She looked up at me and smiled. Shesmiledafter shooting a rapist in the head.I fucking love this girl.
“You never forget your first time," Dani said. "There is now one less rapist on this earth. Congratulations, you fuckin’ badass.”
Ashtyn chuckled and Dani beamed with pride.She was like the female version of Kane.I shuddered at the idea of there being two of them as Remington took a turn hugging his sister.
“I want you at the compound tonight. We need to talk to Dad like, yesterday,” said Remington.
“I’m staying with her,” I said, taking her hand in mine.
“We have plenty of room,” Beck chirped, still playing with the pliers. “Now can I have his teeth?”
Dani laughed and Beck’s eyes flickered to her, eyeing up and down her body, and Kane cleared his throat from beside me.
“I’ll have our crew take care of him. Y’all can get on home,” Kane ordered, ushering us out into the hallway.
I thanked Kaneagainfor everything he and Uncle Gio did for us tonight. Had this not gone down at his club, we would’ve been royally fucked. I put my arm around Ashtyn as we walked through the parking lot, not letting the thoughts of what could’ve happened to her cloud the present. She wrapped one arm around my waist as I guided her to Axel’s truck.
“You called me your boyfriend,” I said.
“Hmm?”
“To Reynolds. You called me your boyfriend.”
“That was easier thanneighbor slash friend slash sometimes lover slash sometimes enemy. Did I say that right?”
I smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I likeboyfriendbetter. I think I’ll keep the title.”
We decided that we would all stay at the compound for the night since it was almost morning, and Axel would have an hour drive to get home. I didn’t want him falling asleep on the way there. Plus, he was quite shaken up by what he saw on Reynolds’ phone.
Although Ashtyn had grandiose plans of usfucking all night long, we passed out in one of the guest rooms almost immediately. I will take her up on that though, once we sleep and shower. Ash and I slept on the bed and Axel slept on the couch in our room. The place was surprisingly clean and updated. It didn’t look like it was inhabited by a bunch of dirty bikers.
I was barely awake when there was a pounding on our door. It flew open and Remington ran in.
“Ash, get up. Dad’s here.”
50
Ashtyn
Ishotsomeone.
I killed someone.
And I didn’t even feel bad about it.
I didn’t just wake up yesterday and decide to choose violence. I gave Reynolds a…shot. I thought amputating his dick would be a fair punishment for his crimes, but once I saw the video…I couldn’t forget it. I couldneverforget it, even with him dead.
“Pumpkin,” Dad interrupted my thoughts with the nickname he gave me when I was a baby.Pumpkinfor the girl born the day before Halloween. How original.
We were all seated in the main area of their compound–which was just a big room with a bar, a passthrough window to the kitchen, tables, and a few pool tables. Booths lined the wall opposite the bar, and round tables filled the center of the space. It was where the guys ate, drank, and shot pool in their spare time. And probably a lot of other nefarious things along with that. I removed my hands from the table at that thought.Who knows the last time they sanitized?
It was almost noon, yet most of the crew were in their rooms sleeping off hangovers or just getting back from the run Dad was on. I hadn’t seen him in person in almost two years. My sixteenth birthday–the day I’d come here to surprise him and he turned me away. Told me to go home and never come back. I’d spoken to him a few times on the phone, but it was always surface level,how are you doing, how’s your brotherkinda thing.
“Remington said you wanted to talk. That’s the only reason I’m here. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as possible.” West held onto my thigh under the table, squeezing gently as a reminder that I wasn’t alone anymore.
Dad sighed and interlocked his fingers on the table. His short black hair, dark eyes, and scowl made him look mean AF, but he wasn’t most of the time–to his family, at least. Other than when he shattered my heart into a million pieces, he was a kind and caring father.
“I know you’re still pissed at me.”