Chapter 33 #2
“There’s nothing left of the tattoo, Pix. No blemish, no feeling of scarring.”
“We need to find Guerilla and kill him,” she says matter-of-factly.
As much as I dreamed of doing just that, I want him alive to witness that Leeva is no longer his. That she’s mine and always has been.
Pix shakes her head as if reading my thoughts. “You haven’t been around the clubhouse much lately. Something’s going on with the old guard. They’re not obvious about it, except, of course, for Razor, because it’s clear he hates our guts, but I can sense it.”
“Because of what happened with Grinder.”
“Yeah, but it’s more than that. Ever since everything went down with Slade, mutiny is brewing within the old guard, and I know Thunder and Razor are secretly fanning it.”
The MC had come under attack with the threat against Slade, and I can see how the old guard—who are itching to take their power back—would use that to their advantage. Add in what the Council was forced to do regarding Grinder…
Frustration tightens her face. “If only Ash would let me handle Razor and Thunder. They’re rot, and they need to be cut out.”
Have I mentioned my sister has a bloodthirsty little demon in her? She might look like a delicate pixie, but her motto is stab first, ask questions never.
She has excellent gut instincts and is a wicked enforcer. However, she has no patience for diplomacy or the politics that Ash, as leader, must navigate. War is costly, and a war within the MC, besides the obvious downsides, would weaken us and give our enemies an opportunity to strike.
“You need to confess your sins to Ash,” she warns.
“I know.” I sigh. “But I got Leeva back, Pix. I won’t be walking away from her. I can’t.”
“Then we need to kill Guerilla,” she repeats with conviction.
With Pix, she’s all-in when it comes to her family and protecting them, and I love her all the more for it.
“That way, it removes the gray area because the law includes that caveat: if the brother dies, then so does the forbidden territory piece.”
“And you don’t think Razor and Thunder won’t still try to stir shit up if Guerilla dies and then it comes out that Leeva is back and is with me?”
“And we’re full circle, right back to getting rid of them,” she drawls, exasperated. “My way makes this much simpler and faster. So, help me convince Ash to give me the green light to take all three out. Razor, Thunder, and Guerilla no longer breathing will do the world a favor.”
Before I can reply, there’s a knock on my door, and Liam sticks his head in.
“What do you need, Liam?”
“There’s a woman insisting on seeing you. She’s starting to cause a scene because we won’t let her come up here.”
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know her name, but she’s a redhead.”
Fucking hell. Anais.
“I’ll be right down,” I grit with annoyance.
“You want us to put her in one of the private rooms?” he asks, as that’s what I usually do to meet with clients for business purposes. “The Water Room is open.”
“No, the bar will do.” I stand from my chair, and Liam leaves.
Pix cranes her neck to look up at me. “Who’s the redhead?”
“A pain in my ass.”
“Well, you know my favorite way of dealing with problems…” She pats the left side of her cut where she keeps her favorite knife. “And I could use some fun since Ash has me on a leash.”
I laugh. “Hardly.”
She grins as she stands. “It’s good to hear you laugh, and because of that, Leeva has my vote and protection. If you need me to remove the Guerilla part of the problem, you know where to find me.”
We walk out of my office and go down the stairs. At the bottom, I catch Pix’s arm. “Go easy on Digits.”
Her face is a mask, unreadable. “I’ll consider it.” Then she jerks her chin toward the main part of the club. “Go deal with that, then get your ass over to the clubhouse to talk to Ash.”
She stalks toward the door without waiting for me to agree.
Pushing that dreaded item on my to-do list aside, I head toward the bar.
Unlike seedy dives with neon lights and sticky floors, our place is sleek and elegant, done in deep, rich colors, with leather booths and marble-topped tables.
A long, curved stage stretches like a catwalk, the poles gleaming like liquid silver.
Tiered seating rings the room, keeping the stage as the focal point, while private suites line the back.
The bass of the music thumps deep in my chest as I walk toward the bar.
Stitch is working behind it, the backlit shelves filled with top-end liquor glowing behind him.
Perched on a stool, surveying that room like she owns it, is Anais.
She’s wearing a form-fitting green dress and recrosses her legs as I approach, a catlike smile curling her lips.
“I like this place.” She glances around again before turning back to me. “Why haven’t you brought me here?”
“Because we only casually fucked at Hedon,” I say, reminding her that what we had in the past was nothing more than that.
Her face pinches, then she smiles coyly, dragging her nail down my cut. “You look killer in a suit, but dressed like this—like a hot biker—you’re deadly.”
“You have no idea.”
Her smile falters at my cold warning, and she pulls her hand away.
“What do you want, Anais?”
“Buy me a drink?”
“No.”
Her lips press together before she huffs. “I just want to talk.”
“So talk.”
She scans the room full of people and the woman on stage, performing impressive feats of strength and flexibility as she wraps her body around the pole. Turning back to me, she says, “I was hoping for some privacy.”
“You have ten seconds, then Blaze is escorting you out.”
“What’s gotten into you?” Her eyes narrow. “Your current fucktoy will be jealous that you’re just talking to me?” She sneers. “Imagine, then, how she’ll take it when we fuck.”
My teeth grind. “Not happening. We’re finished.”
Shock coats her face. “Finished?” She shakes her head. “One woman could never be enough for you, Army. That’s why I never pressured you for exclusivity all these years.”
“You would’ve never gotten it from me either way. You were a casual fuck,” I say as bluntly as possible. “And it’s over.”
Anger replaces her shock. “No goddamn way.”
I hike my brow, staring down at her. “In what universe do you think you control me?”
She bites her lip, and tears flood her eyes. “We’ve had a lot of years together, Army. I was your first. You can’t just walk away from me.”
“We fucked, Anais. Periodically over the years. That’s it. It was never more.”
“It was to me.”
“I’ve always been open with you about what this was. This was not a relationship, and you always knew what my boundaries and hard limits were.”
Tears spill onto her cheeks. “Have you kissed her?”
I remain silent, not feeling the need to answer, which is an answer in itself.
“Who is she?”
“That isn’t your concern.” She places her hand on my chest, slipping it under my cut.
I quickly grip her wrist and remove her hand from me.
“It’s time you left, Anais. And drop the bullshit at Hedon; if you cause more trouble there, I’ll ensure that Riveria not only puts your membership on probation, but cancels it altogether. ”
“You think you have that power?” Her eyes narrow into slits. “You have no power there, not if you’re no longer fucking Riveria since you’ve gone insane, declaring monogamy with this unknown little bitch.”
My body stiffens, ready to attack for someone insulting Leeva. I breathe through my nose, calming myself.
“Riveria knows where she stands with me, and it’s none of your concern.” She doesn’t have to know that my ‘extra benefits’ at the club are because I’m the boss, not because I’m fucking Riveria. As long as Leeva knows the rumor is bullshit, then I don’t give a damn. “Now it’s time you left.”
She stands from the stool, wiping her face and smoothing her dress. “You’ll regret this, Army.”
Then she turns on her heel and struts away.
I watch her leave the club, ensuring she doesn’t linger or cause any trouble.
Unease settles in my gut. I don’t regret what I said or the ties I cut with Anais, but something tells me this won’t be the last from her.
Urgent need to get to Leeva flickers through me like a livewire. I want to get back to her immediately. But before I do, I need to reveal my sins to Ash.