23. Rooster #2
I saw red. Nothing else. I turned and opened the door, and I could hear Maggie calling out to me as I stormed down the hall.
I was over this bullshit. I’d already talked to him once, and clearly, he didn’t get the message.
But that was about to change. I sent Wrath a message and told him I needed his help and to meet me at the front of the clubhouse.
Half an hour later, I’d picked him up, and we were in the back of Chad’s office parking lot waiting for him to come outside. It was already after five, so we didn’t have to wait long for the douchebag to come strolling out. The second he got close, Wrath and I got out and met him at his car door.
His eyes widened when he saw me coming towards him, and he opened his mouth.
But before he could speak, my fist rammed into the side of his face, forcing his head to lurch back.
Before he had a chance to recover, I reached up and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground as I hauled him over to the truck.
He tried to fight against my hold, but I reared back and slammed my fist into his gut, completely knocking the breath out of him. He barreled over as I shoved him towards Wrath. “Get him inside.”
Wrath nodded, then pulled a bandana and a zip tie from his back pocket.
He wrapped it around Chad’s head, blindfolding him and binding his hands before tossing him in the backseat.
Chad remained silent until Wrath and I both got in the truck and closed the doors.
As soon as I started the engine, he cried, “Wait! Where are you taking me? What are you going to do?”
I didn’t answer.
I simply put my foot on the accelerator and drove.
When we got to the clubhouse, Wrath and I got him out of the backseat and led him into the playroom. Once we had him positioned in front of the two-way mirror, I reached over and carefully lifted his blindfold—just enough for him to see the man Beckett had killed.
“Ah, hell,” Chad cried, pulling at his restraint. “What is this?”
“This is your last warning.” I leaned in with my mouth close to his ear as I growled, “I already warned you once about fucking with Maggie and the kids, but you’re too fucking thick-headed to listen. Your kids are the only reason you’re getting another chance.”
“I didn’t do anything,” he lied. “I just wanted...”
I didn’t give him a chance to finish his thought. Instead, I grabbed the back of his head and shoved it forward, slamming it into the two-way glass. “Take a hard look, asshole. This is you if you ever do anything to them again. Is that clear?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“You said that last time.”
I pressed his head harder against the glass, making it difficult for him to breathe. “I got it. I got it. I won’t fuck with her ever again.”
“That’s better.”
I released his head, then pulled his blindfold down, covering his eyes once again.
We took him back out to the truck and drove him back over to his office.
I jerked him from the backseat and pulled him over to the car.
I removed the blindfold, then reached behind him and cut the zip tie that restrained him.
He quickly turned, thinking that I was actually letting him go, but he was wrong…
so fucking wrong. When he took a step forward, I reared my fist back and quickly slammed it into his throat, causing him to instantly start gasping for air.
When he stumbled back, I grabbed his wrist, twisting it firmly behind his back until I felt it crack against the pressure.
His knees buckled to the floor as he cried out in pain.
“Remember this day... Remember how fucking lucky you are and be fucking grateful you aren’t six feet under.”
I released his hand, and he quickly pulled it to him, holding it protectively against his chest. “I’ll remember.”
With that, I got back in the truck with Wrath and started driving back to the clubhouse. We were just a few miles out when Wrath said, “I don’t think you’ll be having any more problems out of him.”
“Yeah, he looked pretty freaked out.”
“Can’t say I blame him. Hell, Beckett did a real number on that guy.”
“He certainly did.” As we pulled through the gate and up to the front door, I asked, “Speaking of Beckett, what’s the plan for him?”
“Ah, hell. He and Grim have already left. It’s a hell of a drive, so it’ll take them a bit to get back home.”
“Hate I wasn’t here to see him off.”
“I’m sure you’ll hear from him.” Before he got out, he looked over at me and asked, “You good?”
“Not yet, but I will be.”
“You know where to find me if you need me.”
“I do, and I appreciate it.”
“Any time, brother.”
He got out, and once he headed back inside, I drove back over to Maggie’s place. Unlike the time before, I knocked and waited for Maggie to come to the door. It didn’t take long before it flew open, and she appeared with a worried look on her face. “You didn’t answer my calls.”
“I was busy taking care of something.”
“Taking care of what?” She closed the door behind me. “What happened?”
“Nothing for you to worry about.”
“You’re gonna have to give me more than that, Ronin.”
I stepped in front of her and placed my hands on her hips, and she looked up at me with those soul-searching eyes, and it got me right in the gut. Damn. I would move mountains for this woman. “You’re not gonna have any more trouble with Chad.”
“What does that mean?”
“We had another chat, and this time, I made my point a little clearer.”
“Oh, no. He’s going to take the kids for sure now.”
“He isn’t gonna do shit,” I scoffed. “Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy bought you a Christmas present this year.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh, yeah. He’s got a whole new mindset, and so do I.”
“Oh? And what’s changed with you?”
“I’ve been trying to take this thing with us slow, but that’s not working for me anymore.”
A mix of disappointment and fear crossed her face as she asked, “It’s not?”
“Nope.” I pulled her closer. “I think it’s time for us to take a step forward, and not just a little step. I’m thinking a big one, like a really big one, and I think we should take it sooner than later.”
“Okay, I’m lost.” She looked as puzzled as ever. “What are you talking about?”
“I think you and the kids should move in with me.”
“Woah, I wasn’t expecting that.” Her brows furrowed. “Do you really think we’re ready for that?”
“I know it’s soon, but yeah, I do.” I could see the doubts flickering in her eyes, so I added, “We got a good thing here, Maggie. We can keep doing this whole dating thing if you want, but it’s not gonna change anything.
We’ll still have a good thing. Or we could take that step and start our lives together. ”
“I gotta say, it’s pretty tempting.”
“Then, let’s do a trial run,” I suggested. “You guys come and stay with me for a couple of weeks. The kids are off for Christmas break, and things are slowing down at the salon, so this is as good a time as any.”
“When would you want to do this?”
“Tonight.”
“But what about the Christmas tree and all their presents?”
“I’ll take care of that. You won’t have to worry about a thing.
” I could see the wheels turning in her head, so I gave her a little push.
“Come on, Maggie. It’s not going to be perfect.
Hell, there is no perfect. There will always be struggles.
You just have to figure out who you want to struggle with, and I want to struggle with you. Day in and day out. It's you.”
“I want to struggle with you, too.”
“Is that a yes?”