by Coralee June
“Are you feeling confident, Godfrey? Need I remind you that our entire family is being threatened because of you? And last I checked, you still haven’t taken care of that situation. Rachel Nomar is still alive.”
“If he wants her dead so badly, why can’t Eddie just do it himself?” I asked hotly.
“He can. But he’s testing us. So don’t fail me again.”
“I won’t fucking do it.”
“So you’d rather them kill all your friends? Your mother? Your sister?” he shot back.
I hated him in that moment. I hated the smug look on his face and how easily he could talk about the Macon Mob murdering everyone I cared about.
When I said nothing, his cold eyes lit up with victory. “I didn’t think so.”
“She’s innocent, and they hurt her enough already.”
“That’s irrelevant,” he said with a wave of his hand.
I scoffed and shook my head like I’d be able to drown out his vicious words. “Can you be a fucking human being for once in your life? Or at least just be a goddamn father?” I asked, my soul straddling desperation. “Help me. You have the connections. Help me figure out a way to keep Eddie off our backs and save her.”
My father tilted his head, assessing me, and then broke into a mean laugh. “You little idiot. You fell for a used-up gangster sex toy?”
At those words, the hatred that had been simmering under my skin erupted like a volcano.
I went for him.
I wanted to bury him with the heat of my ire until he was nothing but ashes. He saw it. The split-second before he flinched back, he saw that I was going to fucking kill him. The way he cowered against the balustrade of the stairwell was one of the most satisfying moments in my life.
But right before my fist could connect with his face, a strong pair of arms latched under mine and pinned me against a body. Crazed, I struggled like a fucking maniac.
“Calm the fuck down!” Rogue’s voice yelled in my ear.
“Let me fucking go!” I tried to get my arms free, but Rogue was a big, strong motherfucker. Even when I tried to throw my weight around to shove him off, Rogue held steady. “Get off!”
My father stayed pressed against the bannister, watching me. The red that had bled through my vision was pulsing with so much hatred that it roared in my ears.
“Godfrey, stop!” Rogue yelled again his grip nearly slipping when I tried to headbutt him with the back of my skull. I wanted to get free so I could hit my father into a bloody heap on the marble floor.
“I’m gonna beat the shit out of him!”
“That’s what he wants!” Rogue roared back. “You do that, he’ll press charges and make sure you’re thrown in jail faster than you can fucking blink. Walk away, G.”
I didn’t want to. I wanted to crack his jaw, rip out his tongue, and knock out all his teeth until I could be sure that he’d never speak another word again.
Rogue knew I wasn’t going to give up, so he started dragging me backward.
“I fucking hate you! This isn’t over!”
With every step further away from the bastard, my words grew louder. Spit flew from my mouth like venom, my insides poisoned by hate. My father just watched me, his face completely expressionless. And that was when I realized—I’d spent my whole life trying to understand people’s masks. I’d been obsessed with finding out who they were underneath. But it wasn’t really about learning to figure people out or learn how to manipulate them. It was about him. It had always been about him.
I’d been trying to figure out the monster whose blood ran in my veins. I’d been trying to see something, anything about him that was redeemable. But as he stared at me with that constant impassivity of his, I knew it was time to come to terms with the truth. There was nothing redemptive about him.
With more forceful steps, Rogue hauled me out of my father’s house, turned around, and tossed me down the front steps. I landed in a heap against the gravel, the rocks digging into my split face. I was on my feet in an instant, nearly barreling over Bonham in the process.
“What the fuck?”
Rogue slammed the front door shut. “Keep him there.”
I tried to get around Bonham, but he shoved me back. There wasn’t a lot of force in it because he wasn’t completely stable on his feet, but I let him propel me backwards. Even through my haze of fury, I didn’t want to hurt him or fuck up his foot.
“Get in the car,” Rogue ordered me, stomping down my front steps.
When I didn’t move, he stepped in front of me. “G. Get in the fucking car.”
I curled my hands into fists. “I want to kill him. He deserves it,” I seethed.
“I know,” Rogue said, bringing a hand to my shoulder and squeezing. “Get in the car.”
Looking between him and Bonham, I finally exhaled, like I’d been holding my breath the entire time, too tense to let it out. My adrenaline drained out of me with the breath, until I slumped on my feet. “Thanks,” I mumbled to Rogue. If he hadn’t stepped in to stop me, I didn’t want to think about what the consequences could have been.
He smacked his hand against my back in a brotherly show of affection. “Any time. Now let’s get the fuck out of here.”
I hesitated for a moment, my anger still bleeding through every pore. I knew I had to leave, but there was still something holding me back. This shit with my dad had to end, and I was going to be the one to end it.
“Yeah. Okay. Let’s go.”
I woke up cradling a soft body. Every curve molded to mine, but it didn’t feel like a perfect fit. There was soft muscle and a dip in her waist. Long, brunette hair was flung over my neck, and it smelled like roses instead of coconut. It was comfort, yeah, but not what I craved.
With a groan, I opened my eyes and realized it was Scar that was fast asleep in my arms. But for the first time, having her so close felt like a friendly love instead of desire. “The only reason I’m letting you cradle my woman is because she wouldn’t stop crying, Taylor. Don’t get used to it.”
I twisted my head up to look at Rogue, who was sitting with Bonham and Luis on the couch in the guest bedroom that I’d claimed as my own. The slight movement hurt but not nearly as much as the sight of my friends. They each wore varying expressions of pity. “There better be at least two inches between your morning wood and her ass, or you’ll be getting another beat down.”
I chuckled and pulled away, but the movement had me groaning in pain. Fuck, my head was pounding. My body felt like it had been thrown in a wood chipper and spat back out. “What do you fuckers want? Why are you watching us sleep like creepers?”
“It’s time you tell us what the fuck happened,” Luis said, watching me with his dark eyes. “We saw you following Rachel Nomar outside, and then people were yelling about a fight. Rogue got to you first. Said you weren’t even trying to block that stupid fuck. Then when we got to your house, you and your dad got into it. Your sister was really worried, man.”
Shame crawled up my neck and bit into my spine. I sat up, feeling Scarlett stir, and hung my head as I balanced my hands on my knees. I was still wearing the same shit from yesterday, except now I had blood on my jeans and shirt. I raised a hand and tenderly touched my face to assess the damage, wincing when I felt how sore it was.
Scarlett woke and sat up in bed to openly observe me. “I’ll get you some ice,” I heard her soft voice say. I didn’t reply, but I felt the bed move and her slip out, and she pecked Rogue on the cheek as she walked out of the room.
“This bullshit with your dad has to stop,” Bonham said, making my head whip up to look at him.
“Fuck off. I’m not some little kid you get to talk down to like I can’t handle my shit.”
“Then why aren’t you handling your shit?” Rogue shot back. “That dude last night was a biker wannabe from Atlanta. You’re a fucking Savannah Heir. You should’ve kicked his ass just like you should’ve kicked your father’s ass ages ago. That’s who this is really about, and w
e all know it, not the jackoff from last night. And you still haven’t told us what he wants from you. Tell us. Right now.”
Rage boiled my blood until I couldn’t breathe at his ignorant arrogance. I burst out of the bed and was in his face in two seconds flat. “You’re the one who held me back last night,” I roared in his face as he stood to meet me. He didn’t step back or flinch like I wanted him to, and I hated him for it. “I wanted to beat him bloody and raw last night. I wanted to kill him with my bare fucking hands, Rogue.”
“I know. That’s why I stopped you,” he pointed out. “I’m not gonna let you get yourself thrown into prison. Not for that piece of shit.”
Sobered, I took a step back and ran a hand through my hair.
“What did he want that day in the office, G?” Luis asked.
A bitter, ugly sound scratched out of my throat. “He made me meet with the new mob boss. And Eddie made himself real fucking clear that he didn’t trust the Taylors anymore after everything that happened. So to prove our loyalty again, I have to do one thing.”
All three of them watched me, waiting for the bomb to drop. “What?” Bonham pressed.
“I have to kill their prized prisoner who got away. I have to kill Rachel Nomar.”
The bomb landed at their feet, and I watched my friends’ faces go from surprise to anger.
“If I don’t do it, he’ll kill me, but he also dangled y’all over my head. Dangled my mother. My sister. If I don’t do what he wants, then he’ll come for all of us. So don’t tell me I’m not handling my shit, because I am. I’m trying. But I have to be smart about my every move,” I say, jabbing a finger against my temple. “I have to think. All the fucking time. Make plans. Read the situation. Anticipate people’s next moves. Try to play both sides and figure out how to keep us all alive by the end of it. It’s like playing the longest goddamn poker game in existence, and I’m fucking tired.”
I grabbed my hair and started pacing around the room like a caged animal who was this close to attacking.
“So if you don’t kill Rachel…” Bonham trailed off.
I breathed out a puff of air. “Then the Macon Mob comes for all of us.”
A crashing sound erupted, making all of us flinch and turn to look at the source. There, in the doorway, was Scarlett with a glass of water shattered on the floor at her feet, and a bag of ice gripped in her other hand. She was staring at me with horror at what she’d overheard.
“Fuck, babe,” Rogue said as he made his way over. His shoes crunched on the glass as he went to pick her up. Cradling her to his chest, he stroked her hair and guided her to the bed before sitting beside her.
“You’re gonna kill Rachel?” she choked out.
I didn’t fully understand their dynamic, but I knew that Rachel meant something to Scarlett. She was worried about her, and I couldn’t blame her. Rachel had that sort of effect on people. She was the type of person you wanted to keep in your corner. But Scarlett wanted Rachel to be okay, too. Scarlett had nearly ended up like her, so it was natural for Scar to want her to have a happy ending.
“I’m not going to kill her,” I gritted.
“So what are you going to do?” Bonham asked before slowly standing up. Out of politeness, none of us watched him struggle to put weight on his foot, but I took a step closer, ready to catch him in case his leg gave out.
I shook my head, at a loss. “This whole thing started after Rocco asked me to try to get Rachel to talk. He wants the names of the guys who hurt her. He said, in exchange, he’d help get the Macon Mob and my father off my back.”
“Did you get them?” Luis asked.
“No. She doesn’t know the guy’s real name.” And I was too busy thinking about fucking her to get anything else out of her, I thought but didn’t say out loud.
“So this Eddie guy, he knows you’re in with Rocco’s people,” Rogue said from his spot next to Scarlett on the bed.
“Yeah. He saw Rachel and me together.”
“I don’t like this, man,” Luis interjected. Usually, he was the carefree playful one of the group. He inherited his mother’s blasé attitude minus the drug addiction. But the somber look on his face made this conversation so much more intense. “The last time we trusted Rocco to help us with the Macon Mob, he screwed us over, and we were almost killed.”
“I don’t need a fucking reminder,” I snapped.
“Does Rocco know?” Bonham asked.
I shook my head. “I haven’t told him yet.”
Luis whistled under his breath. “You gotta tell him.”
I knew this already, but I’d been putting it off. I was worried that if I came clean, he’d hide Rachel away. I was a selfish bastard because I wanted her accessible to me. The guys saw the truth in my face. I didn’t have to say what they could read plainly in my eyes. My torment wasn’t just about figuring out how I was going to get out of killing Rachel Nomar. It was that I’d fallen in love with her.
Rogue leaned his forearms against his knees. “Alright, then we protect her, and we figure out what to do.”
Scarlett looked over at Rogue, her eyes softening. She rested her head against his shoulder and placed a hand on his thigh, like his offer to help me protect Rachel made her love him even more.
“And it’s not just the Macon Mob or Rocco we have to worry about. My father won’t hesitate to fuck us over. He’d gladly give me to Eddie if he thought it would help re-solidify their business relationship.”
“Let him fucking try,” Luis spat.
Rogue tilted his chin up, looking cocky as ever. “Yeah. I’m with Luis. Let the fucker try.”
I scoffed because they were both acting like idiots. Bonham caught my eye and shook his head slightly, communicating with me that at least he was taking my father’s threats more seriously.
“Are you serious?” I shot off to Rogue. “Aside from letting Eddie and his men kill us, my father also has shit on all of us for those jobs he’s had us do. I have no doubt that he kept evidence to keep our hands dirty. He’d get us thrown in prison faster than he fucks a new secretary.”
Scarlett bit on her bottom lip nervously. “So what are we gonna do?” she asked.
“You’re not going to do anything. I have a plan,” I corrected her.
“Fuck off with the lone wolf bullshit. The Heirs stick together,” Rogue said. “It’s not up for debate.”
I grimaced from the wicked headache that was worsening with every minute. I wasn’t sure if it was more from the problems that kept piling on or my beaten up face. Rogue noticed my discomfort and grabbed the bag of ice that Scarlett had left on the table. He tossed it to me, and I caught it and held it against my face.
“Fine. We’ll do this together. But you have to follow my lead on this one,” I relented, looking at Rogue. “And we keep Rachel protected. That’s a non-negotiable.” I watched Scarlett practically preen as the guys nodded. “I’m tired of making plays and still being behind. It’s time we win the long game and beat everyone else on the board. And I know exactly how we’re gonna do it.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rachel
My car keys were staring at me, taunting me with a trip back to Rogue Kelly’s house. I’d seen the videos online and read the gossip on social media. It hadn’t taken long for me to see that Godfrey had the shit beat out of him last night and that it was all my fault.
Beau Boedecker was on my shit list.
It wasn’t that Godfrey and Beau got into a fight, it was that Godfrey didn’t do a damn thing to protect himself. He just took it, blow after blow, until Rogue Kelly stepped in to protect him. I didn’t understand that. Godfrey was strong. Not just in body, although the guy was ridiculously ripped, but also in personality. So why had he just stood there and let it happen? He could’ve taken Beau if he’d wanted to.
My phone rang, and I glanced at the caller ID before sending it to voicemail. Beau had spent the evening in Savannah’s county jail. I guess someone had called the cops on him for the fight
, and he’d gotten hauled in. But without Godfrey actually pressing charges, which he hadn’t done, Beau was simply held for public intoxication and spent the night in the drunk tank. Dad paid his bail this morning, and Beau had been trying to get in contact with me ever since. I didn’t want to hear his excuses or bullshit war story about how he conquered the big bad Savannah Heir. The person I did want to hear from was radio silent, and each passing tick of the clock had me freaking out.
“Ok,” I whispered to myself. “I’m just going to go check on him. We’re friends, right? That's what friends do. They check on one another.” I was reasoning with myself, trying to come up with a plan for what I was going to say, or how I was going to handle the awkward confrontation ahead of me. I was still talking to myself when I walked outside and startled Dad’s henchman who was parked in our driveway, eating a bag of chips and watching videos on his phone while he acted as lookout for my protection detail. He was in his late thirties, with black hair and a nose that looked like a beak.
He looked over at me with surprise as I yanked open the car door and sat inside. Quickly putting his phone away and shoving the bag of chips onto the floorboard, he looked over his shoulder at me warily. “Miss Nomar. What can I do for you?”
“You can drive me to Rogue Kelly’s house.” The man started shaking his head, but I was wound too tight to sit and argue, so I cut him off. “Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I’m going to Rogue Kelly’s house. So you can either drive me and make sure I’m protected like you’re supposed to, or I’ll find a way to sneak out, and then my dad will be really pissed that you let me give you the slip. So which is it gonna be?”