by Faye Byrd
“Fuck him,” she says, pressing her chest against mine. “Carl can’t touch you.”
“He won’t,” I assure her, gripping her by the shoulders and pushing her back into her spot. “But he technically could. All it’d take is a vote.”
“I’d kill them all in their sleep,” she hisses, and it makes me smirk even though it shouldn’t.
“I know you would, babe.” I brush her arm, but I keep it brief. “Now go on upstairs and let me finish this shit.”
She snorts, but she does as I ask. She takes slow, careful steps, making sure to sway her ass from side to side with each sensuous one. The woman is dangerous in every way imaginable, and I love the hell out of it, but she’s sure to bring about my death.
Protests come from an open doorway at the other end of the hall, but I can’t make out the words. My biceps flex as I march toward them, ready to pound a motherfucker’s face. I hear Reynolds before I see him, and the words he’s spewing only enrage me further.
“I wasn’t betraying you. They only wanted the bit—” I cut him off by shoving my fist down his throat. His teeth cut my skin, but I draw back and hit him again, knocking his front ones clean from his mouth.
“What were you saying, motherfucker?” I’m yelling, trying to push past Carl as he’s full on shoving me backward. “I’ll fucking kill you!”
“Calm the fuck down, Enzo!” Carl commands, shoving me into Bob and Hawk, who each grab an arm. “I can’t get anywhere if he can’t fucking talk.” He holds up his palms. “You’ll get your chance. Just fucking chill.”
I shove those motherfuckers off me and pace along the back wall as Carl returns his focus to Reynolds. My fists are clenching, and blood is thundering in my ears. Their voices sound like the teacher from Charlie Brown. I can’t make out a word because my head is full of rage, and I can only think of one thing: Randi. Someone, somewhere, wants her, and I don’t have a fucking clue who or why.
I charge the motherfucker, breaking through Hawk and Bob like they aren’t shit. When I reach Carl, I one-arm that motherfucker out of the way at the same time as I pull my Uzi from my waistband and shove the barrel inside Reynolds’ mouth.
“What do you have to say for yourself now, motherfucker?” I push harder, causing him to gag. “That’s my old lady you’re talking about, and Carl doesn’t have the power to save you.”
“Enzo,” Carl says. His tone is even and his hand is outstretched, begging. He knows this is out of his control. “You don’t want to do anything rash. Your woman is safe. Answers are better than death.”
“Talk,” I command, breathing through my nose.
At his silence, my finger tightens on the trigger while I war with myself, but it’s the spark of defiance in Reynolds’ eyes that makes the decision for me. With a renewed wave of rage coursing through my veins, I shove just a tad harder, causing fear to flash in his unrepentant eyes for only a brief second before the life dies with a pull of the trigger.
Not just once, but over and over until the bullets have obliterated his fucking skull. When the gun empties, I turn and toss it to the floor, glare at Carl, and pull Bob’s from his waistband on my way by. All three of those fucks follow me down the hall, muttering shit among themselves, but it’s all fucking useless.
I enter the room, shocking an unsuspecting Handsy as I smack the butt of Bob’s gun into his forehead. “This is your last fucking chance,” I grit, snatching him backward by a fistful of hair. “Who’s after my old lady?”
His eyes go from wide and afraid to confused, and it’s in that exact moment I realize my answers aren’t coming. This stupid fuckhead doesn’t know a goddamn thing. I bring the butt down again, this time cracking it against his cheekbone, and release him, turning away. My anger is like a live force thumping through my veins. When I turn again, I lift my arm and empty three bullets into his chest. He looks down, then at me before his head slumps to his chest.
Dead.
I press the gun into Bob’s hands on the way by as I make my way out of the fucking room. Out of the fucking clubhouse. I don’t say anything, but why would I? I’m speechless. My biggest fear is suddenly real, and I’m not sure how the fuck I’m going to deal with it.
Much less tell Randi.
She’s headstrong as fuck and tough as nails, which makes for a dangerous combination when it comes to trying to have her do any-fucking-thing against her will. I slam my fist against the closest object, which happens to be an old brain bucket, and send it flying.
As I regain my composure, I realize I’ve made my way to the shop. “You won’t be getting any answers now,” Bob says from behind me. “You know better than to let your emotions push you into doing stupid shit.”
My shoulders slump. “I wasn’t gonna get any fucking answers anyway.” I swipe my arm across the workbench, sending a set of chrome handlebars flying to the concrete. “Someone’s after my girl.” I scrub my hand through my tangled waves, fisting them until it hurts. “Who the fuck did we piss off?”
“Your girl did embarrass Jessie a few days back,” he hedges, shrugging. “Not sure she has the resources to pull off something like this, but she’s been known to slum it with the Hellions.”
“Not a fucking chance.” I snort, shaking my head. “Those pussy motherfuckers don’t have the balls.”
“That’s all I got, then.” Bob walks over and picks up the chrome from the concrete, holding it out like he’s kicked back on his bike. “I mean, who else would have a clue about her being here even?”
“I don’t know,” I respond, frustrated. “Something’s definitely off. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
He walks over and claps me on the shoulder. “Let’s talk it over more while we get rid of these bodies.”
“I’d rather not,” I reply, brushing off his touch. I’m too agitated to accept his compassion right now.
“Bullshit,” he says with a laugh. “You did ‘em; you’re burying ‘em.”
“That’s cool.” I bob my head. “I just don’t want to talk anymore.”
“Whatever floats your boat, kid.”
I chuckle to seem like everything’s normal, but it’s not. The entire time we’re gone, from loading up the plastic-wrapped lumps in the van to tying weights around their ankles to tossing them into the Sacramento River, I remain silent through it all.
My mind is sinking deeper and deeper into darkness as I consider the what-ifs. What if Randi hadn’t been paying attention? What if it was her that had been shot instead of Mikey? What if she hadn’t been able to kill the man? Would he have killed her?
Taken her?
My heart drops to my stomach, and it’s caught in a turbulent battle between rage and regret. The struggle mounts and eclipses all else. My mind is a dark and scary place as a frenzy of wild and horrific thoughts scramble for dominance.
By the time we make it back to the clubhouse, I’m no better off. The internal struggle is a battle of wills that I’m quickly losing. I’m spiraling out of control and don’t know how to stop it. I want to go to her, assure myself that she’s alive, but I also want to stay away. She makes me weak, and I need to be strong if I intend to protect her.
“Wanna play?” Justice asks, shoving a beer into my hand and tilting his head toward the pool table.
I turn the bottle up and kill it in one long pull. “You break.”
SIX
Stupid Lion
RANDI
The alarm trills at 6 am, and I sit straight up in the bed, already processing that something is very fucking wrong. The space beside me is bare, cold and empty, and my temper flares. I don’t do well being ignored, especially when I don’t know how yesterday turned out since my Lion was still missing when I went to bed.
I twist my neck from side to side, allowing it to crack, before tossing the blanket off me and marching to the shower. If he thinks I’m going to play these games, he can think a-fucking-gain. I have important stuff to do today, and I won’t allow him to turn my plans to shit.
The hot spray cleanses my body and settles my raging mind. By the time I’m dressed, my anger has simmered down and I’m ready to face the day. My new dress fits right in with the prissy nurse image I’m trying to portray, and I keep my makeup to a minimum to lull these bitches into assuming I’m just like them.
Once I’m completely ready, I march from our room and look for Enzo. I find him sprawled back in a leather recliner, his mouth wide open, drool dribbling down his chin, and breath so sour I can smell it from two feet away.
I smirk as I go to the kitchen and fill the largest bowl I can find with cold water. All of my previous calm has flown out the window with the knowledge that this motherfucker made a choice to sleep somewhere I wasn’t. With measured steps, I stalk back toward him and draw the bowl back.
“No!” Elise screams, reaching for my fucking arm like she could stop me or some shit.
She’s too fucking late. The cold water hits Enzo like a damn tidal wave, and he jumps from the Lazy Boy, his arms swinging. Yeah, I moved out of reach. I’m not stupid. When he stops flailing long enough to realize his predicament, his eyes widen on me.
“Yeah. I did it.” I step forward and jab him in his muscular chest. “How fucking dare you? We’ll settle this shit when I get back.”
I turn and strut from the clubhouse without another word. It takes Elise another two minutes before she joins me, but when she does, we get in the car and leave without any conversation between us. I stare out the window, taking in the scenery in hopes of calming my anger.
Twenty minutes into our ride, Elise breaks the silence. “I guess Enzo fucked up.”
I bark a harsh laugh. “I found him passed out in another room. In a goddamn chair.”
“Well, mayb—”
“Don’t,” I snap, burning a hole through the side of her face with my glare. “Making excuses for him won’t help his cause. He’s a grown fucking man, and I expect him to take full responsibility for his stupidity.”
“Okay,” she says quietly, glancing at me. “Carl seemed troubled last night as well is all I was going to say.”
“Right.” I bob my head. “Even more reason for Enzo to talk things over with his better half.”
“Does anyone ever win with you?” She shakes her head, turning in to the parking lot. “Not everything is about you.”
My mouth pops open in shock, and I close it quickly, resisting the urge to tell her to fuck off. I adore Elise, even if she is a bit of a pushover when it comes to the Lion men, so I don’t want this to be a thorn between us. What goes on between Enzo and me is none of their fucking business, though. He fucked up and he will answer for it.
“Let’s drop this,” I say as we pull in to a parking spot.
Elise shifts the car into park and turns to me. “I’m not trying to be a busybody, Randi, but sometimes our men do awful things in the name of protecting their loved ones, and they just need a little understanding.”
I shake my head and open the door, ignoring her little plea altogether. “I don’t want this experience to be ruined by talk of Enzo or Carl or any of those fucking Lions, so again, let’s drop this. Enzo and I will work this out among ourselves.”
“Fine.” She snatches the keys from the ignition. “Have it your way.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” I say, standing from the car and shutting my door a little too hard.
It doesn’t deter Elise, as she does the same, clicking the fob with an extra snap to her fingers. I can’t help it. I burst out laughing. Elise is the easy-going-est person I know, so she must feel really strongly if she’s acting out this bad.
I huff out a breath and we come together at the front of the car. “Fine, Elise.” I cross my arms. “I’ll try to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“See how easy that was?” She bumps my shoulder with hers. “It’s all I’m asking.”
I don’t respond, putting all this bullshit out of my mind in favor of enjoying myself at this conference. When we enter the event center, the entire outer space is lined with exhibit after exhibit of the latest and greatest in medical technology. Elise and I have a ball exploring each new item. Some we get to try out while others are only prototypes, but all of it makes me excited about my chosen profession.
I graduated last month, and I completed an internship at the hospital, thanks to Rhonda, during Spring semester. Now I’m ready for the real world, though Crescent City doesn’t offer much. I’ve applied at the hospital and the three solo doctor’s offices in town, along with two more in Fort Dicks, so we’ll see how it goes.
By the time we return to the clubhouse, the sun has settled over the horizon and I’m completely Zen, ready to give Enzo the benefit of the doubt. Elise parks the car, and I notice there are a few extras in the lot. The scene brings me back to another time, long ago, when I walked into a clubhouse with cars I didn’t recognize in the lot.
My hackles rise, Zen no-fucking-where to be found. My feet pick up speed as I prepare myself for the worst. Last time, it was the bunny who suffered for Enzo’s and my failure to communicate, but this time, it’ll all be on him if he’s fucking up when I walk through this door. I push the motherfucker open, every muscle in my body on high alert.
My eyes scan the space. Bunnies are present, but none of them are near my Lion—lucky for him. He’s rocked back in the recliner in the corner with bleary red eyes, a half-burned, unlit joint between his lips, and a beer in his hand. He is, however, watching intently as Justice gets his cock sucked by one of the nasty hos.
The level of my ire ticks down a notch, but the fact that he’s shitfaced and ogling some whore’s lips doesn’t bode well for him. The rest of the guys are doing various things. Carl and Bob are playing pool, Hawk is standing off to the side, awaiting his turn, and Marianne is nowhere to be seen. Mikey’s in the corner, hiding behind his laptop.
I lift my chin and march across the room to block Enzo’s view. It takes him two seconds too fucking long to realize I’m there, and I kick him in the shin for it. His eyes snap to mine then, and he sneers.
“Is this the fucking hill you want to die on?” My fists ball at my sides, my anger spiking to new levels. “It’s been over twenty-four hours since we’ve spoken, yet here you are enjoying live porn while I’m away.” I lean forward, propping a hand on each arm of the chair. “This will be all you have when we return home if you don’t get your shit together and explain yourself.”
I stand, glaring at him one final time before stomping down the hall to our room. The door bangs into the wall as I push it open and it smacks into the frame as I slam it closed. I pace, my blood boiling in my veins. I start counting out loud because this motherfucker doesn’t have long at all to show himself before I light this clubhouse on fire.
“The fuck’s your problem?” Enzo snarls from the doorway. “Can’t a man spend some time alone?”
I approach him, and his eyes fall to the seductive sway of my hips. It makes me chuckle … coldly. “You can do whatever the fuck you want, if you want to be single. Otherwise, you have to answer to me, and I don’t accept bullshit excuses.”
He grabs my upper arms, his hold firm, and his sour breath blows across my face when he speaks. “Are you threatening to leave me, Randi?”
I lift my chin. “Do you think I’m going to put up with this shit?” I snatch my arms from his hold, stepping away. “I woke alone, Enzo. You slept in a goddamn chair in the other room. That’s never happened before, and I won’t start accepting it now.”
His eyes roam my body before settling on my face. He has a new expression now, and it’s filled with pain. “I’m only making your life more dangerous.”
“What?” My anger abates as confusion settles in. “How can you think that?”
“I don’t think it,” he says, striding past me to perch on the edge of the bed, elbows on knees, face buried in his hands. “It was an ambush, and I murdered them for it without learning a single fucking thing.”
“Is Carl upset?” I ask, a
pproaching him. “Does he want to punish you for it?”
“What? No!” he says, lifting his hazel green eyes to mine. “Fuck Carl. I don’t give a goddamn what he thinks. I do care about you, though. I fucking love you, but I’d rather you be alive with someone else than dead with me.”
His words soar through the air, cut through my skin, and impale themselves into my soul. How could he ever think that being away from him would be anything but awful for us both?
The back of my eyes sting as the hurt overflows. “So you’d let me go, then?” I swallow, my hurt turning to bitterness. “You’d send me away, out into the world on my own with no protection. No one by my side. I’d be completely alone.”
“Of course not,” he snaps, standing to pace. “I’d make sure there were eyes on you at all times.”
“Fuck you,” I say, and then I yell it. “Fuck you! You don’t get to make life decisions for me all by your pathetic, righteous self. I make my own goddamn decisions.” I turn, scouring the room for something to throw at his stupid sexy ass before I leave him to his fucked up pity party. I spy my helmet and grab it, lobbing it at his ridiculously hard chest. “I’ll have Elise drive me home.”
“No!” He’s on me before I can pull open the door. “We go home together.”
“Fuck you!” I struggle in his grasp as he pushes me against the door. “That’s not how this works. You don’t get to push me away and pull me in at the same fucking time. I’m better than this, worth more than this, and I’ll be damned if I let some prick jerk me around two years into what I thought was the last relationship of my life.”
“Randi, please.” His voice is low and raspy and his eyes are pleading. “I only want what’s best for you.”