Chapter 2
TWO
DECLAN
“So what?” Tanner breaks the silence that filled the room the moment Rome dropped his bomb of truth on the middle of the table. My mind reels, trying to catch up as he continues. “We’ve already taken down one Pelosi. What's to say we can’t do it again? Without your help.”
I feel my fingers shake as I grab the pile of photos in the center of the table. Thumbing through them numbly, I hear my twin's laughter as if Tanner’s question was asked by a naive child.
“What you took down was the weakest of the plague we call the Pelosis. Taking him down was child's play compared to what it will take to snag his older brother.” He leans forward, lowering his voice to a deathly calm. “Matteo is another beast altogether. He’s deathly skilled, sneaky, kills without a second thought, and is always three steps ahead of his enemy. Take it from someone who has experience dealing with him.” His jaw clenches before looking away from Tanner. “You’ll never see him coming. I’ve lost countless good men because of him.”
“Good” men is a stretch.
I look through the photos slowly, praying he’s wrong and Matteo was just overlooked. I don’t really know what I expect to see in the photos. I’ve never met the man, so I wouldn’t even know who he was in a lineup. In fact, I don’t even think I know anyone who has seen him in person. Growing up, he was a legend, much like the monster under your bed. He was a bloody story told to keep us away from Pelosi territory. More wrathful than God and scarier than any beast lurking in your closet. I honestly don’t know if Rome even knows what he looks like.
When we first dove into the deal with Antonio, we were led to believe that the entire Pelosi family had severed ties with the youngest boy. But if what Romeo says is true, we are truly in for a shit show.
I shove the photos away from me as if they burned me, and Owen grabs them next. His brows furrow, causing a prominent crease between his eyes as he looks over the photographic evidence depicting our expiration date.
“He’s just as crafty as he is maniacal. He’s known for his long cons and the games he plays with his prey. He’ll make his threat known just to back off, making you believe you’re safe while he digs your graves in the background.” Rome’s voice is hushed as if he speaks of the boogeyman. His deep tone conveying the overall feeling of ruin descending upon us. “We all know he’s made his presence known already,” he says, and my mind flashes to the day Sofee’s house was burned to the ground.
We’d just finished the job that took Antonio down. The feds arrived and saved the day only to try and take the MC down along with Pelosi. It was only thanks to Liam's distrust of Agent Bryce Verango that we were all able to walk away unscathed. Well, most of us anyway.
I still remember the ice-cold fingers of fear gripping my spine as Antonio taunted Liam with his contingency plan.
“Have you heard from your sister lately? What was her name? Sofee?” He drags out each syllable in her name, the sound making my blood run cold. “You might want to check on her.” I take off at a sprint toward my bike, his words still taunting me at my back.
“The last time my man saw her, she was screaming as her house burned down around her.”
Those words will forever be ingrained in my memory. As will the utter fear I felt as I raced to get to her. To this day, I will never understand how I got to her as fast as I did. It was as if I blacked out, and when I came to, I had just trashed my old bike and was barreling into that burning house with only one thought.
Find her.
The burn scar on my forearm tingles as if it too recalls that day. But the pain I felt as my flesh was burning was nothing compared to the suffocating horror that Sofee may have already been lost to the blazing inferno that was once the home she took so much pride in.
And when I heard her screaming my name from outside the house, I nearly fell to my knees. The sheer relief I felt when I saw her standing on her front lawn was enough to make me forget all about my arm and thank the universe that she was safe, even if the feeling was short-lived.
“And we know he’s still here. He always stays around to watch his mayhem unfold, gets off on witnessing the suffering.” Rome is the one talking, but I swear I can still hear Sofee’s panicked voice echoing in the not-so-distant past.
“I went to the window.” Her eyes are filled with fear as her home burns in the background, making me want to do nothing more than pull her into my arms and offer my comfort. “I tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. It was like someone had sealed it while I slept. And that’s when I saw a man.”
Her words still haunt me, eliciting images of a dark figure watching her burn to death.
“I couldn’t make out his face. He was wearing all black though. Black suit, black tie, shoes, and hat. I thought the Grim Reaper had come for me.” Her voice trembles.
I can see the man she describes, leaning against his black car with a wicked grin forming on his lips. I can’t see the rest of his features that make up his face, but I know without seeing them that his eyes are filled with a dark glee.
“I pounded on the window for help. Screamed at the man until my voice was hoarse, and all I could do was cough as the smoke continued to fill the room.”
I try to blink away the image of the man waiting for Sofee to die. Try to focus on anything else to pull myself out of the devastating memory.
“He saw me, heard me screaming for help, and then just left. Who the fuck does that?”
An evil man, but not just any evil man. After hearing Rome’s story and recalling the day Sofee’s house burned down, I’m convinced it was the work of Matteo. The story may have been that he washed his hands of Antonio after Demetry’s death, but the evidence sitting in the middle of the table paints a different picture altogether.
“His game is a long one. He’ll bait his prey, make them come to him before he strikes. And he always strikes true,” Rome says as his eyes land on me once again. The invisible tug of recognition zaps between us. Call it clairvoyance or that mythical twin bond, but that one look tells me everything I need to know. Romeo is serious, and also a little afraid, though he’ll never admit it.
“Pft,” Coop scoffs as if my brother's words should be taken lightly. “Sounds like yet another asshole in the long line of assholes who would love to watch the world crumble around him. I think we can take care of one little Pelosi.”
“You shouldn’t take his threat so lightly,” Rome says as he finally drags his penetrating stare away from me. He moves his gaze to Liam and cocks his head. “You think burning down your sister's house was the end?” he says forebodingly. “This is just the beginning.”
“How did you know about that?” Liam is practically vibrating with rage as he stares at my twin.
Rome smirks, despite the situation. “My reach is not so small, Mr. Santos. And I’m not an idiot.”
“Debatable,” Hayden mumbles under his breath, but all of us still hear him.
The steady tick in Romeo’s jaw is the only indication that Ken’s insult got under his skin. He faces him as he speaks. “It doesn’t take a fucking genius to put it all together. The same day baby Pelosi is nabbed by the feds, a seemingly innocent girl's house spontaneously burns down. A girl who happens to be directly related to one of the members of the MC who helped remove him from the playing board,” he deadpans and then rolls his eyes in an immature display. “Oh yeah, that was a stumper.”
“Then why hasn’t he done anything else?” Owen asks as he tosses the photos back toward my brother. “It’s been months, what’s he waiting for?”
Rome picks up the photos one by one, stacking them neatly in front of him. His gaze lingers on the photo of the only female Pelosi briefly before leaving them lying on the table in front of him.
“For you to feel as though there is no threat. He’s waiting until you can rest your head upon your pillow at night and not be plagued with thoughts of retribution. He wants you to think there is no worry to be had. And when you finally allow yourself that thin sliver of peace, that slice of happiness you’ve deprived yourself of, that's when he’ll strike. That’s when he will make this insignificant little shithole a pile of burnt fucking rubble for you all to rot under.”
His words hang heavily in the air, floating over our heads like a vision waiting to come to fruition. Everyone is silent as they stare at my twin, as if they can’t tell if he’s bluffing, to see if he’s spewing lies for some sort of personal vendetta.
“He’s right,” I say finally, my voice raspy from not using it all morning. I’ve sat quietly for long enough. “As much as I hate to admit it,” I flick my gaze toward Rome to see a small grin playing on his lips. I turn my back to him quickly, facing my leader and president. “My brother is telling the truth.”
Inhaling a calculated breath, I eye the remaining men I consider to be my family. “Stories of Matteo’s wrath were idle threats told as chilling legends. Most of the time they keep him in the shadows; not many people have ever even seen him. I’ve never seen him. But I have seen the aftermath of when he gets involved, and it’s not pretty. Man, woman, child… it doesn’t matter to him. Hell, it was a well-known rumor that he may have been involved in the murder of his own mother. He's a sociopath who has no remorse for killing. He is simply a weapon disguised as a man, and he’ll stop at nothing until his revenge becomes a reality.”
My throat feels raw, but not as ravaged as my mind. Now that we know who we're dealing with, the reality of the situation weighs heavily on me. Matteo has already chosen his victim, selecting her months ago. He has been patiently waiting for us to lower our guard before striking.
The idea of protecting Sofee even more intensively than we already do makes me want to send my fist through the table. But, the thought of something happening to her fills me with a murderous rage. Just the thought of it makes me want to plead death for sweet relief.
“And just what do you get out of all this?” Every eye in the room lands on Ace as he voices his quiet question. This is the first time he’s spoken since entering the MC room. His dark gaze locks with Romeo's as he speaks. “What do you gain by helping us?”
For some unknown reason, Rome smiles at the quiet assassin in our midst. “Make no mistake, Mr. Donovan,” he grins as he leans to the side and retrieves a thick yellow envelope from his back pocket. He glances between Ace and the package before tossing it onto the table, causing multiple hundred-dollar bills to spill out onto the club symbol. “I’m not only willing to help you; I'm now a paying customer. I simply wish to hire a company that will rid the world of one more Pelosi, and… Well, I also get to save my little brother from certain disaster. Do I need more reasons to offer my assistance?”
“As if you’ve ever done anything to save him.” Liam’s snarled response is immediate and reminds me why he’s my best friend.
Rome’s eyes flare as a deep flush crawls up his throat, highlighting the golden crest that lays there. His jaw clenches so hard I hear his teeth grinding together. “You have no fucking idea what I’ve done for my brother.”
“Jesus Christ, put your fucking dicks away. I'm done with this goddamn pissin’ match,” Owen interjects as he stands from his seat. This meeting is just as well as over in his eyes. He demonstrates his bravery by narrowing his light green eyes and pointing a stern finger at the leader of the Morellis. “You’ll tell us what you want right feckin’ now or you’ll get your arse out of my house.”
I have to hand it to Rome, he doesn’t back down from the imposing force that is Owen McGregor as he stands too. He grabs his jacket from the back of his chair and smoothly slides it on. He’s silent as he fixes his shiny cufflinks before gripping the pile of pictures. I don’t miss the flare of his nostrils as he eyes the pretty female one more time before shoving the black and white photos into his pocket again.
“The Pelosis have something I want, and I intend to get it,” he says simply, as he straightens the lapels of his jacket. In no time at all, he's back to the overly polished Don who walked through that door just an hour before. “You help me take out Matteo, and I’ll take care of the rest of the family. You’ll never have to worry about any of the Pelosis ever again after I’m done with them.”
One by one, we all stand from our seats and face the outsider. We may share a past, as well as the same face, but make no mistake, he is and always will be an outsider. And we never trust new people.
“I trust that you have my number?” Rome asks Owen pointedly, to which he nods. “I’ll anxiously await— Oh, what do we have here?”
Just when I think this meeting will finally be finished and I get to leave my past where it belongs, movement in the bar catches his attention. Although the meeting room door is closed, we can still see everything that happens out there through the one-way mirror that connects this room to the area behind the bar.
He cocks his head to the side, and I find myself mirroring his movements as I gaze towards the bar. Sofee .
My breath catches in my chest as she appears just on the other side of the L-shaped bar. She places her heavy backpack on the polished wood and rummages through it. I find myself enticed by watching her take various items out of the bag and lay them on the bar, searching for something.
She’s dressed for work in maroon-colored scrubs today. The soft fabric clings to her curves as if the outfit was tailored just for her. The ribbed, stretchy fabric hugs her ample tits, contouring the heavy globes that would fit perfectly in my hands. My gaze follows the short line of her torso down to the flare of her hips. The bar hinders my view beyond the curve of her ribs, but I know from memory how well her juicy ass fills out those scrubs, so well it should be a fucking crime.
For the millionth time since she moved into the clubhouse, my cock strains behind my jeans, begging for me to come closer to the object of its affection.
I watch as she finally finds what she’s looking for and pulls her short obsidian ringlets back from her face. She gathers the thick mess of curls and, with practiced fingers, pulls a black hair tie around the mass. She secures the locks away from her face, tantalizing me with the golden flesh of her delicate neck that I’d like to sink my teeth into. My hand itches with the need to wrap around her throat and squeeze. I want to bend her to my will, move her as I please, as I plunge my tongue past her eager lips.
“Isn’t this a treat?” Rome’s voice cuts through the lust fogging my brain, and I snap my stare in his direction. I barely restrain my snarl of indignation as I watch my twin gobble up the sight of the curvy Latina in the next room. “Maybe I’ll introduce myself to little Miss Sofee .” The way he purrs her name has me wanting to launch myself at him.
“It will be the last fucking thing you do,” I bite out as I step closer to him. Sensing the dark threat I pose, he pulls his gaze away from Sofee and looks back toward me. He eyes me with a small grin playing on his lips before glancing between her and me again, making me realize I may have revealed more information with that one statement than I should have.
I know I’m toeing a line I shouldn’t. I’m trying to make it seem as though my protection of Sofee is just me looking out for my best friend's little sister. Playing it off as if my protectiveness is nothing more than an extension of Liam’s. But I recognize the moment Rome sees right through my bullshit posturing.
He openly grins at me now as he shoves his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “My brother always did like the voluptuous ones,” he murmurs so quietly I’m not sure I actually heard his words.
I glance toward Liam to see if he picked up on his innuendo, but it seems he’s too focused on what his sister is doing to care. I look over and see she’s back to digging in her bag, confusion marring her brow.
“Shit, I didn’t think she had a shift tonight,” Liam murmurs before looking toward Tanner. “Did Max get that bug installed?” he asks quickly.
The ginger nods. “Last night, but I don’t think she put it back in her bag. I saw her handing it to Tatum.”
What Tanner is referring to is Sofee’s new hospital badge. Since we’ve been shadowing her, we’ve realized exactly how challenging it is to keep tabs on someone who is completely unaware of the fact that they have a bodyguard. It’s not like any of us can just walk into the hospital and follow her around. We needed a way to keep track of her without physically being in the same room. So, Max came up with an idea.
Maxine Cunning is probably one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. Give her a computer with a decent Wi-Fi connection, and that woman can hack into the fucking Pentagon if you asked her. Everything from accessing security feeds to installing undetectable spyware, if we need eyes and ears somewhere seemingly impossible, she’s our go-to.
Is it morally wrong and a huge invasion of privacy to put a small listening device in Sofee’s hospital name tag? Yes . Did any of us bat an eye when the idea was thrown on the table? Absolutely fucking not.
If the alternative for Sofee is certain death, then not a single one of us could give a shit less about personal boundaries and trivial things such as HIPAA.
“Fuck,” Li murmurs as he jogs toward the door. We all watch as he slips out and goes to his sister, seemingly coming up with a smooth lie as to why she can't find her name badge. I watch as the little brat rolls her eyes at her big brother and says something I can’t hear. And even though the sound of her voice eludes me, I know from experience that her words have a sharpness that carries a tinge of venom. A fact that infuriates me as much as it turns me on.
Apparently, I’m a complicated man.
When Li steps out of sight and Sofee follows, I release a pent-up breath. The last thing I want is for her to meet my brother. I frown at the thought. Why does it bother me to have her know I have a twin included in my dark past? Would she look at me differently if she knew my truth?
I shake my head to clear the questions bouncing around in there. It doesn't matter how she looks at me. For all I know, she already sees me as nothing more than a deceitful criminal she wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. I should introduce her to Rome just to ensure she stays the fuck away from me.
So, why does the thought of her knowing the sordid details of my darkened past make me want to guard my secrets more fiercely?
“We should all get out of here before they come back. Don’t need her cluing into anything now.” Owen’s deep voice jolts me back to attention.
Murmurs ensue as my MC brothers slowly file out of the room until it’s just Rome and me left alone. Neither of us says a word as we look at each other, neither willing to be the first one to speak.
Together, we take a step toward the door and then another until we're both standing at the threshold. I wait for him to step out first, but he seems rooted in place. When I finally muster the courage to look up at him, he’s staring at a picture on the wall.
I watch him as he studies the photo taken not that long ago. Before all the shit with Antonio, before Sofee was forced to live across the hall from me. Back when my biggest concern was what our next paying job would be.
I don’t remember the night it was taken or who even memorialized the moment. But as I look over all the smiling faces of my brothers as we’re gathered around the club table, I remember the feeling. The purpose I felt in that moment and most of the moments I’ve had since leaving home. The feeling of belonging, of being cared for by people who have no moral obligation to do so.
I shift uneasily on my feet as I watch Rome study the photo with a distant look in his eyes. His expression reveals nothing of the thoughts streaming through his mind.
When it feels as though this moment will last forever, he finally speaks. “You know, taking down the Pelosis isn’t the only reason I’m here.” His violet gaze finally meets mine, but I stay silent. I force myself to maintain eye contact until I can no longer bear it. Looking at him only brings back memories of the past. I tear my gaze away and focus on the picture instead, not really seeing it.
I hear him scoff before he flicks the framed picture and steps past the door. “You may not want to remember me when you look at your new family ,” he says the word as though it sours on his tongue. I continue to look anywhere else but at him. “But that doesn't mean I don’t remember you, Fratellino .”
I finally glance back at him as he calls me the name I haven’t heard in years. I still say nothing as he chuckles, but it holds no humor.
“I need you to remember that I’m not Papà ,” he murmurs before walking away. “See you soon, little brother,” he throws over his shoulder before disappearing out the door.
As if he's the sole reason I'm standing upright, I slump heavily against the doorframe, allowing myself to finally relax since the moment he first walked through those doors and back into my life.