Death’s Deal (Broken Bows, Hade’s Army MC #1)

Chapter 33

J azmine

I’m more than annoyed. I’m fuming.

These biotches played me.

Rounding on the one who I bet orchestrated it all, Johnson, I fire off my annoyance, “Oh heavens. You’re the one behind this. I should’ve known. How’s about you be the big boy here and tell me, as I’d like to know what the hell is going on, Agent Pecker?”

Johnson starts, “I might as well cut to the chase—”

“Yes. Please do.”

“We didn’t give them a choice in this, Jazmine.” As he starts what I expect will be a long diatribe, I take in the atmosphere and the odds. Four Gargamel-looking grunts head to the front door to join the first two already there with Miss and Gunner, while three jack-booted thugs shift toward the back entrance. There are no less than two assholes for each of my friends. Who I thought had my back. I’m not so sure right now that rings true.

I feel this is going to go badly.

Still pissed and not holding back, I seethe, “I’m not the girl you’ll find doing as I’m told under gunfire or duress, Agent Dick.”

“As is the reason for the heavy presence, Jazmine.”

Ain’t that the truth.

“I’d love to know what dirty shit you’re asking us to get into. Better yet. What has Bennett agreed to?” Staring at the bottom of the empty highball left on the table before him, I look for an answer. Directing my question his way, “Bennett. What is happening?”

Eyeing the fraying dirty carpet, his subdued reply is noticeable, “I had no choice, J. Know it breaks my fucking heart.” Raising his gaze, staring directly my way, then eyeing Antonia and the rest of our friends, I see the room anew. Their faces are full of frightened energy.

Eyeing the company that surrounds each of us, assessing our odds, I count out the good guys’ side. Bennett, Cap, Piper, Trigger, Miss, Des, Joker, Luci, Gunner, Antonia, and me. Counting the government attired, I see we’re outnumbered, outgunned, and outmaneuvered. Something serious is going on.

Turning to square off with Johnson, flatly I snap, “I thought after our cartel wars with the Huesos and the Alta, that after everything we’d done to help essentially remove them from California soil, the LA club membership was on better terms with the federally regulated.”

Johnson starts, “Jaz, I—” A member of his team walks over, talks to his ear closely. “Good to know. Bring it in,” he tells the agent before Johnson continues on, “Our mutual history is what has made it possible. No one goes to jail this way.”

“I don’t believe jail was the question I asked.”

“It’s the answer none of us wanted, but it was the only option... other than this.”

“And what is this?” I ask as one of the gargantuan agents steps toward me. Grasping my bag strap from my shoulder, attempting to turn my attention from my prey, I wrestle when he starts to get handsy. “Who do you think you are?”

When he reaches into my left jeans back pocket, he growls out, annoyed I’m not doing as he expects, “Stand still, Ms. Crow.” I swing my arm around and forcefully slammed my bag into the side of his head.

“I don’t remember agreeing to a date.” I attempt to push him away. His brute strength is double of my ability. Pulling on my arm hard, bringing me to his chest and plucking the air from my lungs, he wraps his large arms around me tight enough for me to notice the bulge of his pecker against my back. With little to no resistance, he garners what he was looking for. Releasing me with a shove to the side, I stumble slightly in my footing. Holding his prizes aloft, my phone and my jingling keys, with a smile he steps back, handing them to Johnson.

“I’m sure your mom is proud of you for accosting a woman and stealing her possessions. You could’ve just asked, fuckstick.”

“Would you have honestly given it to him without a fight, Jazmine?” Johnson asked.

“Can’t say I would’ve.”

As I’m still devoid of an escape plan and oblivious to the reason why I’m here, I ask again, “Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on? Or at least, who the fuck deserves my wrath, if not Bennett? Someone is about to lose an eye, swallow their balls, or wonder how I got that weapon.”

“I believe I have that answer, Preciosa .”

Poking out between two of his own heavily armored officers, flanked by further men with guns, grinning like a casino winner, it is the only person in the whole world I’d love to see burn in hell... after he is dismembered.

Wearing a smile that could rival the Cheshire cat, the head of the now defunct Huesos Blanqueados, Murianos is far too content in our company.

Turning to Bennett, the agents, and those who I consider family, I glare then address Murianos, “You should be dead. I guess no one tried hard enough.”

Turning my attention from my family to the wretched man who entered, I step over to Johnson. “Fuck you.” I press a pointed nail into his chest. “Fuck the cocksucker behind you, and the boy band matching-outfitted mathletes with your star-spangled banner adoration. I don’t care what it is you’re asking me to do, I won’t do it. Period.”

“Jaz, this isn’t up for debate.”

“Only my friends call me Jaz, and no one in this building is a friend.” Pointing at Miss, Des, and Trigger, even Luci, I shout, “No one is getting a Christmas card this year.”

“Jazmine, I —”

“Yeah, I’m sure there's a well-oiled speech in there, Johnson, but I’m telling you now. I think you’re hiding the door number two that goes to jail. I’d rather go to jail.”

The asshole who just strip searched me grins. “Guantanamo is warm this time of year.”

Keeping up with his quip, gleefully, I snip, “Oh! I hear they have great souffles on Friday. Am I right, Murianos?”

Opening his mouth to reply, I cut him off, “Don’t speak. The adults are talking.”

Attempting to interject himself into the foray, Luci finally pipes up, “We’re all sacrificing something, J. This wasn’t something we wanted either.”

“Oh! You speak now? I was just at your house, Luci, watching your daughter, and you couldn’t tell me what was happening? I don’t even know what is going on yet, and you’re telling me you had no choice? I trusted everyone in this room, including you, implicitly, with my life, and right now... not one of you gets to speak further.” Flicking my index finger to poke Johnson in the chest hard again, I keep my focus on him. “This is between the civil servant and the heroine of the story.”

Bennett tries his hand at softening my ire. “J, we had to do this. It’s the only way.”

I don’t take my eyes from Johnson. I’m good at poker and I’m looking for his tell. His dark-brown eyes, thick bushy brows, and well-shaved face doesn’t even flinch. “What part of your soul did you sell for your sister’s freedom, Bennett?”

“They forced us.”

“Yeah, I see you all taking this like a fresh recruit in Lompoc.”

“J, they took the deeds to each of our clubhouses, our homes, even Humble. Not just Hades’s, they froze Lucius’s assets along with Cap’s, the Golden Boys’, and every other association we have. Everyone has been roped into this. They have us by the balls,” Bennett states it so matter-of-fact, that of course it could be a logical reason for whatever this is.

“I don’t believe you. They can’t do that.”

Johnson confirms, “Your brother is telling the truth. We need this to work out. We pressured them, as this was the only way.”

I cool my temper only slightly, understanding whatever this is, it is so much bigger than me. Seemingly far too content with the situation, I eye Murianos. Narrowing my gaze back to Johnson, seeing no one has that look of lying, once more I ask, “What are you telling me to do?”

Johnson doesn’t answer, he defers to Murianos. “Oh, so apparently you’ve recently become mute.”

“It’s a part of the deal, Jazmine. He has to tell you.”

Through gritted teeth and a rising heart rate, I stepped to the man I want to shove red-hot pokers in his chest. “I want to boil the skin from your body. I want to make you suffer like no one has before. Everything I can think of and anything I can think up after, then I’ll do it all again.” Seething with a desire to kill, it seems I’ll have to do the one thing I would rather kill myself for. I have to ask Murianos for the truth of the situation and hope he doesn’t lie to me, but I expect nothing less. “It seems you’re calling the shots. What have you orchestrated?”

Answering flatly with a glorious grin that could swallow the moon, Murianos replies, “You’re to be my wife.”