“What do you mean?” I demanded.
Lonny looked at me in surprise. “Do I need to remind you of what happened the last time we went head to head with the Knights?”
My eyes flashed towards Lonny. He looked a little uneasy, but he pushed on, ignoring my dangerous mood.
“We lost good men in that fight…including your father.”
“Harlem lost his son,” I said darkly.
“My point exactly,” Lonny nodded. “The truce was negotiated only because both sides had suffered significant losses, and neither one wanted to risk more. The wounds were fresh, and everyone was still grieving… Once the dust settled, the truce had already been agreed on, and neither one could go back on their word.”
I gritted my teeth. “I don’t need a fucking history lesson.”
“Really? ‘Cause you seem to be missing out on a few important factors.”
“Like what?” I demanded.
“Like the fact that Godwin has been looking for a reason to fuck with us since the truce,” Lonny said. “He wants revenge for what happened to his son.”
“Maybe that’s what I want, too.”
Lonny fell silent for a moment, and when he finally met my gaze, I saw realization dawn. “Is that why you agreed to protect Devon’s sister?” he asked. “Because you knew somehow she was running from someone connected with the Knights?”
“I didn’t know,” I clarified. “I suspected.”
“If you’re right about this…you’ve already started another war.”
“I didn’t start jack shit,” I spat. “The person who started this was the man who tried to strangle Mila that night. Her brother is in our crew…and we defend our own.”
Lonny shook his head at me. “You’re not trying to defend Mila or Devon or any of the rest of us,” he said. “You’re trying to get revenge.”
“I can do both at the same time.”
“Fuck that, Zack,” Lonny said, slamming his hand down on the helmet in his hands. “The Knigh
ts are an organized crime gang… they have more ammo than we have, they have more manpower, they have more of everything. If it comes to another face to face fight, we won’t stand a chance.”
“Says who?”
“Says anyone with common sense.”
I regarded Lonny carefully. “I never pegged you for a fucking pussy.”
“If you’re trying to bait me, it ain’t gonna work. I’m advising you, same as I did with your father. This is a stupid move. Give Mila some money and tell her to move to another state and start fresh. This man… this Walter Black is going to lose interest after some time.”
“Did you read the note he left for her?” I asked.
“I saw it.”
“What was it written in?”
Lonny looked down. “He was just trying to scare her.”
“He was sending her a message. She betrayed him by leaving… And he’s going to punish her for it. Do you really think he’s just going to forget about her?”
“Fuck!” Lonny cursed loudly, knowing that I wasn’t going to change my mind about this. “So what’s your master fucking plan?” he demanded. “Wait for the Knights to come and bang down our door?”
“He doesn’t know where she is at the moment,” I said, walking towards the house. “He’ll be looking for her. And eventually, he is going to find her. I’m going to make sure she can defend herself when that happens.”