Chapter 18 #2
He drove into traffic to get away from me.
“I cornered my uncle on a long, desolate stretch of road in Arizona. He was between me and my gun and a cliff that would send him to hell. There was no way out. He spun away after telling me that he’d ordered the hit on my mother because he’d learned that my dad was watching my mom again, that he was still clinging to the same old weakness.
” His mother had never been a weakness. Nothing about her had been weak.
My mom had superpowers. He swallowed. And maybe his hands closed around Agnes and he hugged her.
“My uncle…Winston drove that motorcycle of his right off the cliff even as I fired my weapon. I hit him, I know I did, and his bike crashed. I stood at the edge of the cliff, and I looked below, and I saw the wreckage. I know my shot found its mark. I shot him in the back…”
Wait. Fuck.
“Cass?”
He pulled away from her. “I shot him in the back,” he repeated. “And all of these sonsofbitches are coming at my back. Fitting, huh? Or maybe they’re just following orders. I’m not the only one in the family who was—is—an eye-for-an-eye type.”
“Orders?” Her brow crinkled as she peered up at him.
“His orders. Because if Levi Addams is to be believed…I didn’t kill the bastard.
Somehow, despite getting shot and flying off a freaking cliff, Winston Striker is still alive—and he’s after me.
” He rolled one shoulder. “Guess that means that, this time, I will just have to carve out his heart in order to make sure he’s dead. ”
Javion was pounding on the double entrance doors. No more waiting. No more time.
Cass swung away from her so that he could go meet the guy.
But her hand flew out to curl around his left arm. “Why didn’t you tell me that Levi had the tattoo? You must have known about it.”
“Yeah, I knew.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? And do any other members of your crew also carry it? If so, I want to see their arms. I have to see the tats. That tat is the only way I can truly identify the man who tried to kill me.”
“What if more than one person has the exact tat? You think of that?”
“Of course, I thought of that.” Her eyes narrowed. “I remember his height. I remember his walk. I remember the sound of his voice. I remember the exact way the tat looked against his skin. If I see the SOB, I will know him.”
He believed she would. He also believed that Javion was pounding harder out there.
“It was a very specific tat, Cass. The scales were the most detailed I’ve ever seen. A real Rembrandt of a tattoo artist made the design.”
Yeah…about that…
The tattoo is the key, and I can give her the key.
But they just didn’t have time. Not for a full explanation.
Not with Javion coming in. “Don’t say anything about the tat in front of Javion.
We’ll talk when we’re alone.” Hard to get her alone, though, with his whole crew now about to swarm in protective mode.
An attempted hit was made. They will be out for blood. Fair enough, he was out for blood, too.
“You don’t trust Javion?” She truly seemed surprised. Cute.
“At this point, I only trust you.”
Her lips parted. She let him go. “I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve said to me.”
Really? Then he should probably step up his game. He ambled for the door. “You’ve got incredible eyes. Each time I look into them, I feel like I lose a piece of my soul.”
“What?”
“Your mouth makes me want to sin. And your ass—you’ve got the best damn ass I’ve seen. Curved and hot. I want to grab it and hold on for the ride.”
“Cass.”
He reached for the door. Stopped. “And you’re not unlikable. Don’t know who told you that shit. You’re tough. You’re fierce. You’re determined. You’re also bloodthirsty, which is fucking sexy to me.”
“You…you’re saying nice things to me.”
“Yeah, I am.” When he never said nice things to anyone. But with her, he wanted to give compliments. Actually, he wanted to give her the world. Just to see those amazing eyes of hers light up more.
But he didn’t have the world to give her.
Though I am working on giving her the vengeance she craves. Because she wasn’t in love with a dead man…she’s in love with me.
He yanked open the door. Stood toe to toe with Javion. “That was fast.”
“Problem.” A muscle flexed along Javion’s jaw.
Why was everyone telling him about problems? Just once, couldn’t someone come to him with an actual solution? Was that too much to ask? “I am aware,” Cass returned with roll of his shoulders. “Pretty sure we left a dead man in a field.”
“The shooter took out Hugo.”
“What?” Shock rolled through him. Hugo was dead?
“And Axel swears he got a look at the rider with the gun. That he was on a bike belonging to the Western Mavericks. Not just any bike, though. The leader’s ride. That the shooter was Bayne Hendrix.”
Behind Cass, Agnes cleared her throat. “That name is familiar.”
Cass grunted. Damn straight it was familiar. “He was in Atlanta. He’s the prick who told me that Judas was coming after you.”
“That would be why it seemed familiar,” she murmured. “I thought you’d taken care of him already?”
By “taken care of”…did she mean beat hell out of him?
Because he’d damn well used force in order to get the guy to cooperate with him before.
He’d also ordered Bayne to get the hell away from the East Coast. “Apparently, the man is determined to keep being a problem. One I will need to permanently eliminate.”
Javion’s dark gaze held Cass’s. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ve got a ghost on him right now.”
Her feet padded closer. “A ghost?”
Javion’s stare cut to her. “It’s a name for an MC member who won’t be seen.
He’s tailing the rider. He’ll report back and we can swarm on him when we have a final location.
” He grunted as his stare focused on Cass once again.
“Obviously, Bayne is trying for a power play. He wants you eliminated. Must have been working with Levi. Maybe he decided to fire at Levi before the guy could out him to you. And dumbass Levi just stood there because he never thought his partner would turn on him.”
Cass didn’t move. “Yeah, you just can’t trust anyone these days.”
Javion gave him a little salute. “Good thing you got me covering your back, huh?”
“Absolutely,” Cass told him. “But…” He reached out for Agnes. His fingers twined with hers. “It’s even better that I have her.”
Javion’s brows climbed.
Cass brought her hand to his lips. “My ride or die, aren’t you, sweetheart?”
“Um, how about me being your ride or kill? That’s better, isn’t it? Because we keep living that way and our enemies die?”
Yes, that was better.
“You staying here?” Javion wanted to know. “Keeping low until we eliminate this prick?”
“Do I look like a coward to you?” Cass asked, voice silky.
Javion backed up a step. “No, I never meant—”
“It’s good that you have a ghost on him, but I think that I know where Bayne is heading. I suspect we’re all going to the same place, actually.” They’d eventually, wind up there, anyway.
Agnes cleared her throat again. “Sorry, but where is that? Exactly? Like…is it hell? Are we all heading to hell?”
He kissed her hand again. “Pretty close.”
“I was joking,” she muttered.
“I wasn’t,” he returned without looking away from Javion. “You know I had a meeting scheduled in Arizona.” It was the whole reason he’d been traveling across the country. A meeting with the leaders of the biggest MCs in the US.
Javion glanced over at Agnes. “You’re really taking her? There?”
She sidled ever closer. “He missed the ride or kill part of our relationship.”
“She’s getting tatted,” Cass said. “I fought for her. I took the challenge. She’s in the MC, and where I go, she goes, too.”
“She’s a Fed.” Javion’s eyes narrowed. “You’re gonna start a war with her at your side.”
“Kinda think I already have started one.” He grinned. The grin slowly faded, though, as Javion shook his head. “She’s not a Fed,” Cass rumbled.
“No?” Javion was clearly doubtful. “Former Fed? Like that makes anything better?”
“She’s mine,” Cass returned. “Anyone who has a problem with that can go through me.”
Javion nodded. “Pretty sure that’s why bullets are flying at you. Because Bayne has a massive problem with you—and her.”
“Then I’ll just kill him and eliminate the problem.” Done.
Agnes elbowed him.
He kept holding her hand. “I have a meeting in Arizona. I won’t be late. She will be there. We’ll walk into hell together.” Finally, his head turned toward Agnes. “Ride or kill, huh?”
She bit her lower lip. He loved that lower lip.
Slowly, she let it go. And nodded. “Ride or kill,” she whispered.
He leaned down and kissed her.
Javion swore. “You’re both fucking insane.” He whirled and stomped out.
Cass’s head slowly lifted. As he gazed at her, Agnes’s thick lashes rose so that she was staring straight at him. Trying to steal his soul again.
No need to steal it, princess. Pretty sure all that I am—hell, everything belongs to you. He swallowed. “You meant that bit about trust, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You trust me, completely?” He could hear more motorcycles arriving.
They would have to get moving. But before he made the big meeting in Arizona, he had one important pitstop to make.
A pitstop that he was making for her. He’d come to this area of Texas to help Agnes achieve her goal. Getting vengeance.
A Rembrandt tattoo artist, huh? One exceptionally good with scales.
“I do trust you,” she assured him.
“Good.” His lips pressed to hers once more. A tender kiss. Because he could do tender, sometimes. At least, he could do it with her. “Remember that, will you?”
“Cass, what are you going to do?”
“I’m gonna take you to see a very bad man…about a very bad tat.”