Chapter 31
Alexander
Feeling powerless is not something I’ve ever felt aside from when my sister died. It’s a feeling I could go my whole life without feeling, but right now that’s all I feel as I watch Nexus lower his own sister to the floor and begin peeling her pants down her legs. Blood coats both her thighs. The sight pains me, my anger has vanished, replaced by utter fear. I’m not in control and there isn’t a fucking thing I can do to save the girl I’ve fallen in love with. Tatum was my second chance. She begged me to let this go and I ignored her plea. I thought avenging my sister would give me the closure I craved but I was wrong, all I have done is put the people I love in danger.
I have a reputation as a cold, heartless killer, yet here I am chained like a dog with no power.
“Bambi?” I whisper as that cock sucker Calvin draws nearer to her and smirks down at my girl. When he pops the button on his pants, I see red. “I’ll rip your throat out, then I’ll go after every single person in your family, women and children included. I’ll make sure my face is the last thing they will ever see before I send them all to hell,” I decree. Desire snarls when the sound of gunshots gets closer. She drops to her knees beside Tatum, then looks up at me with an evil grin.
“How does it feel to know you lost both times? First your sister and now this whore. I warned you not to leave me, Lex.” When she raises the blade I panic.
“Desire, stop. Don’t fucking do this!” I plead. Her brothers all begin screaming and pleading for her to stop, but her focus is on me.
“Too late, I’ll see you soon, baby,” she says, then rams the blade into Tatum’s chest. A pain filled roar rips out of me. I yank as hard as I can against my cuffs, ignoring the searing pain in my abdomen. I feel the cuffs biting into my flesh but the pain barely registers as the need to get to Tatum overshadows everything. Desire, Calvin and the rest of her pathetic excuse of men flee. Wrath turns to Halo and tosses him a key before the twins follow after their sister. Halo makes quick work unlocking the cell door. He rushes to Tate’s side while Vatican and Pope come to help me down. Screams and shouts can be heard above us, but none of that matters to me, all I can focus on is getting to my girl. When they finally get me down, I crumble to the floor like a sack of shit. Vatican manages to catch me at the last second before I face plant and lodge the blade in further.
“Get them down,” I demand, then crawl toward Tatum where Halo is applying pressure to her wound. When I’m close enough I reach for the knife, but Halo grips my wrist and shoots me a look.
“You know better than anyone if you remove that blade she’ll die within seconds.” His words penetrate the haze. I ignore my own wounds and gather her in my arms—she’s dead weight. Her eyes are open and tears leak from the corners. I know she can feel and hear everything going on around her but she can’t move or do a damn thing.
This is how Ellie felt.
I push thoughts of my sister away as I stare down at her. Her skin is pale and her eyes are unfocused as I cup her face in my trembling hand. A lump lodges in my throat and I feel tears forming in my eyes.
“Find something you can hold onto, baby,” I whisper. “I can’t lose you, Tatum, please… please don’t fucking give up. Fight, baby, and stay with me,” I beg her, tears flowing quicker down her cheeks.
“Alex, we need to move.” I ignore Carnage. “We have no idea who the fuck is up there.” When we hear footsteps, we all look up to see four masked men enter the room. My face blanks at the sight of the Filthy Few, all four of them have their gazes focused on the girl in my arms.
“The Vatel family have the upper hand, your men have all the exits blocked. They have Nexus and the bitch but we need to get her out of here now.” I have no idea which one of them spoke, but it's the one with two horns on his mask that moves toward me. When he reaches for Tatum, I snake my arm out and grip his throat.
“Touch her and I’ll snap your fucking neck,” I seethe.
“You can’t carry her with that knife hanging out of your gut. Let me help you because if she dies, my girl will kill me.”
“Alex, he’s right. We need to move because we’re wasting time here!” Pope snaps.
“She doesn’t have much time,” Vat implores. He pushes the masked fucker out of the way and gathers Tate into his arms. I grip his shirt and force him to look at me. “I know what she means to you, brother, she means something to all of us now. Let me help her.” I drop my gaze to Tate who is now as pale as a ghost.
“I’ll search a thousand worlds for you and live a hundred lifetimes trying to find you,” I whisper, then release Vat. He turns and races out of the room, with Pope and Halo right behind him.
“Come on, she asked us to get the three of you out of here and I plan on keeping my word,” the one with the right horn says. Carnage and Omen both look like shit. No horns and left horn come to me and help me to my feet, left horn throws my arm over his shoulders and helps me out of the room.
“How the fuck did the Vatel family get involved in this shit?” Omen mutters as we climb the stairs.
“All we know is Tate made a deal, your life for the city or some shit like that,” two horns answers. We pause at the top of the stairs where we can still hear shouting.
“We’re unarmed,” I grit out.
“You don’t need it, your men and the Vatel family have the cops and all the De Santis men barricaded in the main courtroom. You won, Butcher,” no horns says.
“I didn’t win shit,” I snarl. I feel my strength waning and know I’m minutes away from passing out from blood loss.
“Let’s get you three to the hospital,” right horn says.
“You make sure Nexus and Desire are alive?—”
Two horns cuts me off before I can finish. “You have my word, they will both be waiting for you when you are released from the hospital and so will their men. A favor asked is a debt owed, Butcher. Our debt to you for saving my sister is now repaid.”
* * *
Seven days…
That’s how long I have been sitting by her bed, holding her hand, praying that she’ll wake up and focus those big blue eyes on me. Seven fucking days of being in this room listening to the constant beeping of machines. Car, Pope, Vat, Omen and Halo have been here with me since I got out of surgery. The doctors tried to force me to stay in a separate room, but quickly changed their minds when I strangled the fucker. Vivian managed to smooth things over with them so they didn’t kick me out after I threatened to kill them if they didn’t take me to my girl.
Viv, Nova and their guys have been here every day as well. I loathe to admit it, but I’m in those masked fuckers debt for saving us. They were right when they said our guys and the Vatel family had cornered Desire’s crew. Lives were lost on both sides but in the end, the Vatel family came out the winners.
It doesn’t feel like a win. I lost that day.
I’m pulled from my thoughts when a nurse enters the room. The five guys all stand straight and wait for any news, I know there won’t be any.
“How you feeling today, sweetie?” the nurse asks Tate. None of the staff speak to me or the guys, it’s clear they think we’re nothing but trouble and they’re probably right, but I don’t give a fuck. As soon as she’s better, we’ll be out of here. The nurse checks her machines and looks Tate over. I wait for her to leave but to my surprise she stops at the end of the bed and turns back to face me. I meet her judgmental glare with one of my own. “That girl is lucky to be alive. An inch closer and that blade would have nicked her artery and killed her. She deserves better.” My face slackens. “If you ask me, the best thing you could do for her is to stay away but what would I know.” I say nothing as she stalks out of the room.
Everything she just said is shit I’ve been mulling over for days. I know she’s in this bed fighting for her life because I couldn’t stay away. I never thought I would fall in love with the girl I was stalking for months but here I am. I still haven’t met with CJ Vatel or even dealt with Desire and Nexus. I know they are being held at one of CJ's warehouses, but I haven’t had the heart to leave her bedside. She’s in here because of me.
“I warned her,” I grit out. “I knew if I claimed her it would kill her.”
“Butch, you didn’t do this—” I snap my head to the side to glare at Omen.
“Don’t give me that shit,” I growl. “We all know that this life we have chosen takes everything from us. I was a fucking idiot to think otherwise.” My hold on her hand tightens as I stand and lean forward to place a kiss on her forehead. I draw back and rest my head on hers, closing my eyes and breathing her in for the last time. “Loving you gave me the freedom I never thought I would ever get. I love you so much. I never thought I would ever feel this way about anyone, but with you, I never had a choice. Loving you was the easiest thing I have ever done in my life. Thank you for saving me, Bambi,” I whisper. I pull back and release her hand, then face my guys. All five of them stare at me with varying looks. I ignore all of them because no matter what they say, I won’t change my mind. I know she is better off without me. Loving my sister is what got her killed and me loving Tate, that’s what nearly got her killed too.
I won’t lose someone else I love.
“Let’s go. I have a meeting to attend, her brother to kill and your sister to destroy.”
* * *
Sitting across the table from Carlito Vatel Jr. three days after leaving Tatum is not something I thought I would be doing in this lifetime. I had nothing to do with his father's death and he knows that. What I am curious about though is why he wanted to meet with me. I had nothing to do with him being involved in this shit with Desire, yet he thinks he can sit there and tell me I have no choice but to meet with him first before he hands over those blood bags I plan to drain, while I relish in their screams as I tear them apart for trying to take my girl from me.
I look around the small coffee shop he chose on the outskirts of town and fight not to roll my eyes. He has his men disguised as customers occupying tables, trying to act normal but they’re failing miserably. Rather than draw this bullshit meeting out I break the silence.
“How about we cut the bullshit and you either send your men away or tell them to stop their bullshit conversations so we don’t have to raise our voices.” Laughter erupts from CJ. I don’t need to see my brother's faces to know the five of them are rolling their eyes behind me. Falcon–CJ’s second whistles and soon after the cafe falls silent, even the staff give up the act and head into the back.
“What gave them away?” CJ asks with genuine curiosity in his tone.
I release an annoyed sigh. “They’re stiff, the bulge of their guns. They keep darting their eyes around the place, the combat boots, should I go on or do you get the picture?” CJ stares at me like I’ve just answered the most complex question.
“You’re so much more than the rumors led me to believe, Alex.”
I scoff. “We’re not friends, let’s not sit here and act like we are because we’ll never be. Where the fuck are you holding those cunts?” My tone is filled with malice. The guy seated to my left shifts, but doesn’t even get to move more than an inch before Omen has his gun drawn and aimed at his head.
“Try it, motherfucker, and I’ll blow your fucking brains out,” Omen snarls.
Falcon spears the bastard with a look that promises reprimand. “Get the fuck out, you don’t make a move unless I say.” The guy stands and that’s when I realize he can’t be much older than Tate. He stalks out of the cafe and slams the door closed behind himself. “I apologize for my son, he’s young and too fucking eager.” I nod because I have nothing to say, son or not if he tries anything I’ll kill him before he can bust a nut.
“I was told that I would be dealing with Miss Lawson.” CJ mentioning Tate has my blood boiling and my fists clenching beneath the table. I take a deep breath and force myself to relax. I've only ever had one trigger and I learned to master control of that, but now it seems Tatum is another and I’ll have to learn how to control my urge to murder any motherfucker that mentions her name.
“Well, you’re dealing with me, not her.” CJ smiles and it grates on my fucking nerves because he looks smug as fuck about my answer.
“She said you would say that.” I turn rigid.
“The fuck does that mean, Vatel?” Omen snaps. Out of all of my brothers, Omen is the one who is closest to Tate. How she was able to manage to get close to him is a mystery to me. Omen has steered clear of all females since Rosalina abused him.
CJ doesn’t falter. “I spoke with her last night.”
My face slackens. “She’s awake?” I breathe out unintentionally. I told Halo to stop tracking her and for the others not to keep tabs on her. In order for her to be truly safe from my enemies she needs to be nothing to me and the only way I can think of to do that is to act like she never existed. It’s the cruelest form of punishment to not only her but to myself as well. Tatum Lawson is venom in my veins. She’s a plague that haunts my every waking thought. For someone as small as her, she has taken up every ounce of space inside me, there isn't a crack or crevice she doesn’t own within me.
CJ nods. “She is and at the risk of pissing off the infamous Butcher, she’s pretty fucking mad at you.” I grind my teeth and breathe through my nose, trying to tame the anger unfurling inside me. CJ is young and has much to learn—he’s only twenty-two and still thinks like a child. If he has any hopes of taking over Chicago, he better harden the fuck up.
“Pissing me off is the least of your worries. Tatum’s anger rivals my own so I’d be very fucking cautious of pissing her off. She tends to throw things when she’s mad.”
CJ laughs and nods, and I fight against every instinct that tells me to leap across this table and smash his fucking smug face in. “She mentioned that as well.”
“Just how fucking friendly are you with Tate?” Omen hisses.
CJ crosses his arms over his chest and all trace of humor vanishes from his face, a hard look enters his eyes. “I respect her,” he says in a tone filled with malice. “Tatum Lawson is a good, honest woman and someone I consider a friend.”
“Yeah, well, she’s family to us,” Halo bites out.
“Can we get back to fucking business or are we going to sit here all day measuring how big our cocks are?” I snarl, then slam my hand down on top of the table.
“I made a deal with Tatum and I want to make sure you will honor that deal. I may respect her and consider her a friend of mine, but you and I both know that business and personal life should never mix. I want your word that you will honor the terms I agreed to with Tatum.”
“What were her terms?” I grit out, hating that I'm on the back foot. I’m still mad as hell that my brothers let her meet with the fucking don of the Vatel family. Tate has no business getting mixed up in my fucked up world. She’s too pure and perfect to be dragged into the darkness that I live in. The shadows are my friends, they have offered me comfort for years since I lost Ellie. Tatum is a bright light and chased those shadows from my life for a brief moment and for that, I will always be forever grateful to the blonde-haired goddess.
CJ runs his gaze over the five brothers behind me before finally settling his gaze on me. “The deal is that no member of the De Santis family will remain in Chicago. They will never come after my family and we are able to take over all their operations.”
I narrow my eyes and lean forward placing my elbows on the table. “Bullshit. Tatum wouldn’t have handed you everything and left them with nothing.”
CJ smirks. “It was worth a try,” he jokes but it falls flat, none of us are in a joking mood and all he is doing is pissing me the fuck off. “The operations you don’t want for the Denver Kings will be signed over to me.”
“You will?—”
He cuts me off before I can finish. “Before you even mention it, Tatum has already told me that the supply and demand for narcotics is one you will never want and I have assured her that any product I distribute will be tested and clean. I don’t deal in GHB, never have and never fucking will. You have my word on that, Butcher.”
Pride swells inside me. “We want the guns and a twenty percent cut in all the revenues that the hotels turnover?—”
Again this motherfucker cuts me off. “I can do fifteen percent. I already agreed to give Tate five percent for her helping me and I won’t renegotiate on that.” We spend another half hour hashing out the details. CJ will have a contract drafted and sent to Terry–my lawyer—to read over. “They are being held in the basement beneath us.” I frown and he shrugs. “I thought it was easier to bring them to you as a show of good faith.”
“Where are my brothers?” Pope asks.
CJ shakes his head. “I have no idea, we scooped up the shit stain and the bitch before they could flee out the back, but it was only the two of them. I’m assuming from the angry look on your face that if the twins are spotted you want them?”
“You and your men don’t fucking touch them. If you spot them you call us and we’ll deal with it,” Carnage growls.
“If they’re in my city we’ll find them, you have my word,” CJ replies.
“Don’t fuck this up or fuck her over,” I warn.
“You gonna beat me up if I do?” CJ jokes.
“No. I’ll come back here and strap your ass to my table and give you a front row seat to how I earned the name Butcher.”