Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Serenity
It takes everything in me to stand still as the asshole guarding the entrance pats me down. When his hand lingers a little too long between my legs, I stomp on his foot.
Of course it doesn’t faze him, at least not in a negative way.
“That’s it, baby. I like a little aggression,” he says, but at least my method distracts him long enough for his friend to open the door for me.
I step inside, hurrying in front of them, not wanting to risk more groping. When I walk into the room, I pause. My brother is nowhere to be seen. My gaze lands on the man I know as Savage. When I approach him, I take note of the name on his cut. Savage.
Maybe the Bastards are the ones who are playing me.
My focus shifts to the woman with the black eye beside him. Her hand unconsciously goes to the wig on her head.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” Savage says, drawing my attention back to him.
“I have the information you wanted.” I keep it simple. It takes longer to tell a lie than it does the truth.
He laughs, but his eyes pique with interest. “Tiff was there a year and didn’t come back with anything but a bald head. You expect me to believe Rage told you something valuable in just a few days?”
“No offense but …” I wave my hand over her. “She’s not really his type.”
Everyone in the room laughs.
“Alright, so let’s hear it.”
I glance around the room one last time, carefully scanning each face. My brother isn’t here, but my gut is telling me to hold onto my faith in the Bastards.
“The next shipment is coming through on Wednesday.”
“That’s only a week away,” he says, leaning back in his seat.
I pretend not to care whether he believes me or not and move right on to relaying directions to the old barn.
“It’s normally a decoy location,” I tell him easily, not having to lie. “But because he’s trying to get custody of his sister, they’re using it for this run. He’s not taking any chances. You guys have him spooked.”
Savage nods along as I speak which bodes well for me.
“So we’re even. My brother’s debt is paid in full,” I remind him.
His gaze roams over his men, and one of them walks over, whispering in his ear. When the man steps away, Savage levels his eyes on me. “Do you know what we do to liars?”
I wrap my arms around myself. “If my brother was here, he’d tell you I don’t lie.”
The smirk on his face makes me stand a little taller. “Let’s ask him,” he says.
Someone starts clapping behind me. “I told you fuckers my little sis would come through for us.”
The fake Savage stands as the real one steps in front of me.
His arms wrap around my torso, and even though the Bastards told me he was alive and I believed them, I’m stunned to see him. He’s wearing orange and black, the Bloody Scorpion’s colors. This means he’s the one who had Mr. Johnson killed.
He’s the one who put me in danger.
He threatened Mila.
And for that act alone, I can’t let him live.
I stumble over my words purposefully. “I … oh my god.” I place my hands on his scruffy cheeks. “You … you’re alive!” The tears come naturally.
“When I heard you hightailed it out of there, I knew you had the information we needed,” he says.
My stomach falls. He knew I’d left the Bastards. That means there is someone else giving him information. Someone close to the club.
“I was so scared of them. Once I had what I needed, I ran.”
Tiffany jumps to her feet. “Rage wouldn’t have given her any information. She’s lying!”
My brother turns on her, and it makes her flinch. Was he the one who gave her the black eye?
“Just because your worthless ass couldn’t get one drop of intel out of him doesn’t mean my baby sister couldn’t. He trusted her because she’s trustworthy.”
“Why didn’t you just ask for my help?” I pull on his arm, trying to take his attention away from her. Tiffany might be a bitch, but that doesn’t mean I want to see her get hurt.
His focus returns to me. “Because if I’d have asked, you’d have said no.” He snaps his fingers at the fake Savage, and the man instantly sheds my brother’s cut and tosses it to him.
My mouth falls open in mock surprise. “You’re … you’re the president of the club?”
He laughs, directing me toward the door. “You seem surprised your big brother’s been moving up in the world. I got me a real nice place out in the country. Mom’s going to be surprised to see you.”
Say what?
He pauses and looks over his shoulder. “Send a couple of guys over to check out the location she gave us. Make sure it’s legit.”
It doesn’t even sting that he’s double checking the information I gave him. He’d be stupid if he didn’t, but what is getting under my skin is the fact he thinks I’m going with him to see our mother.
I dig my feet into the ground. “Silas, it was nice seeing you again and I’m glad I could help out and all, but you know how I feel about Mom.”
“Come on, don’t be that way. She is our mother. Besides, I need to keep an eye on you until this deal is done. You know that.” He tugs me to my car, putting me in the passenger seat.
“No. I didn’t know that. Why do you need to keep me here?”
He leans into the car, staring down at me. “You know, you’re a lot like Dad, always thinking you’re better than us.” The door slams shut in my face, and he storms to the driver’s side.
“Silas, I don’t want to go to Mom’s,” I tell him as soon as he enters the car.
“Well, that’s too damn bad,” he says, turning the key in the ignition. He rests his hand on my seat as he backs out.
I bite my tongue and turn away, because there’s no use arguing with him.
A few miles down the road, I try to reason with him again. “I’m not like Dad. I only pulled away from you and Mom because I needed some peace.”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, sis.”
“Silas …”
“You abandoned us just like Dad did.”
My mouth falls open, because that’s not what I did.
“You think life is easy?”
“You know I don’t.”
“We’re supposed to stick together. No matter what. Family is all we got.” He reaches over and takes my hand when he sees me tearing up. “Aw, stop cryin’, sis. I’m sorry I came down on you like that, but you’ve got to get your head on straight. We need each other.”
He mistakes my emotion for one of regret, but that is not what I feel at all. I’ll never regret fighting for peace. I’ll never regret walking away from them. The only family I regret losing is the one I left behind in Cheyenne.
We pull up to a ranch-style house out in the middle of the country. There are chickens in the yard.
My brother smiles wide. “See what you’ve been missing out on.” His gaze scans the little farm he’s building for himself.
I see a lot of manly toys on the property.
Bikes, tractors, four-wheelers. You name it, he’s got it.
It looks like he’s been doing well, but I know this is all part of the illusion.
He owes the cartel money, and since he won’t be paying them, everything here will soon belong to them.
Rest assured they will come for it and everything inside.
Me included, if I don’t get out of here in time.
My mom comes out of the house as he opens his door. “Come on. Mom will be happy you’re here.”
She looks at me warily as she hugs him. “What’s she doing here?”
“I’ll leave,” I say, slipping around the back of the car to get to the driver’s side.
“She needs a place to stay. It will only be for a week or so.” He drills me with a look, stopping me in my tracks. “I’ve got plans for her after that.”
We can add letting him die to the list of things I won’t regret.
“Hi, Momma,” I say, dipping my head and kicking rocks. I’ll let him believe I’ve conceded the game to him for now, but I’m just getting started.
I’m not going to lose.