Onyx shrugged innocently. “What? I didn’t tell him shit.”
“Your brother didn’t tell me. Ink did.”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered under my breath. “That fucking guy does not know the meaning of‘don’t tell anyone’!”
“You thought we wouldn’t agree?”
I shot him a sideways glance. “I thoughtyouwouldn’t agree.”
“Got that right.” Dutch didn’t even try to deny it. “Because the last thing we need is to aggravate the beast right now, Granite.”
“Yeah, well, we aggravated it a fuck-load. And I’d do it again if I could.” I turned my attention back to the road in front of us. “And I’m still not done killing every one of those fuckers.”
“Here they come.” Onyx waved at the oncoming ape hangers. They slowed and pulled off the side of the road, a black minivan parking behind them.
Junkyard, a trusted member of the club took off his lid as I approached him. He had worn the Kings cut with pride for the last ten fucking years. With a wife and two kids, the man lived a double life, but so did a few other members.
“No one followed you here?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m sure of it. We took one huge fucking detour. And we had guys follow up from a distance to make sure we didn’t have tails.”
“Good.” I shook his hand, bumped shoulders, and slapped him on the back as I made my way to the minivan. “Hey, Texas,” I greeted the prospect behind the wheel. Poor fucker always seemed to pale whenever I looked his way.
“Hey, Granite.”
“Bring the girls here safe?” Just then, Trick and Tanit got out of the minivan.
“Safe and sound.”
I slapped him on the arm. “Good job.”
I walked straight to Tanit and took her chin in my hand, turning her face so I could scrutinize her bruises. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She didn’t look at me, so I made her, my fingers still clutching her jaw.
“That’s some shiner you got there.” The skin around her eye had already turned a purple blue. At least it wasn’t swollen much. I pulled at her bottom lip, looking at the cut on the side before letting go. “What were you doing out alone?”
She stepped back next to Trick. “I needed to get out.”
“You went alone? At a time like this?”
Tanit licked at the cut on her lip then crossed her arms. “I didn’t think they’d come for me. It’s not like I’m important or anything.”
“Cut the crap, Tanit.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I needed to get away for a few hours, so I met up with some friends. That’s it.” Her gaze drifted from mine. “I didn’t think—”
“You’re damn right, you didn’t think. You can be glad you’re still fucking breathing right now.”
“Granite,” Onyx called and gave me the stink eye, a silent way of telling me to fucking relax.
I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. It wasn’t Tanit’s fault they got caught up in the middle of this, just like it wasn’t Alyx’s or Neon’s fault. The collateral damage in this war was increasing by the day, and I had to fucking stop it as soon as possible, before someone else got hurt.
I turned to Trick. It was impossible not to notice the worry lines on her face as she draped her arm around her sister’s shoulder.
“You okay, Trick?”
“Yeah.” She flicked her blonde curls over her shoulder. “I’m just glad she managed to get away in time.”