by E. C. Land
After the first night, Ally and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other. I didn’t mind one bit, not when it meant I was deep in her pussy.
The other good thing was when Ally met Jackie. They seemed to click instantly. In fact, all the women did. All the ol’ ladies took it upon themselves to make the old woman an honorary member of their group. They’d all agreed to have weekly Sunday BBQs here at the clubhouse. Still, Ally suggested they hold off until Caden is out of the hospital.
All this brings us to today, the day we’re finally doing something about Lena. In church, we’d discussed what and how we should handle the situation. Kenny and Ally both demanded to be the ones to deal with her. It was their right as well as Momma B’s, who also came down seeking her vengeance for her daughter.
“You sure you want to do this?” I ask for the third time since Ally and I got out of bed this morning.
“Yes,” Ally says firmly as she sits on the counter drinking her coffee.
“Okay, Firefly, just know you don’t have to,” I tell her as I grab hold of her waist and pull her into my front.
“Burner, you don’t have to worry about me. I promise, ending her life will not bother me,” she whispers.
“I just don’t want you to have to deal with the repercussions of ending the bitch,” I admit as I lift my hand to cup her cheek.
Ally closes her eyes for a moment before meeting my gaze. “Did you read all my journals?” she asks apprehensively.
“No, I had my brothers burn them,” I say, furrowing my brow. “Why do you ask?”
“Because in those journals I explain in detail the murder of one of the girls Casimir brought to live with me,” she states as she diverts her eyes from mine, refusing to hold my gaze.
“What does that have to do with you being okay with killing Lena?” I ask, yet I already know the answer.
“Lena won’t be the first kill I’ve made. In fact, it wouldn’t be my second. Casimir made sure I knew how to slowly kill someone. This is one of the reasons I didn’t think I was good enough for you. I bear the scars of each person I had no choice in killing,” she says quietly, almost as if she were pained by admitting the truth out loud.
As Ally tries to pull out of my arms, I tighten my hold. “How come you keep so much of yourself bottled away from everyone? You don’t have to hide the dark from me, Firefly. Do you think I’ve never pulled the trigger on a man or taken a life with my hands? Because Ally, I’m telling ya now, I know. I know what it’s like to see a person’s life leave them as you feel the warmth of their blood on your hands. It stains you, and whether you see it or not, it’s there,” I murmur, putting my forehead against hers.
“You say it as if it were so simple. It’s not though. Everyone thinks that all Casimir and the rest of them did was rape and beat me. No, they also tortured me in other ways, ones that I can’t voice. I simply can't— that's why I wrote them down. Thank you for burning my journals. I never wanted anyone to read my experiences,” she whispers so quietly I barely hear a word she says.
The two of us hold each other’s gaze for long moments. Neither of us is perfect, yet together we’re a perfect match, both stained with blood caused by our past along with the hurt and pain.
Needing more, I lean in to take her mouth with mine, this one nothing like the others kisses we’ve shared. No, it’s more sensual than any I’ve ever experienced. It takes me a moment to realize why— Ally’s completely let me in, dropping the rest of the wall that separates the two of us.
Fuck, I need even more of her. Moving my hand to the pajama bottoms she’s wearing, I slip them off her. Taking the coffee mug she’d somehow kept in her hand the entire time, I put it down next to her before lifting her into my arms, although I did it only to lay her on the kitchen floor where I kiss my way down her body, slipping the tank top she’s wearing below her tits.
As I make it to her core, a phone rings and I know it’s mine. I ignore it the first time, but when it rings again, I curse. Sitting up, I lick my lips as I stare into Ally’s eyes and pull my phone out of my pocket.
Without seeing who it is, I answer, “Yeah.”
“How does my wife taste? Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer that right now. Just know I’m coming for her and I’ll take anyone else who stands in my way. Give my regards to my sweet Chosen,” Casimir says before disconnecting.
Motherfucker, when will it end?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ally
The moment Burner answered the phone earlier, his mood changed drastically. Not toward me, but in general. His eyes seemed to have iced over before he stood, drawing me to my feet as well. When he’d ordered me to pack a bag to stay at the clubhouse, I knew whatever it was wasn’t good.
As much as I’d wanted to ask who was on the phone and interrupted the bubble the two of us had formed at the moment, I knew I couldn’t, at least not until he’d calmed down some. Besides, I had some serious pent up rage of my own to release. It felt good to confide that part of myself to Burner.
The fact he hadn’t turned his nose up at me or told me to get away from him drove all the rest of my worries about the two of us out the window. And at that moment, when he kissed me, I swear it was as if our two broken souls forged into one.
“Come on, Ally, let’s get this over with,” Kenny mutters as she takes hold of my hand, leading me in the direction of the shed behind the clubhouse.
“You gonna be okay with what’s about to happen?” I ask her as we stop outside the shed. The guys had texted to let us know we could come back there.
“Damn right, I am. I want to see this bitch’s eyes as she loses her life. I want her to feel what I felt a thousand times over for what she did to me and Caden. I mean, who the hell punches a woman when they’re pregnant? Don’t get me wrong, normally a single punch to the face wouldn’t affect me as it did. Still, I’d been completely caught off guard, and to end up stubbing into the side of a table and falling to the floor on my stomach no less. Yeah, the bitch deserves everything to come,” Kenny says, her eyes hard as she steels herself for what we're about to do.
Nodding, I don’t say anything more as I lift my hand to knock on the door. Momma B joins us right as the door opens. “Let’s get this over with,” she snaps. She’d been ready to end the woman the moment she got here.
“Ladies, come on in,” one of the guys who’d come down with Momma B and her husband Bear says as we enter the shed. Glancing at his vest, I find his name is Coyote.
The room is silent as the door closes behind us. Twister steps forward with Stoney and Hammer, his face completely devoid of emotion. “As much as we don’t like the idea of you three being in here handling this, we all understand why. If at any time you feel you can’t be in here any longer, just walk out the door. No one here will think any less of you,” he says.
Turning my head toward Momma B, then Kenny, I nod. It’s one of the things we’d all talked about already. Momma B wanted to have her say and get her punches in. Me, I wanted to be the one to snuff her lights out and I had no qualms handling it.
Momma B steps forward first. “Do you know who I am?” she asks.
Lena doesn’t even look up to answer. “I know who you are,” she mutters.
“So you know it was my daughter you had a hand in killing,” Momma B snaps.
At that, Lena laughs as she lifts her head to glare at Momma B. “Oh no, I didn’t have a hand in it, that was all Miguel, but I did tell him I wanted her out of the way because she took something from me,” she says before looking toward Burner.
I clench my teeth at the lust filling her gaze as her eyes blatantly roam his body. Burner moves from where he’d been standing to come stand behind me. Wrapping his arms around me, he seeks comfort in holding me.
Momma B follows her line of sight. “Burner was never yours. He’d never touch you. That's why he didn’t even remember you. Because let me tell you something, the moment he decided he wanted something, he took it and even at the
age of fourteen, he knew he wanted to be with my daughter. She’s gone because of you and your cousin. Now he has finally found happiness again with a woman I’d gladly call a daughter if she were mine. Best part is I know without a doubt she’s the one my Janey would have chosen for Burner,” she says as she grabs Lena by the back of her hair, forcing her to meet her gaze.
“I won’t be the one to end your life, but I hope you rot in hell,” Momma B hisses before releasing Lena. I’d have thought the older woman would have hit her, but when she met my eyes, I know why. Other than Burner, she was the only other person I’ve confided in about the things I’d been through. She’d sat silently and listened, never once showing pity. I give her a slight nod as she moves to stand with Bear.
Kenny moves forward. “You think you’re tough shit because your cousin was head of the Diaz cartel? Well, not anymore,” Kenny grinds out as she slams her fist into Lena’s face. “I hope like hell you rot right next to the piece of shit.” She throws another punch to the woman’s face. “Because of you, I almost lost my little boy,” Kenny screams, tears trailing down her cheeks as she continues to pummel her fists against Lena. Finally, having exhausted herself, Horse draws her into his arms, whispering something in her ear to soothe her.
“Undo her wrists and ankles,” I demand as I step out of Burner’s arms.
“Firefly,” Burner mutters, but I stop him before he can say more.
“Not like this,” I murmur, catching his gaze over my shoulder.
A moment later, he nods his head in understanding. He knows why without the words being said— I want her to fight me.
“Release her,” Burner grumbles.
No one says anything as Hades unlocks the cuffs from around her wrists and ankles.
“Ahh, how sweet of you,” Lena sneers as she stands.
“I didn’t do it for you, bitch,” I mutter as I step closer to her.
“What kind of fool do you take me for?” she laughs, wiping the blood from her lip where Kenny had busted it.
“I know I can. But it’s a matter of whether I kill you quickly or not,” I say, my voice devoid of any emotion as I try to lock it down.
“That’s a joke right, you couldn’t even defend yourself when I came after you in the clubhouse with the needle,” she smirks as she takes a step back further from me.
I don’t bother giving her a response. Instead, I turn around, shaking my head. This bitch has no idea.
When she moves to attack me, I turn right as she would have made contact, landing a sucker punch straight to her stomach. Lena stumbles backward. “How does it feel to have someone cause you pain?” I hiss, moving for her, wrapping my fingers in her hair and forcing her to double over and make contact with my knee.
Lena screeches as she tries to pry my hand from her hair, but I have other plans. Using her hair as momentum, I throw her to the floor. My vision blurs as I stalk toward her. Straddling her midsection, I lift one of her wrists with one hand and with the other, I break each one of her fingers, letting her wrist follow. Moving to the next, I do the same to that hand. Her cries of mercy don’t affect me as my mind carries me back in time to when Casimir first broke my hand for not doing as he asked.
Moving from her wrists, I bring each of her elbows down on the concrete, followed by putting all my weight on her chest. Doesn’t take much weight to break a rib cage. Working my way up her body, I break every bone I can, including her collarbones.
When I get back to her face, I slam my fist straight into the side of her jaw several times. As her screams subside to groans, I press my fingers into her closed eyelids, putting pressure on her eyes until I feel them rupture from the weight of my body. The ear-piercing screams she lets out send a wave of satisfaction through me as I back up. Reaching behind me, I grab my pocket knife that Hades had given to me on my birthday when I first came home with him.
“This is for Janey,” I mutter as I stab her side. “This one is for the life that was almost lost because of you.” I sink the blade into her other side. “This is for me.” Slamming the knife into her chest, I repeatedly thrust the knife into her chest, stomach, and throat as my own screams and cries take over where hers stopped.
I don’t stop until strong arms wrap around my waist. “Shh . . . I got you, baby.” Burner’s voice breaks through the darkness. Turning in his arms, I break.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Burner
“The motherfucker who did this to my niece is gonna suffer before he dies,” Hammer growls, slamming his fist against the wall in church.
“Agree with you there,” Stoney states sharply.
After everything that happened earlier, everyone seemed to be in a solemn mood, especially Hades and Rage. I know they are both taking it hard and doing their best to hold it in for now. However, the time will be coming for both of them to release the rage they’re holding back.
They’d all witnessed Ally hitting her breaking point when she all but mutilated Lena’s body with a pocket knife. I don’t think any of us were prepared for her reaction, the way she took her time breaking the bitch’s bones. But when Ally ruptured Lena’s eyes, I knew she wasn’t with us right then— she was reliving her past, taking out her anger on this woman.
By the time I pulled her off Lena’s body, she’d been dead for a good fifteen minutes. I knew when I wrapped my arms around her that Ally had hit the final breaking point. She’d turned in my arms, burying her face in my chest as she let out the most heart-wrenching screams of pain. The excruciating sobs coming from her as I held her in my arms, affected everyone in the room, not just me.
Hades and Hammer came to kneel next to me, placing their hands on her back. The rest of my brothers each tapped me on the shoulder in reassurance. They’d wanted to let me know I could lean on them as I helped her.
Ally ended up passing out in my arms right there on the floor of the shed. I’d wanted to take her to the room and help her clean up in the shower, but I wasn’t going to wake her. So instead, I’d laid her on the bed. I did, however, strip the bloody clothes from her body and cleaned her up the best I could for the time being.
I hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, but I knew I was needed in church. Momma B had been my saving grace by storming into my room and climbing into my bed to cradle my woman in her arms, giving her the love only a mother could.
“You go. I’ve got her,” she said as she waved me away. The tears Momma B had been holding back gutted me. I don’t think I’d ever seen her cry except right after Janey’s funeral.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. The way Ally killed Lena, it was as if she’d killed before,” Hades mutters.
“That’s because she has,” I growl, clenching my fist. I hadn’t told them about the conversation I’d had with her this morning or the phone call. I’d wanted to wait until we were all gathered in here for church, not when we’d met in the shed before the girls came in. It wasn’t the place.
“What do you me she has?” Hammer seethes.
“This morning, I was asking her if she was sure about being in the shed when Lena died. Ally tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal. However, I didn’t believe her, so I’d asked her several more times. She finally relented and told me it wouldn’t have been her first time killing. Not even her second,” I say before going on to tell them about the call I got from Casimir, though I keep the intimate parts out of it.
I’d been pissed that Casimir was somehow able to see what Ally and I were in the midst of and ruined it. As much as I want to know how he got my number, it’s nothing compared to the fact I want the motherfucker’s head on a spike.
“We need to end this,” Hades growls, clenching his fist.
“And we will. We just need to find the fucker first,” Horse mutters. Right now, I know he’d rather be with Kenny, who’d left to go to the hospital right after we’d all left the shed.
“I don’t think we’ll have to find him. He’ll come for her,” Twister murmurs as he runs a han
d along his face. “I’m calling for a lockdown. Other than when Kenny goes to the hospital to be with Caden, I want all the women and kids here. All in favor?”
Ayes fill the room as everyone agrees with our Prez.
“Good, now let’s move on. We’ve got a shipment coming in a week. Also, Dean is wondering if we’d be willing to handle some shipments for him as well. From what I gather, his father-in-law wants us to work for them,” Twister states.
“So work with the Russians and the Irish or switch?” Thorn asks.
“We’d work with both,” Horse answers.
“How would that work? They don’t get along,” Rage remarks.
“I’ve spoken to both Dean and Grigory together. Seems they are friends and have an alliance between the two of them,” Twister shrugs.
“What are we looking at price-wise?” I ask.
“Same amount as Grigory. The only stipulation would be the guns go in separate directions,” Horse states as he leans forward. “I say we should do this. Not only for the fact Dean has helped us out, but for the fact this would gain us another powerful ally.”
“Agreed. Do we need a vote on this?” Twister asks, glancing around the table. When no one speaks up, he nods his head. “Great, I'll give him a call tomorrow. For now, let’s finish this day by getting shit-faced. I, for one, could use a fucking drink after what went down in the shed.”
Soon as Twister bangs the gavel, I’m out of my chair and out the door before anyone can say anything. I need to get back to Ally, to make sure she’s okay.
As I make it to my room, I quietly open the door to find she’s still asleep. Momma B is sitting on the bed next to her. When she sees me, she gives me a small smile as she gets up.
“Be good to her” is all Momma B says as she pats my cheek before leaving the two of us alone in the silence of my room.
Stripping out of my clothes, I climb into my bed, curling myself around Ally.