by Wilder, L.
I thought back to their brief moment in the hall, and I was still curious about what had happened between them. Hoping she’d tell me, I asked, “What about you and Gus?”
“What about me and Gus?”
“Come on, Mom,” I pushed. “Did y’all make up?”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m hopeful.”
I was just about to give her a hard time when Cade appeared in the doorway. I rushed over and reached for him, hugging him tightly. “When did you get back?”
“Just a few minutes ago.” He kissed me on the crook of my neck. “You okay?”
“I’m much better now.” I could’ve stayed there in his arms for the rest of the night, but quickly remembered we weren’t alone. I took a step back, releasing him from my grasp. That’s when I noticed his arm. “What happened to you?”
He glanced down at his bloodstained shirt and shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing!” I argued.
“It’s just a graze, August. I’m fine.”
“You were shot!
“It’s just a scratch,” he assured me. “I’m fine.”
“You weren’t kidding when you said you had a thing about getting shot, were you?” Not giving him a chance to answer, I carefully raised his sleeve and gasped when I saw the black burnt-like wound. “We need to get a doctor to—”
“I’ll have Viper’s guy check me out in a bit. Right now, Gus wants to see you in the conference room.”
“Why?”
“He has something he wants to talk to you about.”
“Oh, okay.”
When I turned to Mom, she smiled and said, “Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on Harper.”
I nodded, then followed Cade out of the room. As we walked down the hall, I couldn’t stop staring at Cade’s wound. It made me sick to think that he’d been hurt because of me. I hated it. I hated everything about what happened that night, and it was all because of David. Thankfully, I would soon find out that he would get what was coming to him. When we walked into the conference room, I was surprised to see that Gus wasn’t alone. In fact, all the brothers of Satan’s Fury were there. They all waited patiently as Cade and I sat down at the table next to them. Once we were settled, Gus said, “I’m sure by now you know that Polito has been taken care of.”
“I do.” I looked at the men sitting around that table as I said, “I’ve already said this to Gus, but I want you all to know how much I appreciate what you did tonight. I know you put your lives in danger for us, and I will always be indebted to each and every one of you for doing so.”
“Like I already told you, that’s what we do. We protect what’s ours. That’s why we asked you to come down here and talk to us.” His tone grew even more serious as he said, “We have one last matter to contend with.”
“Okay. What’s that?”
“David,” he answered flatly. “We have to decide what we’re going to do about him.”
“I honestly don’t care what you do to him.” I wanted to make him pay for all the hell he’d put us through, so I told him, “I’d kill him myself if I could.”
“As much as I would love to put a bullet in that man’s head, I don’t think that’s our best move. He’s the mayor. There’s no way in hell we’ll be able to take him out without blowback.”
“Okay, then. What do you suggest we do?”
“We gotta get him where it hurts.” Gus cocked his eyebrow and he asked, “What’s most important to him?”
“Well, that’s easy,” I scoffed. “His career.”
“Then, we take it from him, but we don’t stop there.” His eyes narrowed as he said, “We take everything from him, including his freedom.”
“That sounds great to me, but how?”
Riggs leaned forward and said, “We were hoping you could help us with that.”
“I’ll do anything you need me to do.”
“We have everything we need to prove that David was taking bribes.” Riggs pushed a folder over to me. When I opened it, I saw page after page of large sums of money deposited into his campaign accounts. “Each one of those deposits can be tracked back to Polito or Carbone, but not just them. David was in bed with several big names. We just need to get this information into the right hands.”
“Why couldn’t I simply take it to the police?”
“You gotta remember, we don’t know who David has in his pocket,” Riggs explained. “We just can’t take the chance on this getting brushed under the rug.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
Shadow added, “The election is just a couple of months away, right?”
“Yeah?”
“And he’s running against that Brent Walker guy?”
“He is.”
“All right then. I’m sure he would be very interested to know that the guy he’s running against is a crook. Hell, his campaign would be made with information like this. If we can get this folder in his hands, then I’d bet he’ll do all the work for us.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Excitement washed over me. “I know plenty of people who’d be able to help us out. I’ll just need to call in a few favors.”
“We were hoping you’d say that.” Gus stood up and said, “You get the names we need, and we’ll make sure they get everything they need to not only sink David but also put him behind bars.”
I smiled as I told them, “This could actually work.”
“It’s one hell of a payback for all the shit he’s pulled.”
“It’s late,” Cade announced. “She’s had a long night. I’m going to walk her back down to her room.”
Gus nodded, and then Cade took me back down to my room. When we got to my door, he stopped and pulled me close, kissing me softly. As glad as I was that my troubles with David were coming to an end, I knew it wouldn’t be long before we all left the Sinners’ clubhouse. Harper and I would return home, while Cade would head back to Memphis. I’d gotten used to him being around. I liked having him close, but it was more than that. I’d fallen for him, really fallen for him, and I wasn’t ready for us to be apart. I could tell by the way he kissed me, so possessive and full of need, that he felt the same way.
CHAPTER 19
Gunner
Once I’d gotten August to her room, I went back to the conference room with the others. As I headed down the hall, I knew I was in for a long night. While we’d been successful in ending Polito and getting Samantha back safe, there was still a great deal of work to be done. Once the Butcher and his crew finished with the house, he called Viper to let him know that he was on his way to the warehouse. Our goal was to make it look like Polito and Carbone skipped town in a hurry, leaving everything he owned behind. Riggs spent the next few hours monitoring all the police scanners, making sure that no one called in with concerns about a possible break-in. From where I stood, everything seemed to be going as planned, and I had no doubt that a big part of that was due to the Butcher. We’d never dealt with anyone like him before, but after hearing Viper sing his praises and seeing his work firsthand, we felt confident that he would erase any and all evidence of the attack.
The sun was just starting to rise when he called to let us know that the job was done. With all that had gone down, it was hard to believe that there’d been no major snags—no snooping neighbors, noise complaints, or patrolling cops. Knowing we still had to contend with David and Gabriella, Gus gave the order for us to return to our rooms for a few hours of shut eye. As much as I wanted to go see about August, I knew she would still be sleeping and I was utterly exhausted, so I went straight to my room and crashed.
I had no idea how long I’d been sleeping when I felt someone crawling into bed with me. I knew right away it was August and pulled her close, relishing in the feel of her body next to mine. I liked having her there next to me, and I wasn’t looking forward to having to leave her. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice. She had her own life here in Nashville, and I couldn’t forc
e her to leave that all behind for me—at least not yet. If this thing between us was ever going to work, I’d have to be patient and give her time to decide her next move.
As she nestled in closer, her hand brushed against the bandage on my arm, causing her to still. I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead as I said, “I got it checked out. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.” She nestled a little closer, and after several moments she let out a sigh. I knew something was on her mind, but I wasn’t expecting her to say, “You know, I’m sure this is going to sound all kinds of crazy, especially after everything’s that happened … and you getting shot, but a part of me is sad that it’s almost over.”
Even though I knew exactly what she was talking about, I asked, “Why’s that?”
“Because that means it’s time for you to go back to Memphis, and I’m not ready for you to go.” Before I had a chance to interject, she said, “I know you have to go, but … I don’t want to lose you.”
“No way in hell that’s gonna happen,” I tried to assure her.
“But how can you be so sure?”
“Because I am.” I eased up on my side and looked down at her. When her gorgeous eyes met mine, my gut twisted into a knot. I was crazy about this woman, and it was time to let her know exactly how I felt. “I need you to listen to me, August.”
Her brows furrowed as she replied, “Okay?”
“You’re not going to lose me, and I have no intention of losing you.” I lowered my mouth to the crook of her neck, and trailed kisses along her shoulder as I whispered, “I meant it when I said I’d do whatever it took to make you happy. I know it won’t be easy, but we’ll figure it out.”
“You promise?”
Answering her the best way I knew how, I dropped my mouth to hers, kissing her long and hard. Her mouth was warm and wet, and all of her little moans and whimpers made my cock ache with need. I reached for the hem of her t-shirt and slipped it over her head, exposing her perfect round breasts. I was done. I couldn’t wait a moment longer to have her. After making quick work of my boxers, I slipped her panties and leggings down past her ankles, leaving her completely bare. She looked like the perfect wet dream as she lay there sprawled out on my bed, waiting for me to take her. So fucking beautiful. It was hard to believe that she was mine. I watched the goosebumps rise along her skin as I settled myself between her thighs.
Hovering over her, I placed my mouth close to her ear and whispered, “You’re mine, August. Now and forever.”
Without saying a word, she pressed her lips to mine in a possessive, demanding kiss as she wrapped her legs around my waist, pressing my cock against her. I spent the next hour making love to her, and if I hadn’t needed to talk to Gus, I would’ve stayed there in that bed with her all morning. After one last kiss, I forced myself out of the bed. As I started to pull on my boxers, I looked over to her and said, “I gotta run and check in with Gus.”
“Oh … Well, umm.” A smirk crossed her face as she said, “I think he might be in my mother’s room.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah.” She reached for her t-shirt and slipped it on. “Before I came to see you, I went over to check on her. I was just about to open her door when I heard his voice. I might’ve tried to eavesdrop, but I wasn’t sure what was going on in there.”
“Oh, yeah?” I pulled on my jeans and chuckled. “You think they were up to something?”
A funny look crossed her face. “Uh … I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”
“I totally understand.” When she finished getting dressed, I asked, “Where’s Harper?”
“Jae took her down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. I should probably go see about her.”
“I’ll go with you.” I was running on just a few hours of sleep, so I told her, “I could use a cup of coffee or two.”
When we walked out of my room, I noticed August glancing over at her mother’s room with a smile. While we both had our suspicions, neither of us knew what was going on in that room, but it was clear from her expression that she hoped that Samantha and Gus would find a way to work things out. I felt the same way. I hoped that they’d be able to put their past behind them, because after all these years, they deserved their second chance at happiness. When we got down to the kitchen, there was no one there, so we each grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the family room to see if Jae and Harper were there. As soon as we walked in, I spotted Harper sitting on the sofa with Jae and Gabriella. Harper was in Gabriella’s lap, talking a mile a minute. I couldn’t remember seeing her look so happy. August leaned over to me and asked, “Who’s that with Harper?”
“When we got her back from Polito, do you remember her telling you about being locked in a room with a girl named Gabriella?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, that’s her. We found her locked away in one of Polito’s bedrooms.” I remembered how shocked I was when we’d found her chained in that room. I felt so bad for her and was relieved to see that she seemed to be doing much better now that she was free. As we started towards them, I continued, “She’d been there for weeks.”
“Oh, god. That’s awful.”
“At least now we can finally find out what happened while Harper was gone.” When we got over to Gabriella, she looked up at us and smiled. “Looks like you’ve found a friend.”
“Hi, Momma!” A big smile crossed Harpers face as she announced, “Iss Gab-we-ella.”
“Well, hello Gabriella. I’m August, Harper’s mother.”
Gabriella extended her hand and said, “It’s really nice to meet you, August. Your daughter is an amazing little girl.”
“Yes, she is,” August replied as she shook her hand. “Harper told me a little about you, but not much about the time you two spent in that room together.”
“I’m not sure why Harper was in there with me, but they were much nicer to her than they were to me. It was clear that they didn’t want any harm to come to her.”
“Well, that makes me feel a little better, I guess.” August sighed as she studied Gabriella for a moment. “As sorry as I am that you were locked in that room, I’m glad Harper had you with her. I have no doubt it made the experience at least tolerable.”
“Harper was a blessing to me as well. I was about to lose my mind when they brought her into that room with me.” Gabriella looked down at Harper with such adoration as she ran her hand over her head. “I was so tired of being alone and scared. It was nice to have someone to look after … even if it was just for a little while.”
“Do you know why he took you like that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess, I would say it had something to do with my father. He and Anthony Polito weren’t exactly friends. You would’ve thought killing my father was enough, but it wasn’t. Anthony was an evil man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.”
“We’ve had our own run-in with him,” August told her. “I know how awful he can be.”
“What about your family, Gabriella?” I asked. “Is there someone we can call for you?”
Anguish crossed her face as she replied, “There’s no one … at least, not anymore.”
“So, you have nowhere to go?”
“No.” For a moment, it looked like she was going to cry, but she managed to pull herself together as she continued, “But I’ll figure something out.”
“We’ll figure out something together,” I said as her eyes met mine. “You helped Harper through a tough time. The least we can do is show you the same courtesy.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
“No thanks necessary.” I glanced down at my watch, and when I noticed the time, I said, “I need to go check in with Riggs and the others.”
“Oh.” After pulling me to the side where the others couldn’t hear, August reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. As she offered it to
me, she said, “Here are the names and the emails that Riggs needed. The first one is Brent’s campaign manager.”
I took it from her hand. “I’ll be sure he gets it.”
After giving her a brief kiss on the cheek, I waved to Harper and Gabriella, then walked out the room. When I got down to the conference room, Riggs and Murphy were sitting at the table talking to Viper, Hawk, and Axel. I was surprised that Gus wasn’t with them. He was usually the first one up and going, but I had a feeling he’d been otherwise detained. I sat down next to Riggs and handed him the piece of paper August had given me. “Morning.”
“Morning,” they each replied.
There were papers scattered on the table, and Riggs was hammering away at his computer. Worried that something might be up, I asked, “What’s all this?”
“We’re doing what can to erase all signs of Polito in Nashville.” Riggs looked over to me as he continued, “I’m trying to get the deeds to his properties transferred over to a new dummy company … one that we have full control of. At some point, we’ll move ownership over to Viper and his club as reimbursement for their help. We just need to wait until we’re certain David has been dealt with.”
“Speaking of David …” I pointed at the paper I’d just handed to Riggs. “Those are the names August said she’d get for you. The first one is Brent’s actual campaign manager. The others work with him on his campaign.”
“Good. I’ll get moving on this next.”
“How you planning on getting that information to them without tracking it back to us?”
“I’ll set up an email with an untraceable IP address.” He turned his attention back to his computer as he said, “They’ll have no idea who it came from or if it’s true, but it won’t be hard for them to check things out for themselves.”
I looked back over to Viper as I asked, “Any issues arise from our visit with Polito last night?”
“Oddly enough, there hasn’t been anything. Looks like we might’ve actually pulled it off,” Viper answered proudly.
I was just about to respond when Gus replied, “Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”