Cash came out the door, and I gave him a handshake and a hug. “Congratulations, brother.”
“It’s still sinking in,” he said, lighting up a cigarette and resting against the building.
“How you holding up?”
“Honestly, I’ve seen better days.”
He nodded. “I think we all have.”
“What about you? Is it bringing up old wounds?”
“I’d be fucking lying if I said it didn’t.” He blew a stream of smoke out before looking at me. “I know what Sienna’s going through. I’ve been in her shoes.”
“Then, how do I help her?”
Cash shook his head. “That’s the thing. You can’t. She needs to work through it on her own. The only thing you can do is let her. Be there for her when she needs you, but give her the time she needs to work through all the shit.”
“Not an answer I wanted to hear.”
“The right answers are always the hardest,” he said, taking another drag off his stog.
“It’d be so much easier if I could just shoot someone.”
“We can do that, too. That bitch is going down. I don’t know how yet, but she’s fucking going down.”
“We chose you because we know you’ll figure it out. You’ll make it right.”
Miles poked his head out the door. “Mr. President,” he said, in the worst Marilyn Monroe voice I’d ever heard.
Cash shook his head with a laugh. “Looks like I’m being beckoned.”
“Go celebrate. You deserve it. And the guys need a little pick me up after this week.”
“You’ll be okay?” Cash asked, which was exactly why he would be a good president. He didn’t walk away until things were squared off.
“Fucking A. I’m good.”
He headed back inside, and I sent Sienna a text.
Hey. Just want to see if you need anything.
She wrote back a few seconds later.
I just want to be left alone.
The words pierced my heart. She was mourning, I knew that, but she had finally stopped pushing me away. Now, I had never felt farther away from her.
20
Sienna
At twelve thirty on Fridays, Gordita, the fat cunt, would go to the grocery store. On Saturdays, she usually had a party at her compound where the entire street would be filled with illegals and criminals. Every other Thursday, she went to the salon for a manicure and pedicure. She acted like a pampered bitch, but I could see past the bad English and the horribly dated dark lip liner.
She had one Fed who tailed her, but she was always aware, and, on days when she detoured to the docks where the illegals were being shipped in, she always managed to lose the Fed. Too bad she could never lose me.
After watching her go into the salon, I decided to head home. I knew her schedule like fucking clockwork. I knew where she was at all times. Thanks to Stanson, and a little convincing with my gun, I was able to pin down exactly where Gordita lived. Now, I just had to wait for my move. I would avenge my father’s death.
I could no longer maneuver my bike with my stomach, so Kade insisted on getting me a car. It was a battle for the centuries, but, finally, I took the keys and shut the door in his face. He wanted to help, and I wanted to appreciate it, but I was too fucking broken to be the girl he left behind in her office that day.
Things changed, and I should have expected it. Should have known it was coming. I was the one that refused to believe in fairy tales and happily ever afters, and, the second I let my inhibitions go, I was reminded how foolish I was in the worst possible way.
Daddy was dead and, the worst part of it all, it was my fault.
21
Kade
Sienna went from curling up in my arms to completely avoiding me. She barely looked at me, let alone spoke to me. The only time I saw her was at work when she would come into the office and lock her door for the day. She would randomly leave, but no one knew where she was going.
Dice stopped staying at the house after Sienna kicked him out, but he said when he was there she wouldn’t go straight home at night and would be gone for hours. It had been a month since Nick’s death. I had given her more than enough fucking time.
I got to work early like I always did, but instead of getting the garage ready to go, I sat on my bike waiting for her to get in.
She pulled into the lot in the Nissan Murano I got her. It had a high safety rating, and, knowing that her and my son were protected when driving, gave me some peace of mind. I tossed my cigarette to the ground, and walked toward her, as she slipped out of the driver side.
Her stomach was perfectly round and covered by a long black dress. She looked fucking gorgeous, even with the scowl on her face.
“How you liking it?” I asked, tapping my hand on the bumper.
“It’s not my bike,” she spat.
“Well, you can’t put our son on the back of your bike. So, roll the windows down and get fucking used to it.”
She flipped her sunglasses onto her head, pushing her blonde hair out of her face, and rolled her eyes at me.
I followed her toward her office, which I could see annoyed her. She stopped walking, and narrowed her pretty blue eyes at me. “I have work to do.”
“I do, too, but I can always spare a second for you.”
“I don’t have time for this,” she said, pushing past me.
I grabbed her arm and spun her back toward me, taking in the light dusting of freckles on her nose that you could only see when she wasn’t wearing makeup, the curve of her lips, and her soul-piercing blue eyes.
She tried to shake me off, but I tightened my grip, showing her I wasn’t going anywhere. “I miss you.”
“I told you I don’t have time for this.”
“Then fucking make time. I’m worried about you.”
She tore her arm away from my hold, and crossed both arms under her chest, which only caused her tits to heave even more than they already were. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“The fuck I don’t. If you forgot, you’re carrying my son.”
Her blue eyes turned to tiny slits. “How can I forget? Everything I do is for our son. Every decision I make is to ensure he’ll be safe.”
“Then let me back in. Let me be a part of it. Stop shutting me out of your life and our baby’s life. Please.” I was practically begging, letting her see the despair that had consumed me.
Her lips parted and the darkness in her gaze lightened, but just as quickly it went dark again. She stepped away from me. “I told you, I’m busy.”
She stormed off, and I went after her, but she slammed her office door in my face and locked it.
“Dammit, Sienna!” I slammed my fist into the door, causing a picture on the wall to shake. Pain radiated through my knuckles and up my arm. “I still love you,” I said as I rested my head against her door. “And I’ll wait for you, like I always have.”
Defeat ran through me, as I pushed off the door and headed back to work.
22
Sienna
I pulled out of the parking lot in the stupid fucking car or SUV or whatever the hell you called it. All I knew was that is wasn’t my bike. I missed the feel of the wind blowing through my hair and against my skin, so I took Kade’s advice and rolled down all the windows as I headed toward Gordita’s compound. I had her schedule down pat, but there was no room for errors, so I needed to go over everything again and confirm what I already knew.
Like clockwork, she stopped at the salon and went inside. I pulled on the brown wig I picked up at a store in the city, shoving my blonde hair into it. I put on a pair of black-framed glasses with no prescription and pulled on a yellow button up shirt that I swiped from Aubree’s boutique. I put the money in the register when she wasn’t looking.
Today, unlike the other times I followed Gordita here, I went in. I made an appointment yesterday, knowing today was the day I’d take my plan one step further.
“Can I help you?” the wom
an with a strong Korean accent asked me as I approached the desk.
The scent of nail polish was strong in the air, and I hoped being around it wasn’t harmful for my baby. I rested my hand on my belly, and smiled at the woman with long black hair. “I have an appointment. Ginger Meyers,” I said with a Southern accent I learned from torturing myself by watching Sweet Home Alabama and Steel Magnolias.
“Yes,” the woman said. “Pick a color.”
I held up the bottle of dark red I brought with me. I wasn’t stupid enough to leave behind fingerprints on a bottle of nail polish. “I have my own,” I said.
The woman guided me to a seat on the far side of the salon that faced the rest of the open space. Gordita was nowhere to be found, and I wondered if she used this place to shake the Feds.
If that was the case, I was back at square fucking one. The woman cut and filed my nails, then began pulling at my cuticles. She pulled a little too hard on one causing me to yank my hand away from her. Her lips fell into an O. Blood pooled around my nail bed, and I controlled my temper from flaring up. With my Southern accent, I said, “Owie. Let me go wash this clean.”
She could have blotted it with the paper towel, but if I didn’t walk away I would lose my shit and smack the bitch. I swore she took pleasure in my pain. She pointed me toward a sink in the back that was just outside a hallway.
As I washed my hands, I heard a woman laughing. The sound curdled my blood, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Gordita in a private room, where she was being pampered like a fucking Queen. They had a mask covering her eyes, her feet soaking in a tub of water and bubbles, as the woman massaged her.
The woman got up and disappeared, and I thought about making my move right then, but I knew that wouldn’t be smart. I couldn’t make my move until I knew I could keep my baby completely safe and out of harm’s way. She came back a couple minutes later, holding a hot stone that she used on Gordita’s leg.
My eyes scanned down the hallway, and I spotted a glowing red exit sign. I walked to the door and pushed it open, glancing from left to right. It was an exit to the back of the building. There were no parking spots and only dumpsters.
My plan slowly started to form in my head and, for the first time since my father was murdered in cold blood, I smiled.
23
Kade
I followed Sienna, needing to know where the fuck she went every day. The last thing I expected was to see her walk into a fucking salon, wearing a goddamned wig and glasses. I had no idea what she was up to, but, knowing her, it wasn’t fucking good.
An hour later, she came out of the joint and it took everything I had not to jump off my bike and demand her to tell me what the fuck was going on. If I didn’t think she was in danger, I would have. There was a reason she was covering up who she was, and I couldn’t blow her cover and risk putting her and our son in jeopardy.
Though, the minute we were within our town limits, I was doing just that.
She got in the car and drove off. I let her get ahead then eased my bike onto the road, following her back to Black Hills.
She took the long way back and, when we were finally off the highway, she pulled over to the side of the road. The driver door flew open, and her hands landed on her hips, staring at me as I pulled up.
I got off my bike, and placed my helmet on the handlebars.
“Do you want to tell me why you’ve been tailing me for the past twenty minutes?” she asked, lip curling in anger.
“I’ve been tailing you longer than that. Want to tell me why the fuck you decided to go brunette before going to get your nails done?” I grabbed her hand, revealing the dark red paint.
She pulled her hand back to her side.
“I’m thinking of dying my hair. I thought I’d try it out for a day.”
I wrapped a strand of her blonde hair around my finger. “We both know that’s a fucking lie. So, why don’t you stop with the bullshit and start telling me the goddamned truth?”
“Why don’t you leave me the fuck alone? How about that?”
Sick of her games and her attitude, I slid my finger from her hair, letting it linger near her face for a moment before tucking my hands in my pocket. I stepped back, giving her the space she kept insisting she wanted. “Is that what you really want?” I asked.
She looked up at me with those big blue eyes, and I could see the battle she was fighting in her mind. She was so fucking beautifully broken, and I wanted her to let me in so I could help her put the pieces back together. But, how could I do that if she wouldn’t tell me what was going on? I continued to stare at her, willing her to open up to me. I wanted to take her in my arms and assure her that everything was going to be okay, but I knew that would only push her further away. I was worried not only about her, but also about what all the stress she was under would do to the baby.
“Sienna, please sweetheart, you have to tell me what’s going on. I’ve never seen you like this, and you are scaring the shit out of me.”
“It was me. I did this,” she finally said, as her eyes glossed over and her lip quivered.
I took back the step, moving closer to her. “What did you do?”
She blinked a single tear, falling down her cheek. Her eyes met mine in a mess of emotion. “I got Daddy killed.” Her head fell, her chin tucked into her chest.
Her words weren’t making any sense. I grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at me. “Sienna, what are you talking about?”
She sniffed, running an angry hand across her nose. “I bumped into Matias, Gordita’s son, and a bunch of his thugs a couple months ago on my way to a doctor’s appointment. He threatened me.”
Hearing that made my blood boil. “He threatened you?” I growled.
She nodded. “So, I threatened him back. I told him he’d wind up like his brother. Like Anthony. I think it tipped him off that Montamos wasn’t responsible for his brother’s death, but the Outlaws were. I’m the reason my father is dead. I got him killed.”
My heart nearly stopped. If that was true, Nick’s death was only the beginning. I had to tell Cash, which would only send him into a fucking frenzy. From the minute Aubree killed Anthony, it was his life mission to keep that secret. To keep his old lady safe. If Gordita knew truth and Montamos figured out that we used them as the scapegoat, shit was worse than we thought, but at least now we knew the motive for the betrayal.
Sienna swiped at her eye, and all the emotion that she finally let come to the surface vanished, leaving behind a cold stone statue. “I need to make it right.”
“Make it right?” I questioned when I realized exactly what she was doing. The wig, the glasses, going to get her nails done a few towns over near Gordita’s territory… anger, fear and rage slammed into me like a fucking iron fist to the gut.
“You’re not. No. Sienna.” I couldn’t form a fucking sentence. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to get a grip. “Gordita is not your fucking problem. Let the club handle it.” I took her face in my hands, needing to make her understand that Nick’s death wouldn’t be in vain. “We will handle it. Promise me you will stop whatever it is you’re planning. Think about our son.”
“I am thinking about our son. I can’t bring him into a world where that bitch exists. She needs to be taken out.” Anger contorted all her beautiful features, making me want to find a way to take away all her pain, all the things that were haunting her and destroying her soul.
“And we will,” I assured her. “We need to be smart about this, but I swear to you, the club will make this right. So, please stop this crazy mission of vengeance you have going on. You’re nearly six months fucking pregnant. You should be home resting. Not plotting a goddamned murder.”
“It’s all I have left,” she said, and her words cracked, breaking my heart.
“That’s not true. You have our son and me. You have Dice and Aubree and Cash and the rest of the club. We all love you, and we’re not going anywhere. “I took her in my arms, ready to fight her i
f she tried to shove away from me, but she didn’t. She nestled her head against my chest and it felt so fucking good. “You just have to stop pushing us away.” I brushed her hair off her face and kissed her forehead.
We stayed on the side of the road, holding each other, until the sun dipped behind grey clouds and rain gently began to fall.
24
Sienna
It was a hot August day, despite the on and off again showers. I tucked my gun into my purse, and slid a knife into the holster on my thigh. The black dress that I hadn’t grown out of yet, made it easy for me to move and maneuver.
I parked my car in the far side parking lot, and made my way into the back entrance of the salon. Kade asked me to promise him I’d give up my quest for vengeance, but, that day on the side of the road, I never actually said the words.
He was convinced that I had moved on. While things were still tense between us, I stopped slamming doors in his face. We were on friendly terms, though I could see, for him, it wasn’t enough. I hated to admit to myself that it wasn’t enough for me, either. But happiness was out of the question, especially until I finished what had to be done.
Gordita needed to be taken out. She was a cold-hearted treacherous predator who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. How could I bring a son into the world knowing that she was always lurking in the shadows ready to strike? Not only were the Outlaws and myself in danger, but my unborn son was, too. I couldn’t let her continue to terrorize us. It was ending now.
I pulled my wig on, and pushed a pair of sunglasses into place, before sliding out of the driver side. People moved about, going from storefront to storefront and back to their cars, completely unaware of what was about to take place in this quiet shopping center.
Bulletproof (A Righteous Outlaws Novel #2) Page 16