by Nicola Jane
Mystie insisted on coming on the walk with me. She’s persistent, I’ll give her that. It’s another reason I need to make me and Mae official. “Pres,” pants Hulk, running into the club. “We need to call church, now.”
It’s urgent. I see it written all over his face, so we send a message out to all the guys and within the hour, everyone is gathered around the large table in church.
“Anton has him,” blurts out Hulk. “He has Lorenzo. Tag doesn’t know yet.”
I stand and begin to pace. “Got him where?”
“Not sure. He didn’t give much away.”
“Then find out. We need to make a move.”
“He’s waiting on your instruction. He said the Mafia wants him gone, but he doesn’t care how. He knows you want to do it.”
“He’s letting us make the kill?” I ask. I thought they’d leave it to Tag.
“Anton said you should have it after what he did to you and Mae,” says Hulk.
“Okay, I need to think about this. I want him to suffer, but I need to talk to Mae and Mystique first.”
“The other thing is, Anton seems to think that the spy is one of the club girls. Something Tag's dad said.”
“I need more than that, Hulk. I can’t go slitting throats if I don’t know who the fuck it is.”
“It’s something we’ll need to get out of Lorenzo before you end him,” says Scar.
I decide I’ll tell Mystique first. Mae is still with Abel and she looks settled, so I don’t want to ruin her smile just yet.
I call Mystique into my office and she sits opposite me. “We have Lorenzo.”
She sucks in a surprised breath. “I didn’t think we’d ever see him again.”
“You don’t have to. I just thought you should know.”
“What’s gonna happen to him?”
“He’ll die. Slow and painful. I’ll make sure of it.”
She nods, letting that sink in before shrugging her shoulders. “Good, I’m glad. I don’t want him to hurt anyone else like that.”
“I’ll let you know when he’s not breathing our air anymore.”
“Can I be there?” she asks. I hesitate. I wasn’t expecting that and like Mae keeps pointing out, we don’t know this chick. She’d be a witness and Hulk would not be happy. Plus, we never allow women around club business, but I find myself nodding anyway. She deserves closure and technically, she isn’t a woman of the Rebellions yet.
Next, I call in Mae. She leaves Abel with Scar. “Doc is pleased with your progress,” I say.
“Is that why you called me in here all official?”
“No. I have some news. We have Lorenzo.”
Her face pales. “Oh.” She steadies herself by gripping the back of a chair.
“Aren’t you happy?” I was expecting her to at least look relieved, but she looks anxious.
“I’m happy he can’t hurt anyone. It’s what happens next that worries me.”
“Why?”
“Because I know what you want to do with him.”
“He deserves it, Mae,” I growl.
“He does, but I want to be there and I know what you’re gonna say to that.”
I fall silent, trying to get my words right. I know she needs closure too, but as her man, almost, I should take care of this so that she doesn’t have to deal with having that on her conscience. “You know my rules on that, Mae. No women allowed around club business, especially business like that.”
“How is that fair when I was the one they attacked like that? I should get to watch him suffer.”
“You don’t want those images in your head, baby. It's bad enough that you stuck a screwdriver in the guy back at the house. I know that gives you nightmares. I hear you scream out night after night. I’ve seen you wake up looking at your hands for his blood.”
“I need this, Ace, you know I do. Please.”
I hate that she looks so desperate and any other time, I’d give her what she wanted but not this. It’s for her own good. “I’m sorry, Mae, but I can’t-” I’m cut off when my office door swings open and Hulk stands there looking pissed. Mystique is behind him with a look of panic on her face.
“So now we’re letting strangers in on club business?” he growls.
“Not now, Hulk, and knock before you barge right in here with your attitude,” I snap. I need him to stop talking before he spills to Mae that Mystique is coming with us.
“As your VP, I strongly advise you that we keep it club members only. It’s not a spectators sport.”
I growl when I see the realization on Mae’s face. “You’re letting her go, but not me?” she mutters.
I sigh and rub at my forehead. I’m sure I feel more lines creasing there than I’ve ever had before. “Mae, baby-” I begin, but she puts her hand up to me.
“Na-ha, Ace, whatever you say next is going to piss me off further.” She folds her arms and pastes a stubborn expression on her beautiful face.
“Right. Hulk, get the fuck out,” I yell. I wait for him to leave and slam the door closed. Turning to see Mae’s sad expression, I almost crumble. I know how badly she wants this. “Baby, trust that I know what is best for you. Right now, while you’re still recovering, the last thing you need is the trauma of a murder. It isn’t going to be pretty, and I don’t want you to see any more than you already have. It’ll be a side of me that I lose control of and you can’t witness that.”
“But it’s okay for Mystique to see that? She’s a stranger to this club. An outsider. What if she tells someone it was you? You’ll go to jail and I’ll be left alone.”
“I owe her. She saved us, Mae. After this, I’ll be even with her. Then I don’t owe her.”
“Right. Well, you go off and play Bonnie and Clyde with a girl we hardly know, and I’ll play the part of a delicate little flower that can’t handle shit.”
Mae stands to leave but I rush in front of her, blocking the door so she can’t go. “Don’t go like this. I can’t stand it when you’re mad at me. I want to protect you, what’s wrong with that?”
“I can’t do this right now, Ace; or should I start calling you Clyde?”
“You’re being ridiculous. I am the boss around here and I’m laying down the law. You know how this works.” I pause before adding, “You should also know that the spy is one of the club girls.” I say it because I want her to stay with me. I don’t want her to walk out of here still mad.
“Does that surprise you, Ace, when you take in anyone with a sob story? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Angel. I’m sure you shared lots of secrets when you were fucking her.”
“What the hell is wrong with you today? Angel wouldn’t do that to me.”
Mae sighs and rubs her face; she's tired. “But she didn’t do it to you, did she? You might have been there, but you weren’t pinned down and raped. She wanted to hurt you without actually hurting you, and what a perfect fucking way to do it. She intended it to be your daughter, but what a fucking bonus that she got me instead, the one girl she saw as a threat.”
“It wasn’t Angel,” I growl, refusing to believe she’d do that to me.
“I’m going for a walk, I need to clear my head. I think it’s best if you sleep in your own room tonight.”
I get that tight feeling in my chest. I hate the thought of not being with her at night. She still wakes, continuously screaming and crying from her nightmares. I sigh. “Take someone on the walk with you.”
“I’ll be fine. You already have the bad guy, remember?”
“Damn it, Mae, stop being so fucking stubborn. I can’t deal with you when you’re like this!” I yell, slamming my hand on the desk.
“Because I don’t conform? Because I don’t swoon over you wanting to murder a man for me while I stay here like some pathetic weak little girl? Apologies if I have offended you!” she yells back.
I drive my fist into the drywall, taking us both by surprise. It crumbles, and pieces fall to the floor. I take a deep, calming breath. “Just take
someone with you,” I hiss, keeping my back to her.
She leaves without saying a word, but I feel the disappointment lingering in the air well after she’s left the room.
Mae
I don’t walk far. I get to the gate and I feel my heart palpitating in my chest. Doc said I might experience panic attacks and anxiety. He talked about getting me some counseling, but the thought of talking to a stranger about what happened scares me.
So instead of leaving the clubhouse grounds, I walk around within the high fence. At least I feel safe here. Dodge trails behind me and I glance back at him. “You’re a traitor,” I say, and he wags his tail. “Walking with Mystique like that.” I crouch down and ruffle his ears while he tries to lick my face.
I stand as Lucy approaches. It’s nice to finally see a smile on her face. “Thanks for that, Mae.”
“All sorted then?”
“We talked.” She gives me a sheepish grin and I guess that means they did a little more than talk. “Ace is speaking with Tag. It looked important.”
“I may as well tell you. They’ve got Tag’s dad.”
“Oh. Well that’s good news, isn’t it?”
“I guess,” I shrug.
“You don’t look so sure.”
“I dunno. I should feel happy, but I don’t. Anton wants him dead and has given the rights to Ace. I want to be there, but Ace said I can’t.”
Lucy chews on her lower lip. “Does it matter who’s there or who pulls the trigger as long as he’s dead?”
“Since when did you come over to the dark side?” Lucy isn’t one for violence; she still cringes throughout Tag’s fights.
“Tag must be rubbing off on me,” she laughs.
“Growing up in the MC makes you immune to sex and violence. My mom always tried to shield me from that stuff, but you hear the guys talking and it becomes normal. I’ve never had a murder on my hands up until recently. But I don’t feel bad for killing that guy, Luce; he deserved it and so does Lorenzo. Ace thinks my nightmares are because I killed that man, but they aren’t. I dream that I’m trapped, but not with Ace. In my dreams, they’ve killed Ace and that’s why I wake screaming because he’s not there with me anymore.” I pause, digging my sneaker into the dusty ground. “I want to see life leaving his eyes. Does that make me bad?”
“Why doesn’t Ace want you there?”
“He said he doesn’t think I can handle it while I’m still recovering. I think it’ll help. Besides, Mystique is allowed to be there.”
Lucy raises her eyebrows. “Ouch, bet that hurt,” she mutters. I shrug. Of course it hurt me, but saying it out loud sounds pathetic.
The rumble of motorcycle engines interrupts our conversation. The gate slides open and Scar steps out from the gate hut. “That looks like a lot of the guys. Something going down?” I ask.
“I dunno, Tag didn’t say anything.”
We wait for them to park up and then head inside. There must be thirty of the guys that have turned up and with the ones that are already inside, it’s pretty busy. Tag heads over. “Get dolled up, girls. There’s a party tonight.”
“Party for what?” I ask.
“Pres never said. Just that all the guys were coming together.”
Piper rushes over, looking excited. “Great news, it’s been too long since we all got together like this.”
“What’s so big that it calls for everyone to be here?” I ask.
“Who cares. We need to get dressed up, girls. I’ll grab us some wine. You girls head up to my room.” Those damn heart palpitations come back; the thought of being with everyone is nice, but it makes me nervous. Do they all know what happened to me? Will they be talking about it? What if they think I asked for it? They’ll treat me like one of the club whores. I shake the anxiety away; it’s messing with my head. These guys know me, they love me like their sister.
An hour later, I sip on my glass of wine while Piper holds up various outfits from her large collection of clothes. “The good thing about seeing a Mafia boss is that he throws money at me constantly.” She holds up a Vera Wang dress and we all touch it like it’s gold.
“It’s so pretty,” sighs Lucy. It’s not like she isn’t used to designer things being from a wealthy background herself and being married to Tag. She’s not short of money or pretty things.
“How’s Hulk taking it? You and Anton?” I ask, and Piper shoves the dress back into her wardrobe.
“Not great. He’s just mad that I’m not waiting around for his calls anymore.”
“I get the impression Hulk really likes you,” says Lucy.
“Hulk likes himself. Anyone else is purely for fun. I’m done waiting for him to see what's right in front of him. I tried to get him to admit how he felt. To give me something to hold on to.”
“He’s not the kind of man to be backed into a corner,” I point out.
“Well, I’m not a call girl. I deserve better and he told me he just couldn’t commit, and so here we are. Anton’s a nice guy, he doesn’t show it but when we’re together, he’s...” She thinks for a moment. “Different.”
Lucy rolls her eyes. “Ugh. stop. It creeps me out when you make eyes over Anton.” She shudders, and we laugh.
“He worries about me. We don’t have that kind of normal relationship. It’s hard to explain. but he always lets me know that he cares. Even when he’s mad at me, he’s checking in with me. It’s nice, ya know?”
I smile. “If you’re happy. That’s all that matters. Pip.”
She throws a dress my way. I catch it and hold it out. It’s short, almost like a shirt style with buttons down the front. It reminds me of the white shirt I wore, and I place it on the bed. “I don’t know if I’m okay to go to this party tonight girls,” I sigh.
They both look at me confused. “You have to come, Mae. It won’t be the same without you.”
“It just doesn’t feel right. I don’t think I’m ready.”
Piper takes my hand and pulls me to stand. “Mae, we aren’t saying you have to get over what happened. We haven’t brushed it under the carpet. If you need to talk to us about what happened. Then we’re here. But don’t lock yourself away. You don’t need to hide from everyone. We all love you so much and what happened, well, it breaks our hearts. You need to surround yourself with everyone that loves you and tonight. everyone in that room loves you.”
A tear slips down my face and smile. “Thanks, Pip.”
“So, get yourself made up. Dress in pajamas for all we care. but you have to be there,” she says. I nod. I’ll try for them.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ace
I stretch out. pulling my neck from side to side and then cracking my knuckles. I’m full of tension but I’m so ready for this. Anton slides his garage door back and we all follow him inside. He pulls back a trap door and we exchange a look that says we’re all feeling a little on edge at stepping into the Mafia boss’ dungeon. I’d heard the rumor that Anton’s dad, Conner, had this dug out especially for things like this. No one can hear you scream deep underground.
The steps seem to go on forever, deeper and deeper until we finally hit the bottom. It smells of dampened earth and it’s cold. The tunnel leads us to a door that’s bolted shut. Anton’s right hand man, Michael, puts in the code and it pops open.
Inside, the room is dark and silent. I’m wondering if Lorenzo is already dead, just because it’s so cold down here. Mystique slips her hand into mine and leans into me. I give it a reassuring squeeze. Hulk was not happy when I made it clear that she was coming along with us. It was my decision and I think she needs this closure before she can move on.
Anton flicks a switch and a dim light flickers. In the corner of the room tied to a wooden stool is Lorenzo. He doesn’t look so smug right now and I smile in satisfaction. Mystique curls into me and I wrap an arm around her shoulder. She’s shivering and I’m not sure if that’s from the cold or the fact that she’s scared just from seeing this piece of shit.
“Yo
u had to bring your pussies to back you up,” smirks Lorenzo.
“No. I was happy to get one of my men to slit your throat. But then you went and made it all personal, and now there’s a line of people that want in on your murder,” drawls Anton, his tone flat and bored.
“Can we hurry this up? We have a party to get to.” We all turn at the sound of Tag’s voice. We didn’t expect him to come. I’d told him earlier that Anton had Lorenzo and he didn’t say much. After all, it’s still his father. “Hey, Pops. You don’t look so good.”
“Matteo,” says Lorenzo, almost in a whisper.
“You didn’t think I’d want to see this?” Tag asks Anton, shaking his hand.
“He’s your father,” sighs Anton. “I didn’t want to put you in that position.” Tag steps closer to Lorenzo. There’s something different about the look in his eyes, and I can see why people fear Matteo Corallo. In and out of the cage.
“He tried to have me killed and then he planned to take my wife,” he spits. “I’ve waited a long time to see him suffer.”
“It's our way of life, Matteo, it wasn’t personal,” his father says firmly.
“Are you serious? I’m your fucking son. It doesn’t get more personal than that. I tried to help you. I lied to Conner to keep your waste of space ass alive!”
“Do it! Kill me. You’ll spend the rest of your days and nights remembering this moment,” growls Lorenzo, pulling hard on the ropes that hold him to the chair. Tag punches him. It’s fast and unexpected. Lorenzo’s smirks. His lip bleeds, the crimson fluid dripping down his chin. “You still hit like an untrained feral pussy,” he spits.
“Full of encouragement. You were always so positive,” says Tag, wiping his fist.
“You were nothing before I put you in that cage,” Lorenzo yells.
“I was a fucking kid! You didn’t want a son, you wanted a killing machine.”
“And you failed at that. You’re gonna let that biker piece of shit slit my throat. The Mafia affiliated with biker scum,” he spits on the ground angrily. “Conner would turn in his grave.”