Chapter 29
Dust to Dust
Elizabeth
“Five minutes out,” Dead told me as he drove the club’s car toward the restaurant. “Are you ready?”
No. I wasn’t nervous, but I knew exactly what I had to say. Alex was going to be the easier part of the night. My husband, I had never seen coming.
“What did Thunder do?”
I said nothing, staring straight ahead.
“I’m a man. We do stupid shit at the worst possible times.”
I’d never heard Dead speak more than a few words and never without a grunt. I wanted to laugh, but it caught me off guard, and all I did was cough.
“Stella?” I’d known her since she was a kid, and while I was glad the girls had moved to be closer to Meredith, I wasn’t a fool. I’d heard the rumors, and when she was at the clubhouse, I saw the connection for myself.
“I refuse to let her think we’re friends.”
“Friends,” I scoffed. I thought I’d married my best friend. Had he been pretending, or had he been my friend? Would I ever know the truth?
“Thunder wasn’t in the main room when we left.”
I didn’t want to talk about him. I’d have to unpack all the emotions I’d been hiding from, and tonight wasn’t the time to be flayed open. There was no room to think about my husband. I had a job to do.
“Whatever happened, just know he did what he thought was right.”
Had he? Had the wedding been part of some sick plan to trap me, or had he really thought it was necessary at the time?
Had I been so discombobulated that I’d jumped at his help, or had I wanted to marry him, not knowing how to transition from friends to more?
Hell, if I knew. I touched one teardrop sapphire earring, wishing he was here instead.
Dead pulled into the circle driveway of the restaurant. He let the engine idle, waiting until the bikers in front dismounted. Op was leading this fishing trip, and I’d promised him I wouldn’t go off script.
There was a knock on Dead’s window, and he hit the button to crack it. “El Sombra Roja is already here. There are three cars parked in the customer lot.” Op pulled off one of his riding gloves. “We’re going to leave everything here in case we have to make a quick getaway.”
“Do you want one of us to watch the bikes?”
“Yeah, I can get B to do it, since he’s the only prospect we brought with us.”
Op walked around the front of the car, coming over to my side. He opened my door, crouching in front of me. “Are you ready, Aunt E?”
I nodded, lying. If I let on how I was really feeling to Op, he’d either call this whole thing off or give me a pep talk. I wasn’t sure which would be worse.
“Thunder fucked up,” Dead told Op as he exited the car.
“I was married once. I lost her because I never said what I should’ve.” Op’s eyes dropped. “Whatever he did, I need you to bury it for now, but when the time’s right, give him the benefit of the doubt. We’re fuckers.”
“That’s what I said.”
Op stood, holding his arm out for me. I slid my feet to the side, grabbing the door frame for leverage. I held my purse in my hand, but Op wrapped his arm around mine, holding me steady until I took the first step on my own. As soon as we entered the lobby, How and Zook flanked us on either side.
“This is swanky,” How said under his breath.
The rest of the brothers stepped in behind us, making two lines until Twig stood in the middle, the odd man out.
“Remember, the minute you say Bobby, we’re out of here,” Op whispered. I nodded, knowing what my code word was.
We walked past the entrance, but I didn’t bother checking out the decor. It would always hold memories of tonight for me, and I’d never come back. I stopped, and Op instantly pulled back, letting me lead.
“Do you need a minute?”
The entrance was empty. An eerie calm settled in the room as if it didn’t know the importance of this evening.
I let it settle over me, hardening me to anything but the now.
I took the first step, and my procession followed behind me.
The doors to the dining were open, and I could clearly see six cartel members standing throughout the room.
It wasn’t until we approached that Alex’s nephew appeared, twirling his silver dagger.
“Mi amor.” Alex was standing in the middle of the dining room. He leaned against the back of a chair, tucked into a table set for two.
Op let me go, standing in front of me, while the other two closed ranks. “I could easily put a bullet in his brain, but you don’t see me twirling my gun.”
“We have guests, sobrino.”
I couldn’t see anything over Op, but the brothers behind me spread out.
They were supposed to find vantage points in the room, watching me, even when I wasn’t sure I couldn’t see them.
Zook and How peeled off, and Op took a step back, holding his arm out for me.
He led me to the table, pulling out my chair until I was comfortable.
He then faded into the background with the rest.
“Sabre allows you an entourage but doesn’t do the same for the others?”
“Stop.” I held up my hand. “This is about…you.” I wouldn’t let him lead me into a pissing contest.
“Are they prepared to surrender?” Alex raised his water glass, bringing it to his lips.
I shook my head. “We’re not…doing this. These men…trained. They could…eliminate you. You couldn’t…even steal…a car right.”
I’d timed the words right, and Alex had to swallow the water quickly. He hit his chest as he coughed, and when it subsided, he laughed. “There’s no money in cars.”
“There’s no money…in being…a motherfucker…either.” It wasn’t only the bikers who had to hide their laughter behind coughs.
“Now, now, mi amor. You’ve never spoken with such…harsh words.”
I stared at him, not saying a word. There were a lot of things I’d never done before.
Never got the chance to raise my child. Never got to watch my sister grow old with me.
She would never meet the love of my life.
I wasn’t about to explain that to the man who’d set off the chain reaction.
I shrugged. It was all he was going to get from me.
“You know I won’t allow that marriage of yours to stand.”
Allow.
I smirked as I held up my ring finger. “You don’t…allow. No control.” The diamond in my wedding ring glistened under the restaurant’s lights.
I pulled a bottle of water from my purse, breaking the seal. “I’ll go home…to my husband. Thunder.”
I thought I’d locked down my emotions to get through this evening, but snippets of life with Thunder played in my head. The early mornings, lying in bed. The late nights discussing our days. Times he’d held me, making sure I knew I wasn’t alone.
Was he still going to be my husband? He’d offered a divorce, but I hadn’t stopped long enough to consider the implications.
I’d loved him as my friend, letting my feelings grow.
If I believed him, he’d seen an opportunity to claim me.
He’d called it fear of losing me, but I wasn’t sure if it was love or betrayal. Now wasn’t the time to figure it out.
“There’s water on the table.”
I took a drink. “I don’t…trust you.”
“I wouldn’t trust me either, mi amor.”
We stared at each other over the fake floral arrangement in the middle of the table. At one time, I would have ignored a statement like that, throwing caution to the wind, just as I had ignored all the red flags to be with this man. No more. The pain wasn’t worth the pleasure.
“Does he understand you like I do? What makes you tick? How you yearned to run? I’m the only man who’s ever given you that.”
I knew he was trying to discredit my marriage, but he’d hit closer to my heart than he knew. I might have wanted all of that when I was young, but now I craved stability. If Thunder couldn’t give that to me, I wasn’t sure I even wanted it.
“No more.” I didn’t allow him to release my gaze. “No more games. I never…want to see…a rose on fire.” A beat passed between us. “I would…forgiven you. All of it.” Neither one of us said anything. The words lingered above the table.
He twirled the stem of the water glass between his fingers as he gazed at me. “I don’t need your forgiveness. I’m never going to be saved, mi amor.”
“You burned…banquet center. Grace’s. Personal. Never forgive—“
Alex laughed, shifting toward the back of his chair. His legs spread apart as the tablecloth swayed with the motion. “Gerry should have taught her about trust. You of all people know nothing is permanent. Never be able to call anything yours.”
“She never did…anything.” He hurt her because he could. “This…ends.”
Alex’s nephew flashed his silver dagger, reminding me exactly how this could end, but Twig shifted closer to where he stood, and the dagger suddenly disappeared. It was a reminder that I was psychically safe, just not emotionally.
“This is just the beginning.” Alex quickly leaned forward, his elbows on the table. The movement was so sudden, I jumped in my chair. It only made me angry.
“No. This ends now. You…have no…control.” I took another drink of my water. “You want to speak…to Sabre? You call…like a normal…person. If he wants…to speak…to you. Answer.” I tried to push myself up from the chair, but I didn’t have enough strength. “Op?”
He moved forward, holding his hand out to give me more stability. I stood, patting his arm to let him know I was alright, before he moved the chair back for me to walk. Op was the one in charge. He’d be the one to take the punishment for this.
“We’re done.”
He looped my hand over his arm, guiding me toward the front door. Each time we passed a brother, they fell in line behind us, walking backwards until the next brother took their place.
“Mi amor,” Alex called out. I stopped, but I didn’t give him the benefit of speaking to me directly, keeping my back turned to him. “You’re forgetting something, or should I say someone.” He chuckled. “Pedro.”
My blood boiled underneath my skin, but I pulled my shoulders back. Smoothing out my expression, I patted Op’s hand before I turned, shuffling down the row of brothers, touching each one of their forearms as I passed. We were in this together.
“Peter.”
Alex raised his eyebrow.
“Pe…Pe…Peter.” I took a quick breath. “My son…is dead. You controlled access…Only…way I…survived.”
He said nothing as he stood, leaning against the front of the table, his hands in his pockets. It reminded me of our first date, when I’d shown up to an empty restaurant.
“Your son…prospect for…Iron Shield. Kidnapped me. Planned to sell…to the Lopezes. Your son…dead.”
“No, he’s fulfilling his legacy, just like you will in time.”
“Your son…dead. Strangulation.”
His nose twitched to the side as his eyes narrowed at me, before he quickly smoothed out his features.
“No longer…tied…together.”