by J Bree
“Clearly it’s a freaking Christmas present. It’s not big enough for a pair of shoes so clearly he missed that memo.”
Harley is relaxed enough to chuckle but Ash acts like he hasn’t heard me, glaring down at Atticus with all the rage and fire he used to throw at his brother. Avery is right, he’s just found a new target for all that loathing.
Atticus turns on his heel and gets back into his Bentley. Avery opens the box and stares into it for a second. When she turns and stalks back into the house there are tears in her eyes.
“I’ll gut that worthless fuck.” Ash snarls, and I know things are only going to get worse before they get better.
Chapter Nineteen
I’m beyond angry at myself for taking so long, but two days before the Hannaford family dinner I finally finish all of the assignments and workbooks for my classes. I climb into my bed that night with the feeling like I have one less thing stalking me. Maybe I should start on Avery’s homework and lighten her load a bit? She’d probably be happier with that, than anything else I could do to help.
Harley climbs into bed with me after his swim practice, risking Avery’s wrath by touching me until I’m shaking and desperate for his dick. I do my best to not do anything with the guys in our room but his hands are intoxicating and I end up spread out on my bed in no time.
He stays the night, ignoring Avery’s scathing tirade about the sex stench in the room, and I walk down to breakfast the next morning tucked under his arm grinning like an freaking idiot.
“The two of you are sickening, try and contain your hormones so I can eat.” Avery hisses, and Harley scoffs at her as he grabs a tray and starts organizing our food. I don’t have to say a word, he knows exactly what I want.
“I’m just in a good mood, sorry you picked the wrong guy to get infatuated with. You never did say what the asshole got you for Christmas.” Harley says, and Avery levels a glare at him.
“And I never will.” She snaps. I link our arms and give hers a little squeeze in solidarity.
“Want to plan how we’re going to take over the world over eggs? That always cheers you up.”
She lets out a little giggle, just enough to show she appreciates my efforts, and I grab her an iced coffee.
We sit together, Ash and Blaise already there and eating, and Harley dishes out our food. “Well, what about the information he gave you? Is there anything we can use?”
Avery gives him a look, and then turns to speak to me. “There’s nothing concrete but everything still vaguely points to the Boar. The drug running that was happening in the Bay at the time was controlled by the Chaos Demons MC.”
I frown. “The Boar’s MC is the Unseen.”
Avery nods. “Yeah, it is now. He was with the Chaos Demons. He patched his entire club over a few years after you were born. There was a lot of conflict at the time, maybe that’s why he’s kept you out of it.”
Ash scoffs. “That doesn’t explain why he didn’t say something when he met Lips. He would have seen her at the Game and known.”
Harley shakes his head. “Lips doesn’t look a fucking thing like her mom. How would he know? You ever spoken to him about your mom?”
I grimace. “I don’t talk to anyone about my mom. I’ve only ever spoken to the Boar when I’ve taken jobs from him. I was shocked when he sided with me at the meeting remember?”
Harley grunts and shovels more eggs into his mouth with a frown. Ash rolls his eyes at us all. “So why would he suddenly care? What’s changed?”
Avery leans back in her chair, her fingers tapping against the table. She’s barely touched her food, too caught up in her thoughts. “The heads started appearing after the Jackal and Lips declared war right?”
I shake my head. “No, it was after the meeting but the Jackal was still pretending to follow the rules. Something had changed in the dynamics but it wasn’t war.”
Avery frowns. “It has to be him, though. We should have just spoken to him at the meeting.”
“Too many people around.” I say, but really, I was too fucking nervous. I don’t need a father. I don’t need the extra responsibility of family. I have everyone I need in my life right the fuck now.
Ash checks his watch and starts to bully Avery into finishing her food. I shove the last piece of toast into my mouth and stand up, needing another coffee on the way to get through class. Blaise comes with me, twisting his fingers into mine and rambling happily about his new song.
He’d given me his newest lyric book for Christmas and I’m freaking obsessed with the thing. Now that he knows how much I love his artwork, the little scratched pictures in the margins, he’s taken to filling entire pages with portraits of the entire family. The ones of the guys are usually unflattering caricatures that make me snort with laughter, but there’s one of Harley in the boxing ring that makes my heart squeeze in my chest. The one of Ash grinning with Avery nearly fucking kills me, especially when they’re at each other’s throats.
“I’m organizing a tour. Nothing big, more like gigs at bars and maybe a festival or two. The festivals would be good because I want to see you running around in those little fucking bodysuit things that girls wear to them. Fucking hot, Star.”
I blush and elbow him. “I wouldn’t wear one. I’d wear one of your shirts and be a smug bitch when everyone sees me in it.”
He grins down at me. “Promise me you’ll sing with me for our song and it’s a deal.”
I groan as we arrive at our first class for the day. “No way, I’ll puke and ruin my reputation.”
He roars with laughter at me, dropping me off at my desk and giving Harley a weird bro-nod thing as he walks in that has me shaking my head at him.
Harley sits down and kisses my cheek. “You can't sing on stage anyway, babe. Ash would end up fucking you wherever you stood and Avery would skin him alive.”
I ignore his comment, unpacking my bag and smiling at Avery as the twins finally arrive. Ash pulls her chair out for her and when she smiles up at him it's genuine, thank the sweet lord. Maybe they’ll stop their shit.
The class starts and I let my mind wander now that I've finished up. Harley scoffs at me as he starts taking his perfectly legible notes. I just don’t get how his handwriting can be that fucking perfect. It’s unnatural.
I’m startled from my daydreaming, and planning, by a sharp knock.
I glance up to find two cops standing in the doorway.
Fuck.
I shoot Avery a look and she gives me a tiny shake of her head. So not something she knows about, which means it’s not something the Crow has planned or is even aware of. Fuck.
The female cop looks around the room until her eyes fall on our table. Harley tenses and his hand clamps over my knee under the desk. I catch his wrist and squeeze. I’ll be fine. Whatever it is, I’ll survive their questioning and be out by dinner time. The Tiger owes me.
“Harley O’Cronin? We have some questions for you. You’ll need to join us down at the station.”
My breath catches in my throat. Nope. I can handle it being me, fuck, I was hoping it was me. I can’t handle it being one of my family members.
My face must say everything because Harley kisses my cheek sweetly, whispering, “Don’t freak out, babe. Avery will have me out, I’ll be fine until then.”
But that’s not true. He’ll be alone, he’ll be in lock down, and when one of the cops step forward I notice the district badge on his chest. Mounts Bay. Fuck.
* * *
I refuse to leave until they let me in to see him. The lady at the reception knows exactly who I am and each time she has to tell me no, I swear I see her age ten years. Finally, there’s a shift change with the officers and she ushers me in.
Harley isn’t really in the mood to talk, he just sits and seethes as he stares at his own reflection in the mirrored wall. I don’t look at the mirror at all, entirely uncomfortable with the idea of Senior’s pocket-pigs watching us here. Any one of them could take us out right now and th
ere’s nothing I could do about it. I fucking hate it.
When the door opens we both look up to find the Tiger in the doorway, a little pale and shaky under the terrible fluorescent lights. Atticus escorts him with a firm hand wrapped around his elbow and gives him no choice but to take a seat at the tiny table with us.
I give Atticus a nod, my mouth a firm line across my face, and try to be civil as I say, “Is the room clean?”
He nods and turns his attention to Harley. “There’s been a lot of talk about your missing family members.”
Harley scoffs at him. “No shit, dickhead, and we all know exactly what happened to them. We were all there that night.”
The Tiger tugs at the neck of his collared shirt as he sweats. “Yes, well, I can’t exactly get the Stag to come in here and confess. We’re better off getting you the best plea deal possible and then working out compensation from the Stag for taking the fall for him. These things happen amongst our organizations all the time. No different.”
Nope.
I’ve been pushed too far today, way too fucking far, and my mind just snaps.
I don’t even realize I’ve moved until I’m staring down at the back of the Tiger’s neck, my hand clenched in his expensive haircut and pressing his now bleeding nose into the table. He doesn’t make a sound. I forget sometimes that he had to shed some blood to get into the Twelve. The suit and the arrogant attitude can make him seem clean.
“If I find out you’ve switched sides and you’re getting Harley out of the way for the Jackal I won’t just kill you, I’ll climb in your fucking window and gut your entire family.”
Blatant lie, but the trail of headless corpses that now proceed me have made me look a hell of a lot more callous and bloodthirsty than I really am. I’m going to use it to my advantage.
“Harley leaves here with me today and whatever it takes, he does not see the inside of a cell again. I don’t care what it costs you, I have a fucking diamond and you owe me, Tiger.”
He gives me the barest nod and I ease up, sitting back in my chair. The Crow gives me a disapproving look but Harley slips his hand into mine under the table. I try not to think about the cold steel handcuffs tethering him to the floor.
“I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust he was on our side.” Atticus says, and I shrug without glancing at him.
I keep my eyes glued to the Tiger as I snap, “I don’t trust people outside of my family. Keeping my mouth shut in the Twelve meetings and taking jobs from you all seems to have given you the impression that I’m easy to influence and manipulate. I’m not. You’ll do as I say or you’ll die.”
Atticus huffs at me but the Tiger nods. “I know. I chose this side because this is the sane side.” He huffs out a laugh at himself, “How crazy is that? The side that just threatened to butcher my kids in their beds is the sane one. But it’s true. If I’m honest I’d rather it be you climbing in my window than the Jackal and his men. I just needed to make sure you’re aware that this is not going to be easy or cheap. The Police Chief is dirty.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m well aware thank you. Find me a judge who’s also dirty, but happy to be out of Joseph Beaumont’s clutches. I’ll pay, in cash or blood.”
Harley’s hand does a funny little twitch in mine and I squeeze his fingers. Whatever it takes. I really don’t give a fuck what it costs.
The Tiger nods and leaves the room, his phone to his ear. I stare at Atticus and try to arrange my face into something a little less hostile but, fuck, I’m not in the best of moods.
“I’ll pay for this.” He says,
Harley scoffs, leaning back in his chair, and replies, “I have the cash. I’d rather you take care of the blood if it comes to that.”
I give him a look but Atticus nods. “If it’s something I can take care of, I will. You have my word.”
I try to ignore the swirling discomfort in my gut but it bubbles out of me. “You can’t buy our friendship. We already said you have our vote. Maybe you should wait until Ash or Blaise need the bail and give them the same offer.”
Atticus’s eyes narrow at me, like cold steel, and Harley snarls at him for it. Atticus ignores it and says, “You said you work as a family? Well, that’s what I do for my family. I told you back at the Gala, if you keep Avery safe then I will back you on everything, regardless of whether or not she forgives me.”
Dammit, he just keeps making it harder for me to hate him. “If it’s blood I’ll take care of it. Illi has been enjoying the… workload that being mine entails.”
Atticus scoffs. “He’s just as deranged as Matteo. You need to watch him carefully.”
Ok, that helps me hate him again. My stomach fills with butterflies when Harley snaps, “He’s family too, dickhead. He got my vote long before you did, and I’ll side with him over you to the fucking end.”
That’s the real family line. We don’t have to get along all of the time but once you’re in, you’re fucking in. Unfortunately for Atticus, two votes don’t make you family.
Atticus shakes his head at us both. “You grew up in the Bay, how can you not see who he really is?”
Harley smirks at him, cold and arrogant. “Did you know Illi has Ash’s vote too? It was unanimous. Just because you see him at his day job means nothing. Fuck, we’ve all shed some blood at this point, who the fuck cares how much he enjoys it. Don’t get pissy just because he likes playing you. He does that because he’s all in and Avery loves it. He makes her feel important just because she’s a tyrant and he respects the hell out of her for it.”
Atticus stares us both down and then shrugs. “If he touches a hair on her head, I’ll walk into that school and drag her back home with me. Then I’ll deal with him.”
I smirk and Harley makes a big show of dragging his eyes up and down Atticus’s carefully styled appearance, all pressed lines and cashmere suits, and says, “My money is on Illi but feel free to give us a good show.”
Chapter Twenty
“Do I need to drive down to the pay and gut an O’Cronin? Because that sounds like the exact way I’d like to spend my evening.”
To his credit, the Stag doesn’t bitch me out or try to make excuses, he just listens to the fucking venom I breathe down the phone at him and takes it like a champ.
It had taken another three hours for Harley to be released, the Tiger and the Crow pulling some freaking strings to get him out, but the only way to get the case dropped is for the witness to retract or die.
The witness is going to fucking die.
“The Crow has already called, it wasn’t a member of my family.”
I scoff. “I have the Coyote hacking into the Police record system, you better fucking hope it’s not one of yours.”
He sighs at me, and I can hear the call of gulls in the background. He’s down at the docks, probably on his first job now that I’ve vouched for him with the Boar. Fuck. “If it’s a member of my family, who would be working on their own, I will deliver them to you myself. It won’t be.”
I hang up on him, pissed off and feeling kinda stab-y, like someone needs to pay for this and nothing but my knife buried deep in their neck will be good enough.
Harley changes gears in the Cadillac, the one I’d borrowed to come after him, and gives me a side-eye. “You think it was really one of my family?”
“I’m your family. Avery and Ash and Blaise are your family. Illi and Odie, and that’s fucking it. I don’t trust the Stag. He’s a whole lot of talk at the moment, I want to see some action to back it up.”
Harley nods and slows the car as we pull into Hannaford, the gates opening automatically for us. My phone starts to ring.
“Why hello there, my good friend Lips.” Says the Coyote, and I roll my eyes. He must be with the Crow, he lives for pissing that man off.
“I’m not in a fun-and-games mood, Coyote. What have you found?”
He coos at me, “Aw, did your little friend have a bad time in lockup? I hear your first time can be rough.�
��
I take a deep, deep fucking breath. “Jackson. It wasn’t his first time in lockup, you already know this, why are you being a dick? Just tell me.”
He grunts and I hear Viola snap at him in the background. “Ow, fine, yes, I knew that. Did you know he got more time for fighting while he was in juvie? Fucking brutal, you’re in bed with a beast. I heard about the other one fighting with the Viper’s guy, too. You got a thing for blood or something? I always knew you were a kinky fuck. I could just tell.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Are you high? Put Viola on the phone.”
He cackles and then Viola speaks. “We were out having dinner when Atticus called, sorry.”
Harley parks the car and quirks an eyebrow at me. I shrug. “It’s fine, it’s just fucking weird to hear him like that. Did he find the rat?”
She scoffs. “He couldn’t find his own dick right now. I found the rat, some guy called Michael Byrne.”
No idea who that is but Harley curses under his breath. “Thanks. Can you send through his info? I’ll deal with it tonight.”
Viola makes a choking noise. “Ok, it’s still so weird to me how casual you are about this… stuff. Gross.”
I hang up and Harley’s hand tighten on the wheel even though the car isn’t running. “He’s related by marriage. His daughter married one of my uncles, I think she’s still a part of the family.”
I nod and call the Stag back. “Michael Byrne is dead. If you have to make arrangements to contain the fallout in your family, do it now.”
He curses. “Fucking scum. You don’t have to worry about Deirdre, she’s fucking delirious with happiness now her husband is gone. He was beating her and the kids, if her own family is pissed about the changes in the family well then he deserves a cold hole in the ground.”
Hm. Ok, maybe he isn’t so bad. I guess it’s just ingrained in me to hate anyone with the name O’Cronin.
Harley helps me out of the car and kisses the top of my head as he tucks me under his arm. We head back to our room to shower and grab supplies. I’m doing this the right way and I’m doing it tonight.