Pacing the porch, I smoked two cigarettes before a plan formed in my mind. It was risky on so many levels but the only other thing I could come up with was letting Marcella go and hell would freeze over before that happened. She was our ticket to Vitiello’s demise.
I put out my cigarette in the overflowing ashtray and went up to my room, determined to talk to Earl in the morning. After dog fights, he wasn’t in a state to discuss anything with him. I perched on the windowsill. Marcella’s words repeated in my head. What if he takes what you deny yourself?
Fuck. I would spend the night watching over the kennels again.
After a quick power nap in the morning, I went in search of Earl, but didn’t get a chance to talk to him because he sent me out to collect money from one of our dealers. Luckily Cody wasn’t around, so I didn’t have to be worried for Marcella. I’d just have to hurry the fuck up.
When I came home late in the afternoon, Cody’s bike was already parked in front of the house. I dismounted my Harley quickly and jogged up the path until I spotted the kennels. Marcella sat next to the bars and was talking to Satan from the looks of it. The dog was stretched out beside her, only the bars between them.
Reassured, I went inside. Following the sounds of bullets hitting cans, I headed through the backdoor and found my uncle in his favorite rocking chair, shooting at cans on tree stumps. His cut with the stitched words President of the Tartarus MC hung over the backrest. As usual, my chest swelled seeing it. One day I would wear that cut, would lead our club. For a long time, I hadn’t considered it an option, had been certain Gray would follow in his father’s footsteps, but three years ago Earl had told me that I and not Gray would be the future prez of Tartarus. I had been more than a little surprised, and Gray had been devastated, but Earl was a stubborn asshole and wouldn’t change his mind once he’d come to a decision.
Earl glanced over his shoulder then he kept shooting at the cans. “Don’t stand behind my fucking back, it’s giving me a fucking itch.”
I sank down in the rocking chair beside his but firmly planted my feet on the ground to stop it from moving. I hated the monotone back and forth. I preferred to make progress. The feeling of bridging hundreds of miles on my bike, that was the kind of motion I liked. Well, there was one back and forth motion I didn’t mind…
“Spill. You’re fucking with my aim.”
“Have you made more plans with the girl you haven’t told me about?” I asked.
Earl’s face pinched angrily. “If I have, you’ll find out when I see fit, boy.”
I nodded grudgingly. “I thought this was our plan, our chance to get revenge on my dad’s murderer. I thought we were in this together, but now you’re doing your own thing.”
Earl sighed and leaned back in his chair, the gun balancing on his thigh. “You’ll get your revenge, don’t you worry. We need to use the Vitiello brat as long as we have her, really drive her father to the brink, see that Italian asshole crumple bit by bit.”
I braced my elbows on my knees. “You got it,” I said then smiled twistedly. “That’s why I want her in my bed.”
Cody, who had stepped outside without me noticing, let out a disbelieving laugh. “Right.”
But I ignored him and just continued, “Nobody has more reason to get revenge than me.”
Earl regarded me curiously and lit his cigarette. “Why the change of heart? Didn’t you say she’s just bargain, and we shouldn’t hurt her. Now you want to drag her into your bed?”
I had absolutely no business protecting her. Her father had killed my father brutally before my eyes, but I couldn’t allow Cody to get his hands on her. “Not dragging anyone,” I said with a grin. “Girl’s been flirting with me like crazy, probably trying to get on my good side. I suppose she’s used to getting what she wants by using her tits and cunt.”
“I bet she is. She’s got great tits and a pretty cunt as far as I could see so she’s got plenty to work with.”
I lit my own cigarette, allowing my grin to become dirty. “If she wants to influence me with her pretty cunt, who am I to deny her? Especially when it’ll piss Vitiello off.”
Cody’s face became more and more frustrated. “Be careful not to fall into her trap. I bet she’s led more than one man around by his dick.”
Earl still watched me. His poker face was one I’d learned to be wary of.