“I said get away from her.”
“Or what? You aren’t going to shoot me.” With his attention off me, I try to run past him. His arm hooks around my waist before I’ve taken two steps.
“Let her go and we’ll never speak of this again.”
“I don’t take orders from you. I fucking give them.” He pokes around in his pocket, producing a knife for his effort. Pressing the blade to my throat he walks me toward her. “I’m leaving and taking this little bitch with me. We have unfinished business. A score to settle. This is club business.”
We’re standing directly in front of her now and Ruthie presses the barrel of her gun between his eyes. Oh God. If she doesn’t kill him, he’ll kill us both. The blade cuts into my skin. I whimper feeling the trickle of blood rolling down my neck.
Chapter Fifteen
Stick a fork in me and call me roadkill. Lion sent me up north to deliver a whore he traded off to The Stable. It’s a ranch in Canada where they shoot porno flicks. I don’t know why he needed me to personally escort her there, but I suspect he didn’t want me poking around in his affairs.
Rolling down my street I see Lion’s motorcycle out front of my house. Ruthie’s car is running in the driveway, but no lights are on inside the house other than the occasional flicker from the Tv projecting on the walls and reflecting on the window. It’s not unusual for my father-in-law to visit with Ruthie, but I have a bad inkling in my gut. I park, shut my bike off, and head for the door.
I don’t know what gives me pause, but I open the door quietly. Slipping inside I listen and wait.
“Do-don’t make me choose,” I overhear Ruthie. The tremble in her voice sends me running. My pulse drums in my ears and races up and down my throat. I stop short in the hall behind my wife. In a standoff with her father she presses the barrel of my .45 between his eyes. Alexa is tucked into his chest with a knife to her throat.
/>
My veins burn with the taste for vengeance. Tonight this bastard is going to die executioner style but not at her hands. I won’t let my wife have that on her heart no matter how I feel about her. I created this madness and sadness that exists between us. Look up pain in the dictionary and you’ll see our marriage. We’ve done nothing but hurt each other.
Placing my hand over Ruthie’s on the gun, I tell her, “Take Alexa and get out of here. This is between your old man and me.” The fear shining back at me through Alexa’s eyes nearly cuts me in two. He put his fucking hands on her for the last time.
Lion chuckles. “Never have liked you. You think you’re man enough to take me on?”
“Let Alexa go. It’s me you want. You’ve got me.”
He shoves Alexa into Ruthie and she eases her grip on the weapon but refuses to relinquish it to me. “Take her out of here,” she grits through her teeth. Alexa moves to my side clinging onto me for dear life.
I have a choice to make. Save the woman I love or defend the one I married. Ruthie is Rochelle’s mother, and I made a vow to love and protect her. It’s no choice. Not one anyone should have to make.
“No. This is club business. Let him answer for his sins. Drop the knife or I put you to ground without a fair trial.”
“If that’s how you want to play it.” The knife hits the floor, and he holds his palms out. “They’ll never side against me.”
I kick the knife away.
“Are you sure?” Ruthie asks.
“You and Alexa will stand as witnesses. He disrespected me by coming into my house and hurting what’s mine.” Ruthie shoots me a funny look, and I correct myself. “Alexa’s under my protection.”
“You sure that’s all it is?” Lion motions head toward Alexa curled into my side as though I’m her lifeline.
I ignore his accusation. Ruthie doesn’t need to know about Alexa and me. Not tonight. “He threatened you. Daughter or not you’re my wife. I won’t stand for anyone harming you. My family is my world. You know that. Your father doesn’t care about you or Rochelle. He spits on his patch and club. If he moves, shoot him.”
Ruthie strengthens her stance and clicks the safety off.
I squeeze Alexa’s hand, but don’t take my eyes off the enemy. “Go to the garage. There’s rope on the utility shelf.” I want to reassure her that everything is going to be fine, but the club could vote against me. Lion’s been Prez a long damn time. This shit could backfire and go sideways. It could be me who is cast out and not him.
**
Emergency church is in session. Lion sits at the head of the table, but he’s in chains. Ruthie and Alexa are sitting at the bar under the watchful eye of a prospect. This isn’t ideal or how I planned to take the bastard out, but here we are. Nickel, Lion’s right-hand man and VP glances around the room counting heads.
“I call this meeting to order. Brothers you have been called here tonight under unusual circumstances. I’m not going to waste anyone’s time. Let’s cut straight to it. Lion, you stand accused of breaking our code, of disrespecting a brother and his property. Murder claims you went to his home uninvited twice and assaulted someone under his protection. You are charged with not only sexual assault and battery but conspiring to deal Cloud Nine with the Dry Ridge Sinners after we voted against the deal. Do you deny these charges?”
“Fuck you. This is my club. None of you would be shit without me. I did what the rest of you were too pussy to. That girl was in the way. Murder had no right to offer her protection. We’re only here because he’s pissed I fucked his little cunt first. She begged me for it. Bitch was fucking dripping she wanted it so much.”