpaper. And then there was my crew, sticking out like sore thumbs, or shit on diamonds, because the manky bastards were stinking up the room. Most of them had a beer in hand and a fag in the other. They were lounging on the plush white couches, probably dirtying them with their oil-stained jeans and leather-clad arses.
Since the prez was nowhere in sight, I headed for his new second in command. Fabian. The prick who’d denied me the meth. He was sitting by the window, also holding a ciggie. With his long hair and the halo of smoke surrounding him, he looked like Jesus in blue jeans.
He looked up at me as I neared him, his expression hardening. “Don’t ask, Tane,” he said. “The answer is the same. No.”
“I ain’t—”
He cut me off. “You can bitch and whine all you like, I’m still not giving ya meth.”
“For fuck’s sake, I ain’t here for that, I want—”
“Not giving you any other type of drug either.”
Losing my patience, I leaned down and grabbed him by his cut, yanking him to his feet. “I’m not after—”
Before I could get another word out, I got yanked back, someone forcing me to let go of Fabian. I was spun around and shoved hard up against the floor-to-ceiling window. The prez stuck his face right up to mine, looking angry as fuck. He had a biggish nose, with a prominent bump on it, and freaky blue-green eyes that looked washed out in the light.
A sneer pulled at his lips. “Are you so fuckin’ weak that as soon as Hemi’s gone, you’re right back to harassing Fabian for meth?”
I gritted my teeth, reminding myself that this was one man I couldn’t mouth off to.
He was the club.
His word was law.
“I wuzn’t after—”
He cut me off, “You have no right to endanger our club with your addiction, Tane. No right to endanger the family who still speak to you. You know where this addiction led you the last time. And to think you ripped into your own son for selling drugs, when the very next day you’re threatening Fabian for meth.”
My jaw clenched. “I’m not after meth, for fuck’s sake.”
He loosened his grip on me, not looking convinced. “Then, why are you harassing Fabian?”
“I don’t have meds for my disorder. I need sumpthin’ to calm me down so I can—”
He scowled at me. “So, you are after drugs.”
“Prescription drugs. I’m s’posed to have ’em.”
“Then get them from your doctor.”
“I hate that bastard. The last time I went to him he called the coppers on me.”
Milan exhaled. “What did you do?”
“Shoved him against the wall and threatened to kill him.”
“Tane!”
“I wuzn’t gonna do it. I wuz just teaching the condescending prick a lesson.”
“Go to a different doctor, then.”
“It’ll be easier if Fabian gets the meds for me. I need ’em so I can go after DC.”
“I told you I don’t want you involved. You’re too reckless, Tane.”
“I’m not like that when I’m on my meds, and you can’t cut me out. That DC dog went after my son, driving all the way up north for the hit. If it wuzn’t for Dante’s rellies up there, he’d be dead.”
Milan’s face fell. “You didn’t mention that over the phone? Just about Jasper. Is your boy all right?”
“Yeah. Bazza Pandza has arranged a safe house for him, but he can’t keep hiding. We needa eliminate th
e threat stat.”
“Agreed, especially now we know the DC are going after kids.”
“Which is why we shouldn’t be sitting around, drinking bloody beer, while those bastards are still breathing air. We needa end them. Now.”
“You’re still not coming. I’ve got enough men—”
“You can’t have, there’s squat all here.”
“Got another crew to help out.”
“The Mercenaries?” I asked, mentioning Hemi’s cousin’s gang.
“No, the Skulls.”
“Why not the Mercenaries? Their leader lost his cousin, Mark will be baying for blood.”
“He’s as reckless as you are.”
“Yet we’ll still get the job done.”
“No.”
“I have a right to take those DC bastards out. My son’s and nephew’s lives are at stake here. This is my responsibility. I also owe Hemi,” I said, knowing I couldn’t buckle now. Hemi would’ve done the same for me. I could break down after the job was done, fucking sob my heart out then, but right now, I had two boys who were counting on me.
Milan shook his head at me. “You still can’t be involved. You’ll lose your shit and get the wrong people killed. My decision is final. You’re not coming.”
I clenched my hands, crushing the ciggie in my fist, not caring about the burn. I wished, absolutely fucking wished, I could smash him in the face. And he knew it by the look he was giving me. But he also knew I wouldn’t touch him.
“Then, I’m goin’ up to be with my son.” I turned to leave, having no intention of doing that. Dante was safe and I was going to make damn sure he stayed that way. If the prez wouldn’t involve me, I would go rogue with the Mercenaries. I already knew they were chomping at the bit to get vengeance for Hemi’s death.
The prez grabbed my arm. “No, I need you here.”
I jerked my arm free. “Why the fuck for? You ain’t gonna use me, so I might as well go be with my boy.”
“We only got this place on one condition. You.”
My eyebrows winged up. “Me?”
“Yes, apparently you’ve made quite an impression on the owner.”
“Eh?” I said, confused. “I’ve never been here in my life.”
“You’ve...” He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. “Yesterday you were with two women—”
“More than two, mate. I did quite a few chicks that day.”
A slight grimace pulled at his upper lip. “The ones Melino found you with. One of those women owns this place. She heard the news about what happened to our gang, connected it with your cut, decided to reach out to us, offering her help.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline, reaching for the chandelier above my head. “You’re fuckin’ with me?”
He shook his head. “I’ve heard you were good in bed, Tane, but fuck, this hot piece of arse is panting for you, wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“What’s her name?”
Now it was his turn to look surprised. “You should know, you fucked her yesterday.” When I didn’t reply, he added, “She has white hair.”
I scratched the stubble on my chin, trying to remember. I’d done a few chicks that day, none of them that memorable, well, except for one who’d left a bite mark on my leg, just below my balls. I almost kneed the bitch in the face for that, automatic response, not on purpose. Though, I couldn’t remember what she looked like, but her mate did have a cloud of snow-white hair. I couldn’t remember her face either. All chicks looked the same after a few too many drinks, the barrier between pretty and ugly blurred. Plus, I was surprised I could even recall her hair colour with all the shit that had gone down yesterday.
“Seriously?” the prez said. “She’s hotter than hell. You have to remember her. Gorgeous face. Banging body. Peroxide hair.”
“Does she have massive fake tits?”
Milan nodded.
“Yeah, I remember her now. I liked her a lot better than her girly-voiced mate. I wanted to tape her bloody mouth shut. Pro’bly should’ve cos the bitch bit me. Still, they paid me a shitload. Would’ve given them my number if I hadn’t been hauled off by your minion. Can’t even fuck without you bastards sticking your noses into my business.”
“Well, your business is giving the club a roof over our heads, so you’re staying put until we clean up this mess with the Devil’s Crew.”
I sneered at him. “So, I’m a scum whore until you lot need me to whip my dick out?”
Milan grimaced. “Do you have to put it that way?”
“Well, it’s true.”
Fabian sniggered behind Milan. “Hey, Tane, I’ll be more than happy to give you some li’l blue pills if you can’t get it up. After all, you did want some drugs.”
I threw him a glare. “I got it up no probs for your missus. By the way, tell her she owes me a few hundred for that last root I gave her.”
He flicked me the finger, knowing I was lying, because there was no way I’d lay a hand on his missus. Not because she was ugly, she actually wasn’t half bad looking, but because Fabian was like a brother to me.
But not as much as Hemi had been.
I turned back to the prez. “So, where’s this thirsty wench?” I said, giving him a smile, even though I was fucking dying inside. “I’ve got a fresh load of Ten CC for her to swallow.”
He screwed up his face in disgust. “Fuck, you’re a dirty bastard.”
“Yet all the babes still want me.”
“Vain too.”
“Nah, just telling ya like it is. So where is she?”
“In the back room, doing some business. And be nice for once, she has connections. You fuck her wrong, we all pay.”
I snorted. “You should know one thing ’bout me, mate. I always leave chicks happy when it comes to the sack. You have no worries there. But if you want me to do this, bring me back Jonah and Reaper. Kill the rest, I don’t care, but those two are mine.”
“Not Reaper. I’ve given the order for him to be shot on the spot. He’s far too dangerous to play with. But I’ll get you Jonah.” The prez held out his hand.
I grunted, annoyed I couldn’t deal to Reaper, but still shook his hand, knowing he was right to be cautious.
“Thanks, Tane,” Milan said, looking relieved.
“No thanks needed.” I turned for the door, intending on getting the job out of the way so I could do my own thing. The other blokes in the room were deathly silent as I walked past them. I willed myself to keep on walking, realising they were waiting for me to leave so they could talk shop. Yeah, they all had a right to be involved, they’d lost mates and loved ones too, Hemi not the only one dying in the attack. But I still felt like I had the most right. The DC went after my son, not any of their kids.
My son!
Fuming, I headed for the back room, determined to bang this chick, then take off to find the Mercenaries. If the prez thought I was going to fucking stay here while my son was in danger, he had another thing coming. I would make this chick happy, give her promises of more, then hightail it to the Mercenaries’ crib.
I entered another passage, stopping at the sound of a loud cry. It was coming from a room on my left, the voice sounding like—
Killer!
I burst into the room, what I saw hitting me like a bus. Killer was lying on the bed starkers, with Rafael between his legs. Rafael had his hands around Killer’s throat and his cock up his arse.
“Get off him!” I yelled, rushing at the fucker.
Rafael let go of Killer’s throat and pulled out of him, but not fast enough to avoid my fist. I hit him square in the face, knocking him into the wall. Killer screamed and went for Rafael, flinging himself over him. His actions stopped my next punch, the fact that Killer was protecting Rafael knocking me for a six.
“You sonofabitch!” Rafael growled, pushing Killer away, his words directed at me. He was holding a hand over his nose, which was bleeding badly. “Fuck off before I fuck you up!”
I looked at Kill
er again, not understanding what I was seeing. Only a few hours ago he was fighting Rafael, not wanting him to touch him, yet now he was protecting him?
Killer blanched at my stare. Pushing himself into the corner of the bed, he wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face in his knees, hiding it from me.
“What the fuck is goin’ on, Killer?”
“That’s not Killer, it’s Pain. So, fuck off!” Rafael yelled, spitting blood on the pristine white sheets. He pushed off the bed, baring more than I wanted to see. He had scars all over his body, along with some cheap-looking tattoos that I wouldn’t pay a cent for, one of them a colourful snake twisting around his right thigh.
I glared back. “You were choking him!”
“Pain likes it, comes real hard when I dominate him.” Rafael smiled at me. Even though I’d fucked up his nose, he looked happy, probably gloating over Painkiller being with him.
I refocused on Killer, or Pain, whoever the fuck he was. He was peeking up at me, all jittery, looking like a scared little mouse.
I held out a hand. “I don’t care who you are right now, come with me. I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you again.”
Rafael shoved me, causing me to stumble back.
I took a step up to him. “Touch me again, fucker, and I’ll paint every part of you red.”
“As if. And Pain won’t be going with you.”
I looked at Pain again. “Do you want to leave?”
Pain shook his head.
“You sure, Killer?” I asked, his other name falling from my lips without thought.
“I’m not Killer,” he said, his voice soft. “I’m Pain. Please go.”
“Yeah, leave,” Rafael said, glaring at me. “I haven’t seen my baby Pain in two weeks. Killer’s been hogging his body, so I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
I clenched my hands, wanting to bash him so fucking bad, to smash his smarmy face in, and to break every finger that had touched Pain. I also wanted to rip his cock off and stuff it into his arsehole of a mouth, like I’d promised. But instead, I turned and headed for the door.
Jagged Pill (Broken Lives Book 3) Page 12
