Chapter 28 #2
I keep my tone steady, letting no emotion come into it.
“Ace means everything to me. I will not spend the next couple of years fighting CPS, which I’d have to do if you reported me for some bullshit reason, or worrying about the Feds turning up at the door and cause my whole fuckin’ club trouble due to some twisted story you’ve told them.
If it wasn’t for Trixie’s soft heart, you wouldn’t be here right now.
I’d have left you where you were with the MDMC. ”
Her voice is unsteady. “Freak, I wouldn’t betray you.” She gulps and tears start to roll down her cheeks. “I promise, I wouldn’t.”
I study her for a moment. “Yes, you would. You’ve lied to me from the start.
I can’t believe anything you say to me now.
” Again I roll my head up, stare at the sky, then look back down.
Apart from my time in Delta Force when a female could be a deadly terrorist just as much as a man, I’ve never considered killing a woman.
No matter how much of a hardened soldier I am, pulling this trigger is going to be hard.
Then I think of Ace, what would he think of what I’m steeling myself up to do?
Young as he is, I obviously can’t ask for his opinion, but how could I go back and admit I’ve killed his aunt?
He hates her now, but, while I intensely dislike the idea, maybe at some point in the future, he will want to get back in touch.
And how could he, if I’ve already put her six feet under?
I’d killed his mom, how could I be responsible for killing both of the Mordrake twins? I rack my brains. It’s too dangerous to just let her go. I need to consider how I can guarantee that Ace and the club will be safe.
A moment ticks by, then another. After I’d watched her trembling turn to full body shakes as she thinks she’s about to die, and pleading sobs start, I give her a reprieve.
In a cold voice, I lay down the rules. “I’ll let you leave, but on three conditions.
One is that you leave Arizona and get as far away as possible.
Two? Forget about Ace, and the Kings. Because one thing I can fuckin’ promise is that the Kings will never forget about you.
We’ve got chapters in almost every state, and they’ll all be watching you.
One step out of line, one attempt to tell shit to anyone in authority, and you’ll be rotting in a grave before you can have a second thought.
Which leads me to the third condition. As soon as you get to a place where you’re settled, you contact me and give me the details, your address, your fuckin’ phone number.
” I pause, then add menace into my voice.
“If you don’t, I promise I’ll find you. And you won’t like it when I do. ”
Her head drops into her hands, then she looks up wiping the tears from her eyes.
As she stares into my taut face, I know she’ll see what I’ve said is the limit of my mercy.
Finally, she gives a small but decisive nod and rises to her feet.
“All, all my belongings are in a U-Haul that Candyman took to his club.”
“And that’s my problem, how?” I can’t believe the nerve of this woman.
“Go back and persuade them to help, I dare you. If you return to those fuckers, all they’ll see is an attractive woman who they can make money from.
” I roll my eyes. “Fuck knows why I’m giving you this warning, but do with it what you will. ”
Her hands twist together, and she takes a moment to think. “If, if I do what you say, will you give my address and contact details to Ace?”
I step forward, grab her hair and force her head back.
Her mouth opens wide and she lets out a frightened squeak.
“You’re not to contact Ace, not by phone, email, letter or fuckin’ carrier pigeon.
He doesn’t want any contact with you. You destroyed his trust, and that’s a hard lesson for a kid to learn.
If I hear one whisper you’re trying to get in touch, then I’ll get a message to the Kings wherever you are, and they will fuckin’ end you. ”
Tears again start to roll down her cheeks.
They don’t soften my heart, but I do consider Ace for a moment.
Whether I hate her or not, and whether he does too, she’s his flesh and blood.
In light of that I make her an offer, give her something to cling to, and, perhaps, another reason to stay silent.
“As I said, you let me have your contact details, and when Ace is eighteen, and then if, and only if, he wants, I’ll let him contact you.
But I warn you, it might take a few years longer for him to even give that thought weight. ”
When I release her, I step back and holster my weapon.
Seeing the threat has gone, she brushes the leaves and earth off her legs, then she straightens.
“I’m sorry, Freak. I played this wrong from the start.
I should have bided my time, got to know you, and trusted you.
But Candyman had poisoned my mind.” She swallows, then slowly nods her head.
“I’ll leave. I’ll stay quiet, I promise you.
But, but can you tell Ace, I’ll,” she swallows hard, “I’ll be waiting to hear from him?
” She adds hurriedly, “That’s if he wants to reach out. ”
I wave my hand in the air. Words and Winchester appear, having been watching from a distance. They’d been expecting to take away a corpse.
“Change of plan,” I tell them. “Get a prospect to take her to the airport in Tucson. Put her on a plane, I don’t care where except that it’s out of Arizona.”
There’s a look of compassion in Words’ eyes, as he raises his chin. “Sure thing, Bro. We’ll take care of her from here.” But unlike Words, Winchester’s glaring.
The fight’s gone out of me. I visibly slump as she’s taken away by my brothers. I don’t know if showing her mercy was right, or whether it will come back and bite us. Or what Prez will say when he finds out I couldn’t carry out her execution.
I don’t look back as I stumble away. Continuing to question whether I was right to leave her breathing.
She’d tried every way to be in Ace’s life, she’d been willing to prostitute herself to me to ensure it.
She was twisted, perhaps mentally ill like her twin, but she hadn’t deserved the death sentence.
If my punishment is to hate myself, I deserve it.
I should have seen through her from the start, but for some fucked up reason, I’d let her con me and worm her way into my stone-cold heart.
And I’ve got to live with the knowledge that through my misjudgement, my son barely escaped unscathed.
Her? She’s got a chance to start a new life. I just hope she deserves it.
I enter the clubhouse on autopilot and go directly to the bar. Dee/Dum serves me immediately, swapping out the beer he offers me for a triple spirit when I request it. Feeling a presence at my side, I turn to see Trixie.
Ignoring me, she leans on the bar, waving her margarita toward the prospect. “Dee, why do you and Dum dress like fuckin’ twins?” she asks.
I narrow my eyes, she’s nowhere near as tipsy as she’s pretending. I’ve seen her drunk, I can tell the difference. And Dee? How the fuck can she tell? But as he doesn’t correct her, I have to assume she’s right.
Dee snorts. “Why is it no one’s ever asked us before now?”
She wiggles that glass so hard some of her cocktail splashes onto the bar. She even hiccups. “Because we’re all freaks here?” she ponders. Then glances at me. “No offence intended.”
“None taken,” I respond automatically. Despite my dark thoughts, a corner of my mouth curls.
“You want to know?” the prospect asks. Today his t-shirt bears the slogan, I’ll be the last person to let you down.
“Duh,” she slurs. “That’s why I’m asking.”
“We’re bank robbers, only using our job as gravediggers for cover. One of us goes inside the bank, the other makes sure he’s in a public space with credible witnesses. Of course, it only works if people in that town don’t see us together.”
Her eyes widen. “Really? That’s brilliant.”
After what’s just gone down, I don’t feel like laughing, but I do snort. “He’s fuckin’ with ya.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Trixie drops the drunk act straight away. “Get me another margarita.”
Dee laughs and goes to the other end of the bar to fetch the tequila. Over his shoulder, he asks, “Why do you think we are as we are?”
Placing a finger to her chin, her brow furrows. Then she brightens. “Because one of you has a woman somewhere, but he doesn’t have the stamina to satisfy her. So you sent in the other and alternate to keep going all night.”
Returning, he places the drink in front of her. “We’d have to have identical dicks.”
“Have you?” Widened eyes show her intrigue.
“Fucked if I know,” he shrugs.
I cast a sideways glance toward her, having a sneaking suspicion that she’s come over here to keep things light as she’s got some inkling that something has fucked with my mind. When she sees me looking at her, she jerks her head toward the table in the corner that’s relatively quiet.
Then when she starts talking, I realise she wasn’t as much trying to calm my mind, as to ease her own. She’s all seriousness as she asks me, “What’s going on with Toni?”
“She’s gone.” Two simple words, but with so many connotations.
“Gone home?”
I shrug. Don’t the Bible bashers use that word for their final destination?
Trixie submits me to her scrutiny. “Is that why you look like someone’s pissed in your cornflakes?
” Then, she accuses, “You miss her. But Bullseye wouldn’t let you keep her.
” She gives a sad little shake of her head.
“I’ve been talking to Ace, he doesn’t want anything to do with her, she fucked with his mind. ”