“Of course, I do.” I took a step closer. “I was just hoping this time around you wouldn’t be dumb enough to fuck with me.”
“Ah, man, I’m sorry.” His s’s lisped with his split tongue pressing against his teeth. “I don’t fuck men.” He glanced over my shoulder at Ink. “Pretty little blue-haired pixie girls are more my style.”
“You mother—” Ink tried to launch at Slither, but Manic and Onyx grabbed him, people suddenly jumping out of the way and staring at us with wide, fearful eyes.
I didn’t move. I kept my glare pinned on Slither, using the image of Alyx’s face as an anchor for my rage. If I didn’t, I’d shoot a bullet through his forehead within a goddamn heartbeat.
“What do you want?”
Amusement painted his face like it was the devil’s playground. “Let’s get straight to it, then. Stop killing my men.”
I shrugged. “What? Don’t like getting severed fingers in the mail?”
“Nah. As you pretty well know, I have no problem with fingers lying around. I just don’t like recruiting new prospects all the time.” He took a breath and faked a look of exhaustion. “It’s just so damn tiring to promise these troubled young people a sweet reprieve from this fucked up world while silently laughing at their naïve fucking faces.”
I shifted and placed my hands on my sides when his guys all stiffened behind him, reaching for their guns.
Onyx snorted next to me. “Tense much?”
“Tell me where Alyx is.” I didn’t have time for games. I didn’t have the fucking patience for idiotic banter while we stood there trying to prove who had the bigger goddamn balls.
Slither lifted his chin. “I want a ceasefire.”
I lifted a brow. “A what?”
“You heard me. I tell you where Alyx is in exchange for a truce.”
“Not a fucking chance,” Ink chimed in behind him, and I lifted my hand, silencing him.
“You want a truce?”
He licked his lips with his tentacled tongue. “Yeah. You get your girl back, and you stop challenging me on these fucking streets. We forget all about the past and let go of these violent vendettas we have for each other.” He held his arms out wide. “Think of it as your opportunity to help toward world peace.”
I crossed my arms and straightened my stance while keeping my eyes on him. “If I agree to a truce, you’ll tell me where Alyx is?”
“Even better,” he smirked, “I’ll take you to her, just to—you know, show you there’s no bullshit.”
“Granite,” Onyx stepped in next to me, “tell me you’re not actually considering this.”
I ignored him while contemplating Slither’s offer. Fucker was sly, I’d give him that. It was brilliant, actually. He knew the only way he’d get me to back down was by taking what was most important to me. A man’s heart was his weakness, and Slither used that to his advantage in a very creative fucking way.
Usually, this kind of decision needed to be discussed at church. Ending a war that had been raging for years was something everyone needed to agree on. But right now, I didn’t give a shit about getting a unanimous decision or adhering to club bylaws. All I cared about was Alyx.
“You’ll have your ceasefire when I have Alyx—unharmed.”
“Granite, what the fuck, man?” Ink was on the edge, and I could practically feel his fury leaching onto me.
“It’s the only way, Ink,” I said without taking my eyes off Slither. “You’d do the same if it was Neon.”
Slither rubbed his palms together like a predator about to slice through raw skin for dinner. “Remember, Granite. A man’s word is his bond.”
“Don’t you fucking tell me about a man’s word. My word has more honor than you’ll ever have, you son of a bitch.” This time I stepped right up to him, not caring that his crew was ready to shoot my spine full of fucking holes. “You give me Alyx back, and I give you my word that for as long as I’m president, the Kings will no longer be a threat to you.”
Slither pinched his eyes closed, pulling his face like he was about to come in his fucking pants. “God, that’s like music to my fucking ears. Who knows, we might even become, I dunno, allies down the line.”
“Do not mistake my agreement for anything other than giving in to your fucking blackmail.”
“Nonetheless,” he shrugged, “I look forward to our new arrangement.”