34. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
Reeve
Charging out of the clubhouse, I force myself to stop at the bottom of the porch steps, keeping my distance from the man in front of me.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I snarl, crossing my arms over my chest.
A sinister grin takes over his face as he stumbles forward.
"I knew I recognized you," he says, pausing to gulp down the contents of the bottle in his hand.
Scoffing, I shake my head.
"I don't have time for your bullshit, so I suggest you get lost."
Spinning around, I walk back up the steps, but his next words stop me in my tracks.
"I was at Reggie's place that night."
Glancing over my shoulder, I frown at him and shrug.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He laughs. "He wasn't alone in his office, and it was rather stupid of you not to check.
I knew shit was about to go down when I heard your voice and saw his face drop, so I hid, and I used Reggie's phone to record the whole thing.
Was an awful sight, but I will admit, you did me a favor by getting rid of the bastard.
I was fed up with having to pay off my debts to him. "
Narrowing my eyes, I move toward him, not stopping until I'm towering above him, almost chest to chest.
"What exactly are you hoping to gain from this?"
His eyes glint, and his cracked lips spread.
"You pay me, and I'll leave Beatrix alone and destroy the evidence I have of you and your friend murdering a man."
Now it's my turn to laugh, loudly.
I shove him away, which only causes him to stumble over his own feet and almost fall to the ground.
"You think you can blackmail me? That's your plan?
" Jabbing my finger against his chest, I lower my tone.
"I'm not giving you a single cent. Do what you want with the supposed evidence you have, I don't care.
But if I ever catch you near here again, or anywhere near Trix, I will make it a personal mission of mine to find you, and watch as you take your last breath. "
He gulps and steps back, fingers tightening around the neck of the bottle.
"Leave, and don't even think about coming back," I spit as I stand to my full height again, pinning him under my gaze.
After a few moments, he finally turns around and hobbles back up the long road.
I continue watching him, waiting until he's out of sight before I walk back to the clubhouse.
Milo's waiting for me on the porch, brows raised.
"Fucking idiot," I grumble as I brush past him and walk through the double doors, only to find Trix exactly where I left her, concern etched onto her face.
Pushing away from Luxe, she strides toward me, her hands reaching for my arms and squeezing them gently.
"Is everything okay?"
Cupping her jaw, I nod.
"All good. Your father just paid us a visit."
Her eyes go wide, and I quickly wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my chest.
"It's okay. I handled it," I tell her. "He won't be a problem anymore."
I wish my words were true, but I have a feeling this won't be the last we've seen of him.
Kissing the top of her head, I unwrap my arms from around her.
"I need to go talk to Prez for a minute, but stay down here so I can say goodbye before we leave, okay?"
She nods, a sad smile on her face.
"Okay."
Glancing over my shoulder, I motion for Milo to follow, then trudge upstairs, my head hanging low.
Warren is sitting on the sofa in the living room, legs on the table, arms stretched behind his head, and eyes shut. I'd be convinced he was asleep if he didn't peek at us when we entered the room.
"Trouble seems to follow you boys around," he mutters when we pass him.
Ignoring his statement, I walk to the end of the narrow hallway, rapping my knuckles against Callux's bedroom door.
He opens it a moment later, sighing when he sees my face.
Wordlessly, he steps out of the room, and we all file into the meeting room.
Milo closes the door behind us, but it opens again, and Warren strolls in.
"Sorry, I didn't want to miss out on the drama."
Callux glares at his best friend, then his eyes swing back to mine.
"What's happened now, Reeve?" he asks, leaning on the table.
Scratching at my beard, I huff and shake my head.
"Trix's dad is claiming he has video evidence of me and Milo killing Reggie Connell. He came here asking for money in return for him deleting the evidence."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Milo shouts, kicking at a chair.
"I have no idea if it's the truth," I continue, eyes darting between Callux and War. "For all I know, it could be bullshit. However, I do suspect he was there that night. He mentioned hiding in the office and said he watched Reggie's face drop when I called his name."
Warren nods. "So he was likely there, but it's unlikely he actually captured the whole event on video?"
"I think so, yeah."
Dragging my eyes back to Callux, I wait for a response.
He stares at me for what seems like an hour before his eyes move to his son.
"You didn't check if anyone else was there?"
Milo's head jerks back, and he scoffs. "Why is this now my fault?"
"You're both at fault!" he shouts, pounding his fist onto the table. "An Enforcer and a Sergeant. Two of my most trusted, powerful members. My son and his best friend. A pair of fucking idiots who didn't check that a building was empty before killing a man."
"I'm sorry, Prez," I add, pulling his burning gaze from Milo. "It's my job. I should've scouted the building."
Chest heaving, jaw clenched, he stares me down, then shakes his head.
Warren moves beside him, patting Callux on the shoulder.
"Look, it's already happened, so we can't change it," he says, digging his fingers into Callux's shoulder. "What we can do is learn from it and also be prepared for if this blows up in our faces."
With one more scathing look in mine and Milo's direction, Callux storms past us.
"Someone get me Ghost," he bellows.
Standing in the middle of the bar, I tuck Trix against my chest and rest my head on top of hers. Arms wrapped tightly around each other, I breathe her in and soak up her sweet scent.
The guys move around us, some of them carrying crates to the tables, and some checking the guns inside before taking them out back and loading them into the truck.
Milo, Slate, and Cruz are going over the route and where we'll be stopping so Milo and I know when to get ahead of the pack and scout out the location before the others get there.
Dropping a kiss to Trix's head, I squeeze her, then let go.
"I want you to stay here while I'm gone," I tell her as I nudge her chin upward, waiting for her swirling green eyes to meet mine. "I'll be checking in with you every couple of hours to make sure you're safe, and I've already messaged Mouse to tell him to keep an eye on you."
Her brows crease.
"I can take care of myself. I don't need to be looked after, Reeve. I also don't want to be stuck here while you're gone. Especially not Sunday. I have dinner with Emery and her father. I can't miss that."
"I don't doubt you can look after yourself, Red, but with your dad making an appearance today, I don't want to leave you alone. If I could, I'd put you on the back of my bike and take you with me, but I can't guarantee there won't be danger waiting for us in Vegas, either."
Cocking a brow, she laughs, then loops her arms around my neck.
"I thought you wouldn't let me on the back of your bike?"
I frown, confused.
"Why?"
"The first day you offered me a ride home, I thought you were going to take me on your bike, and I referred to it as a death trap. You seemed offended by the suggestion, then told me you wouldn't let me on the back of your bike anyway."
My lips split into a grin, and with my hands on her hips, I pull her closer as I lean down and brush our noses together.
"It's cute you remember. Back then, yeah, I wouldn't have dreamed of putting you on the back of my bike. That's a sacred thing for us. But things are different now. The seat behind me is reserved for you, and only you, Red."
Threading my fingers through her hair, I press my lips against hers, kissing her softly.
"Sorry to interrupt, lovebirds, but we need to get going," War says, patting me on the shoulder as he passes.
Trix giggles, pecks my lips once more, then draws away.
We stare at each other for a few moments, ignoring everyone else moving around us.
The light in her eyes slowly starts to dim, and her lips twist. Pushing her hands into her pockets, she sighs.
"I'll see you in a few days," she mutters as she squeezes my hand in hers, then walks away from me.
I twist around, watching her move up the stairs, my chest tightening with every step she takes.
Brows creased, I rub at my chest, trying to ease the pain stirring once she's out of sight.
Usually, I'm the first one out the door, already sitting on my bike as I wait for the others to be ready, but as I glance around the bar, with the sound of rumbling bikes behind me, I realize I'm the last one here.
Looking at the stairs once more, wishing I could follow after Trix but knowing I can't, I huff and turn toward the double doors.
Three days.
I'll be gone for three days.
I can handle that, can't I?