Chapter 34
D arkness has fallen, and the tension grows heavier as the branded men gather around the fire for another meeting.
A meeting that could change everything for the River Boys.
Wade hasn’t said a word since we released Caleb and had Tate drop him off at the hospital.
Given the circumstances, and the fact he was crushing over a minor, he was happy to leave here with his life.
He’s agreed to say what happened to his hand was an accident, and to keep everything he knows to himself.
I guess we’ll just have to trust him on that, as right now, Caleb Mason is the least of our fuckin’ worries.
The River Boys look on edge as they take a seat opposite where me and my brothers are lined up on the same log, while Tate, Mitch, Dalton, and Finn all remain clueless.
I use the Carson brand in my hand to stoke the fire and stare Noah right in his face, searching for a lie.
“Did you know about Walker and my sister?” I ask him straight, and when he shakes his head at me and laughs, I move straight for him, grabbing him by his tattooed neck and throwing him back over the log he’s perched on.
“Whoa!” Sawyer and Zayne leap to his defense, attempting to pull me off, but I hold firm.
“D’ya see me fuckin’ laughin’?” I warn, before dragging myself away and giving him a chance to put himself back together. I glance over to Mitch and the boys and note the shock on their faces too, and Mitch shakes his head in disbelief.
“Garrett, ya gotta chill. I have no idea what the fuck you’re talkin’ ‘bout.” Noah assures me, looking between his buddies with a worried frown on his face. “But feel free to clue us the fuck in.”
“Turns out, your mayor is the one who knocked up our sister, and not only did he…” I pause and chew on my fist when rage stops my words from coming.
“He pushed her off Blackdrop Point.” Wade speaks up for the first time since all this came to light, and I can tell from the River Boys’ faces that they had no idea.
“Shit!” Noah drops his head and uses his hand to slide back his hair.
“It’s shit for sure, because boys, the time’s come for you to stand up and make a decision.
Your job is to protect Mayor Walker,” Cole reminds them, standing up and moving in front of them all, “and I’m looking at you right now, tellin’ you we’re gonna kill him.
Question is, are ya with us or are ya against us? ” He puts the question to them simply.
“It’s Leia's dad,” Wade pipes up as if he’s realizing that for the first time. I know for a fact it’s all that's been on his mind since we found out, and I can’t imagine what's going through his head.
“Wade, I don’t care if that fucker is the president’s asshole. He’s dead.” Cole turns around and looks at him.
“She loves him, she was gonna marry Caleb to save his ass from us. This is gonna crush her.” I watch my brother knead his temples with his fingertips and try to make sense of everything. Today’s been one helluva day for us all but for him… Hell, I can’t even imagine.
“Wade,” I take a seat beside him and lean forward on my elbows. “You know we can’t let him get away with this. Land and blackmail, that's one thing, but Bree. There's only one outcome here,” I explain, and when he nods his head back at me I know he understands. That don’t make it any easier though.
“She can’t know.” He looks up at me and pleads with his eyes, and despite knowing it’ll be challenging, I nod back at him and agree.
“Where do you stand on that decision?” I stand up beside Cole and put some pressure back on the River Boys, and after flicking his eyes between Zayne and Sawyer, Noah stands up and takes off his shirt.
“Where we always do. We stand with you, brother.” He taps his hand over his brand.
“Good, ‘cause I’d have been ready to slice that off your chest.” Cole nods his head toward the brand we all share
“But—”
“Ain’t no fuckin’ buts.” Wade surprises me when he speaks up, taking his place on the right-hand side of me. “Walker needs to die.” He stands firm on that.
“I agree, I’ll even help ya do it, but you’re forgettin’ that he’s protected by The Order, and I’m tellin’ ya, you don’t wanna fuck with ‘em.”
“Don’t worry, we’re good at makin’ things look like an accident,” Mitch points out.
“The Order won’t support what he’s done.
They like the men, they put in power, to keep their noses clean.
And I’d feel a lot more comfortable if we did this with their support.
Let me talk to Felix. I can fix this, believe me, they know the damage this could cause in comin’ out.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t pay ya themselves, to end him.
You're always sayin’ play it smart. Now, it’s time for you to trust me .
” Noah holds out his hand, and when he looks to my brothers and they both nod, I take it and shake it firm.
“So, what do we do in the meantime?” Dalton asks. “We gonna look that fucker in the face, knowing what he did?”
“We have to.” I can’t believe the words that come out of my mouth, but Noah’s right.
Even if The Order wasn’t a problem, we can’t just make a mayor disappear, especially when there is evidence in the past of him screwing us over.
Care and consideration needs to be taken, but vengeance is right ‘round the corner.
“I got one more request,” Wade speaks up again, “I need every man here to promise this goes to the grave with ‘em. Leia never finds out what her dad did. Garrett, you speak to Maisie, make her understand why this lie is a kind one.” He looks to me and I nod back at him. I explained to him, before everyone got here, about Maisie and the whole book thing. I didn’t think he’d taken it in at the time, this proves he did.
“When Walker dies, as far as his daughters are concerned, they’re grieving a good man who had a tragic accident.
” He puts on a brave face, and when every man standing ‘round the fire nods back at him, he sits back down and stares into the flames again.
Me and Cole wait for everyone to leave before we join him. I can’t imagine what it would be like to keep something this big from Maisie, but that don’t mean I don’t see the logic in it.
Wade lifts his head to us, the sadness in his eyes looks as if he’s just had his heart torn from his chest.
“I gotta give her up,” he says, tapping his leg against the floor. “Her heart would break if she knew he did this, it’ll destroy her, and I can’t have that.”
“We get that, and you heard ‘em all, this stays with us.”
“And how am I gonna look her in the eye every day, knowing I’m the one who put her daddy in the ground? Where's the resolution for that?” He slides his hand over his mouth, as tears fill his eyes.
“Walker has to die. What he took from us… he needs to fuckin’ pay. But I can’t be there for her when she falls apart because she’s lost him.”
“Then we tell her, make it easier for her,” Cole tells him.
“Cole, she was gonna marry that prick, give up her whole life for her dad because she loves him. This will kill her. I gotta fuckin’ give her up,” he tells us again like he can’t believe the words.
“You don’t know that yet. We got time, ya heard Noah, he’s gonna speak to this Felix guy, we can figure it out.”
“Whatever we figure out, ain’t gonna result in Walker still breathin’. It’s taking everything inside me not to get in that truck and do it right now. I want him dead, and the price of that is her.”
I watch him back up and head toward his truck. He’s thinking on impulse, I can tell, and when I go to stop him, Cole pulls me back.
“He’s right,” he tells me sadly.
“No, Cole, he ain’t right. He loves her.”
“Which is exactly why he’s gonna let her go.” I stop struggling against him when his words sink in, and we both stand in silence as we watch our brother head off to destroy his future.
“Go home to your wife, Garrett, and hold her real fuckin’ close. I’ll take the watch tonight.” Cole slaps me on my chest and retakes his seat at the fire.