8. Wraith
Wraith
“ W hat’s your number?” I asked, turning to her and pulled my phone out of my pocket. My voice was lower than I intended, but the effect on her was all the same.
Zaire eyed me for a second, then took my phone, her fingers brushed against mine and typed in her info. She looked straight into my eyes when she gave it back. “Make sure you use it.”
I grinned and immediately press the call button since her info was still up. Her phone began to ring from in the kitchen where she had left her bag. I hung up the call, slid the phone back into my pocket, then stepped a little closer to her.
“I won’t,” I promised her, watching her chest rise and fall at our nearness. “But you need to promise me something in return.”
Her lips twitched. “What would that be?”
“If anything goes wrong… if anything feels off, you call me, ya hear. No exceptions. I don’t care if it’s three a.m. in the morning. You better use that number and call me.”
Her brows knitted together like she was about to argue with me, but there was something in my tone that warned her off. Instead she tilted her head and looked at me. “You don’t think I can handle myself?”
“I have no doubt you can handle yourself. I’m sure you do it well. But I don’t want to take any chances. So at least give me that.”
She stared at me for a long moment, then released a sigh without an argument. “Fine. I promise.”
I should’ve turned around, walked out of the door, and left this shit alone. I made sure she had gotten home safely. Gave her a way to reach me. But I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. The tension between us was like a storm and I was in the middle of it, unable to back away.
My gaze dropped to her lips, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t give a damn about self-control. I was on her in a second, closing the distance and pressed my mouth against hers. There was no hesitation, no waiting on her to make a move. I kissed her like I’d been waiting for this my entire life. Zaire was the only thing that mattered right at that moment.
She kissed me back, just as fierce and hungry. Her hands grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me closer. I deepened the kiss, sliding one hand to the back her of neck, holding her to me. She tasted like heat, like warm spice, and everything naughty and nice. It drove me absolutely insane.
Her lips were soft, but there was nothing soft about the way we were kissing. It was a raw, burning need from the both of us. Like we were desperate for each other and this was the only way to put out the fires. I bit her lip, felt her gasp into my mouth, and I wanted more. Needed more. I swung her around and shoved her against the door.
I wanted to drown in her as I pressed my body into hers. I was harder than ever and I knew if I stayed longer, we would be fucking all over this damn house. She responded with everything she had, no holding back with the clash of want and need. Both of us feeding off the other like we couldn’t stop.
Not wanting to pull back, but I did, because I had to. Her breath was uneven, lips swollen. She looked just as needy as I was feeling.
“I have to go,” I said, my voice rough.
Her eyes never left mine as she nodded. “Call me later. I’ll answer.”
I gave her one last look, leaned in and kissed her again, this time gentle but still fiery. A promise for later. She slowly moved from me and stepped to the side, allowing me to reach out and open the door. I walked out without looking back. The taste of her was still on my lips and the heat of her body still burned my blood, and I knew one thing for a fact. There was no going back.
She was mine.
**
By the time I reached the clubhouse, my cellphone was going off again. I parked my bike then shoved my hand into my pocket, pulling it out, and answering.
“Wraith, do you have time to talk?” the male voice asked from the other end of the line.
“Not really, but for you, anytime Ro. What's going on?”
“You're no longer safe in New Orleans. You need to get out of there.”
“I ain't going anywhere, Ro.” Especially now that there was one particular woman I had promised to protect.
He cursed up a storm. Muffled words were said from someone I couldn’t recognize. Then there was some shuffling of papers or something in the background. A door slammed before he came back on the line. “Then we're coming to you.”
I sat up on the bike. He had the tone that meant business and didn’t brook for any arguments. This whole demeanor wasn’t like him. He knew I could handle shit on my own. Especially when the goings got hot. Actually, the entire short conversation put me on notice when I was already on notice. “Wait… who's we?”
“Mac and I,” he said without hesitation.
“Fuck. I can take care of myself Ro. I know about the hit on me.”
“No, you don't understand what’s really going down. War is coming to New Orleans and The Revenants are smack dab in the middle of it. Mac and I are leaving in a couple hours.”
“Hold on. I’m no longer part of the organization. I retired and left that shit behind me five years ago. Far as I know, so did Mac. Besides, what about you and Karis? Didn't she just have the baby?”
“I’m not worried about them. She and baby are doing good and are very well protected by four overbearing uncles. If anyone wants to get to me, they’re going to have to get through Santos, Sin, Erebus, and Vice.”
I knew then there was no stopping Roman Santiago. Not if those four were on babysitting duty. “Can you at least give me some details. I gotta talk to my brothers and give them a heads up if the club is in danger.”
There was a heavy silence before Roman spoke again. “The new Don of the Carozza family has a wife who he promised to paint the streets red with blood. He promised to get revenge for her.”
“What does this have to do with me, you, or Mac for this matter?”
“Well, Mac, her husband, and brother-in-law killed the Marconi’s. They left Marconi’s wife and daughter alive. The daughter recently married Vittorio Carozza here in Miami. I’m sure you recognize that name. They been into it with the Brooks family for years now. Well, Vittorio is also the nephew of Don Santarelli. You know… the family you wiped out before retirement. Even though he was close to his uncle, you did him a solid. The Carozza’s rose to prominence since the Santarelli’s are few and little now. Most of them merged into Carozza’s family. They have power here, Wraith, but they like the idea of taking over New Orleans, too. They know you’re there. Vittorio Carozza promised his wife blood so she wants Mac’s husband, but Mac isn’t having it. He wants your blood because you wiped part of his family and his favorite uncle out. Mine because I’m leader of The Revenants and approved the job.”
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I shouted. “They hired the Veil Society didn’t they?”
“Yes they did, and yeah, fuck indeed.”
“How did they know it was us?”
“Don’t worry about that. Let’s say we had a snake leftover on the council, but they’re dead now. See you in three hours,” Roman said, before he hung up without another word.
I stared at the phone before shoving it into the pocket of my cut and stormed inside the clubhouse. The music was loud and a lot of partying was going on. It was a Friday night, there was always partying going on. Club skanks were everywhere. Some bent over chairs, or the pool tables. Some of the prospects pants were down and dicks out. Just another day around here except my brothers must have already been in the meeting room. It was another night where I wasn’t partaking in the activities. Too many other things were on my mind. One of them in particular was a beautiful woman with smooth brown skin, the softest lips, and curves to kill for.
Ignoring the scene, I pressed on through the main area, grateful for the reprieve that Lexi was no where to be seen. I didn’t have time to deal with her shit yet. But I knew it needed to be done. I kept saying I was going to get to it, but life kept happening. The only woman on my mind I had left not to long ago against my better judgement.
I headed down the dimly lit hall that led to the meeting room. I didn’t know why church was called, but it was good timing after the information Roman just filled me in on. It wasn’t too late in the evening, close to midnight but I wanted to be anywhere but here. Opening the door to the room, I hurried inside and found most of my brothers were already present. Kade wasn’t there, but that was because he wasn’t a member yet. Church was for members only. The only ones I didn’t see was Jester, Loki, and Dagger.
I went to the open seat near the front and sat down. Said my greetings, but I wasn’t in a talking mood. It wasn’t all that great of a mood to begin with, but kissing Zaire, and having her in my arms made the day a hell of a lot better. Then Roman came along and ruined it even more, wiping any semblance of the feel good high I was on.
The door opened and the three missing remaining members strolled through it and all got quiet in the room. Dagger went to the empty seat in front of me and Jester came and sat beside me. I held out a fist and he bumped it with his.
“This is going to be quick,” Loki said, standing in front of all of us. “I think it’ll be better explained coming from him.” He nodded to Jester before sitting down.
My friend looked around the table before his eyes settled on Dagger. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the weathered wood table. “It’s like this. You all know about the missing shipment of guns and shit a few weeks back. Well, I found out through my sources and connections what really happened. Our suppliers thought it was us that called five-oh, but it wasn’t, it was one of our brothers. We officially have a rat problem in the club.”
I’ve been slacking in my duties, but something was telling me this wasn’t by chance. This had something and everything to do with the heat that was coming down on me all of a sudden. Jester went on to explain in more detail but it what it all boiled down to was that…somebody was snitching and telling our new enemies club business and that wasn’t how we rolled.
I had been drumming my fingers on the table, totally lost in my head until Jester said a name that had caught my ear. “Hold up. What was that name again?”
Loki and Dragon exchanged glances at each other. A low murmur spread through the gathered, but Jester said the name again.
“The Carozza Family have moved to New Orleans. It shouldn’t be of any mind to us because they deal in flesh, drugs, money laundering. That sort of thing, but mainly trafficking. Still… it’s bad because they don’t care about us or anybody. They want total control of our city and they have a spy hidden in plain sight. They’re trying to take our territory.”
All I saw was red. That’s what they wanted everybody to think, but of course I knew better. That’s why I spoke up and informed the real reason the Carozza’s was making New Orleans home.
“We’ve got trouble, brothers.” I looked at every single person sitting around the table and in the room. It was serious and they needed to know how much. “What my brother, Jester, is saying is true, but it’s not the real reason them assholes are coming to our city. We no I got a situation and I’m going to need everybody’s help.”
The low murmurs had gotten louder.
“Hey, everybody shut the hell up,” Jester shouted. “Let our brother, Wraith say what he needs to say.”
The room went silent again. The guys were angry and they had every right to be. “I ain’t going to pussyfoot around with y’all. The shit is extremely serious. The shit is about to get messy. A few weeks ago, I learned that there was a target on my back. Someone was gunning for me except I didn’t know who. I thought I had an idea and figured I could handle it, considering it was only me in the crosshairs. I told Loki and Dragon because it was a need to know thing.”
The room had fell silent, until Paco spoke up from the back of the room. “That’s some bullshit, Wraith! We got your back brother!”
Everybody around him grunted and agreed. “But I’m afraid it’s about to come down on all of us. The Carozza’s don’t want our territory. They want me.”
“Why is that?” Dagger asked.
He looked me up and down, but there was something about him I’ve never liked and I’ve said my peace about it numerous times to both the Prez and Vice Prez. It was duly noted but still… sometimes like now, I wanted to shove my fist into his face.
“That’s my business. From a time before I joined the brotherhood. But someone’s been talking, giving them enough information about me, the club, and who we associate and do business with to make a move.”
Jester leaned back, his face expressionless. “Then we find the rat. Deal with them and cut off this mafia’s play before they get to close to us. Although this isn’t about the club, but it is about one of our own. We’ll watch your back. Just tell us what you need.”
I didn’t have to say anything to Loki right now, he knew I would come to him personally after this. Give him the rundown from Ro. “What I need is protection for a woman. She’s mine, she just doesn’t know it yet.”
Some shit went down tonight. The same folks who are after me are after her. She’s innocent but her family isn’t. You all heard of the Brooks Enterprises and their shadier dealings. She’s old man Brooks daughter. His only daughter.”
“Damn, you sure know how to catch a big fish when you want an ol’ lady, huh” Crow said from across the table. The men laughed, but he had a point. “Lexi ain’t going to like that.”
“Fuck her,” I spat. “She ain’t nothing but a skank with an attitude problem.”
“But she does give good head,” Paco said, laughing and fist bumping a brother beside him.
“Don’t worry,” Jester said. “She’s officially under Sin City’s protection.”
That’s all I needed. To know she would be safe with my brothers, while I went hunting. There was no point in waiting on them to come find me. I was going to go find them and do what I do best.