Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Fang
A day later, we’re riding through the gates of our clubhouse.
Entering the gates without Winter is a defeat like none other.
To add to my sorrow, Dawg’s lifeless body is riding through these gates for the last time.
Ramon pulls the van into the garage and then hobbles out.
Head down in mourning for our fallen brother.
The weight of his death is going to sit heavy on my soul, just as Vile’s does.
I’m not sure I’ll recover from this one, considering I’m the one responsible for Dawg’s death.
After I rescue Winter, it will be in her best interest if I cut ties with her.
Having no affiliation with me will keep her out of harm’s way. I hope.
Sinner opens the back door of the van. Dawg is wrapped in a tarp, the best we could do with what we had at the time. Buzzcut jogs out with a blanket in hand. No words are spoken. There’s none to speak. I take the blanket. Wolf is already removing the tarp when I approach.
Though I’ve seen his charred body, looking at him now is just as difficult as the first time.
Acid rises up my esophagus and burns the back of my throat.
Tears spring to my eyes. Yeah, I know men aren’t supposed to cry, but this is one exception I’m willing to make. Dawg is deserving of every tear I shed.
“I’m so sorry, Dawg. You deserved so much better.” Unfolding the blanket, I spread it over Dawg’s body. Sinner leaps into the van to grab his head while I lift him by the legs. Together we carry our fallen brother from the vehicle and to the makeshift stretcher sitting in the corner.
“Did you tell his mother?” Sinner asks Buzzcut.
Buzzcut responds with, “Sure did. Poor thing fell apart right in my arms.”
I tune out the rest of the conversation because I cannot deal with this right now. My heart is heavy, and my soul is broken. Needing to get away, I nod to Wolf. “Take over for me, yeah?”
“I’ll stay by his side until the funeral home arrives.” Wolf takes my place, standing guard over Dawg’s body.
Without another word, I trek back to the clubhouse. Visions of the explosion and Dawg’s face haunt me. Nothing could have prepared me for this. Yes, we’ve had war before and lost brothers, but never has the mission been led by yours truly.
It’s all a blur as I make my way up to my room. The first thing I do is grab my journal and hug it to my chest. “I screwed up.” I know Vile can’t hear me, but a small part of me hopes that he hears me from heaven. “Dude, a prospect died under my command.”
I can imagine Vile sitting next to me, gripping my shoulder, saying, “Brother, you can’t let this eat you alive.
Death is part of our lives. It’s inevitable.
What happened is not your fault.” I want to believe those words, even though they are part of my imagination and not from my twin, I just can’t bring myself to accept them.
Time passes as slow as molasses. The smell of burned flesh still invades my sinuses. Haunting me with my failures. Sitting alone in this room is slowly driving me insane. I have to get out of here. Do something.
As I descend the stairs, I hear voices. Sinner is talking with Wolf about Dawg’s funeral. The Iron Devils are covering the cost. Which is what we do. We take care of our own. That will also include providing financial support for his mother.
Avoiding all eye contact, I mosey over to the bar and reach under the counter, grabbing the first bottle my fingers brush against. It happens to be a brand-new bottle of Patron. Forgoing a glass, I uncap the bottle and tip it to my lips.
The burn is a nice welcome. A mini distraction from the hell my life has become. While Sinner and Wolf discuss Dawg’s funeral, the others sit around with half empty beer bottles in their hands. They look about as defeated as I feel.
Buzzcut is standing in the doorway, gazing out like he’s waiting for trouble to show up any moment. I pray the Hollow Bones has the guts to show their faces here today. I will gladly rip every single one of them to shreds and then set fire to their remains.
Just thinking about the Hollow Bones brings ill visions to the forefront of my mind. Visions of Winter in some dark cold cellar, tied up and abused. Some bastard’s hand squeezing her throat, choking the life out of her.
The thought has my chest tightening.
I did this to her.
Pressing the bottle to my lips, I tilt back and guzzle until that tightness starts to ebb away.
Then I slam the bottle down on the countertop.
Every eye turns my way. They won’t say it, but I’m sure they’re all thinking it.
That Dawg is dead because of me. Winter is held hostage because of me.
Hell, even Snake is injured because of me.
Ring. Ring.
Sinner pulls his cell phone from the inner pocket of his cut. Eyes shift my way before he hits answer and walks into the other room. Oh, hell no. Prez or not, that man is not taking a call about Winter without me.
Standing, I march into the other room. Sinner is growling, face red, and hand fisted. Not bothering with politeness, I snatch the phone from his hand and press it to my ear. “Who is this?”
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the golden boy himself.” There is no mistaking that voice. Ghost.
“What have you done with her?” I am all out of patience. Club rules? Those flew out the window the minute they involved my girl.
“Now, now, now.” What is it with this guy and repeating the same word three times?
“I mean it, Ghost. Where is she?” I’m already pacing in circles, itching to get my hands around his neck.
“Well, she’s a lot closer than you think.” What the hell does that mean?
“Define close.”
A tsk travels through the line, further irritating me. “I’ll send directions at dusk.” Then the line goes dead.
Sinner takes the phone from my unmoving hand. “What did he say?”
My head is spinning with the information, or lack thereof. How are we supposed to have the upper hand if we are reliant on their directions. If the Hollow Bones are the ones giving us a location, that means they will already have men posted long before we arrive.
What did he mean that Winter is closer than I think?
“Come on.” I follow Sinner out of the kitchen and to the chapel doors. “Church. Now.”
Everyone scrambles up from their seats and treks to the chapel. We’re all exhausted. Wolf takes his seat to the right of Sinner. I sit on the left. Chairs scrape the hardwood floors as men sit around the long oval table.
All eyes are on Sinner, expect one. Rage. He is giving me the death glare. Out of all of us, he was the closest to Dawg. The two of them grew up together. I guess he blames me for Dawg’s death. Don’t worry man, I blame myself too.
Sinner pinches bridge of his nose. Blows out a breath. “We lost one man, let’s not lose another.”
I can feel the angry energy coming off Rage.
He didn’t get that name by chance. No, this man is a walking, talking, time bomb.
It doesn’t take much to set him off. “Yeah, we lost a man.” Rage cuts his gaze back to me.
“Because you thought it’d be a good idea to put Fang in charge.
Let him play hero for his little plaything he just met. ”
His words hit me square in the stomach.
Sinner slams his palms on the table. “Watch it.”
Rage stands, jamming his finger toward me while talking to our president. “You’re the one who put him in charge. He doesn’t have the skills. All for what, some whore?”
Never in my life have I seen my uncle stand with such force it slams his chair to the ground.
With a shaking fist, he directs his anger at Rage.
“Yes, I put Fang in charge. No, he’s not developed the skills I have.
That Wolf has. That Ramon has. Hell, Ramon has skills that outranks me.
” Sinner closes his eyes and takes a breath.
“This is how we learn. This is how leaders are made. You think a surgeon has never lost a patient in their first year? We learn and grow from our mistakes.”
Rages sits back in his seat.
“Besides,” Sinner continues. “When none of the rest of us even considered there might be a bomb, Ramon did. That’s because he’s trained in that field.”
“You’re right.” Rage slumps in his chair. “You’re right.” Cutting his gaze toward me, he says, “Sorry, man.”
I nod but don’t speak. Deep down, I feel that his anger toward me is justified.
Ramon shifts in his seat, adjusting his bum leg to get comfortable. “I was there. Fang did nothing wrong. He assigned us positions. We were already on a mission to eliminate the Hollow Bones. Fang’s girl took priority, but nothing in his leadership caused what happened.”
Sinner starts laying a plan for tonight. Each of us listening attentively.
When Ghost sends us details, we’ll be ready.
Tonight, we rescue Winter.
Tonight, the Hollow Bones will be no more.