Chapter 35
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
GRANITE
The skin on the back of my neck prickled with warning. As I took a drag of my cigarette, the red coal lighting up in the dark, I could feel the malice hanging in the air. Something was coming. It was so fucking close, I could practically reach out and touch it.
I glanced over my shoulder at Dutch. “Everything is secure at the safe house, right?”
“Yeah, man. We got Manic and Ink there. You know no one is getting close to Neon with Ink being there.”
That settled me a little. Ink was like a fucking pit bull when it came to Neon. Fucker even thought he had the balls to challenge me when I warned him about touching Alyx. Amazing what a woman could do to a man. Either they made your balls grow bigger, or they made you lose ’em.
“We should have gone back to the club to get them ourselves.” I flicked the cigarette onto the road, the coal still flickering for a few seconds before fading.
Dutch leaned against his Harley, arms crossed. “I told you we can’t risk it. It’s what the Pythons would expect. For all we know, this whole thing with Tanit was a way to lure us out.”
“He’s right,” Onyx chimed in from the side. “This entire thing reeks of a setup.”
I pulled the elastic from around my wrist and tied my hair. It was almost spring, the evenings still cold, yet my skin was clammy with unrest. The patches of clouds moving in front of the full moon seemed angry tonight, and that unsettled me more.
I glanced at my wristwatch. “They should have been here ten minutes ago.”
“Relax, would you?” Onyx pulled out a smoke. “They’ll be here. They took a little detour to make sure they weren’t followed.”
“How many Pythons did you kill?” Dutch’s question sliced through the atmosphere like hard fucking ice, but I played it down.
“No idea what you’re talking about, man.”
“Cut the crap, Granite. I know what you and Ink have been doing.”
I jerked my head to the side and snapped my gaze to Onyx.
Onyx shrugged innocently. “What? I didn’t tell him shit.”
“Your brother didn’t tell me. Ink did.”
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered under my breath. “That fucking guy does not know the meaning of ‘don’t tell anyone’!”
“You thought we wouldn’t agree?”
I shot him a sideways glance. “I thought you wouldn’t agree.”
“Got that right.” Dutch didn’t even try to deny it. “Because the last thing we need is to aggravate the beast right now, Granite.”
“Yeah, well, we aggravated it a fuck-load. And I’d do it again if I could.” I turned my attention back to the road in front of us. “And I’m still not done killing every one of those fuckers.”
“Here they come.” Onyx waved at the oncoming ape hangers. They slowed and pulled off the side of the road, a black minivan parking behind them.
Junkyard, a trusted member of the club took off his lid as I approached him. He had worn the Kings cut with pride for the last ten fucking years. With a wife and two kids, the man lived a double life, but so did a few other members.
“No one followed you here?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m sure of it. We took one huge fucking detour. And we had guys follow up from a distance to make sure we didn’t have tails.”
“Good.” I shook his hand, bumped shoulders, and slapped him on the back as I made my way to the minivan. “Hey, Texas,” I greeted the prospect behind the wheel. Poor fucker always seemed to pale whenever I looked his way.
“Hey, Granite.”
“Bring the girls here safe?” Just then, Trick and Tanit got out of the minivan.
“Safe and sound.”
I slapped him on the arm. “Good job.”
I walked straight to Tanit and took her chin in my hand, turning her face so I could scrutinize her bruises. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” She didn’t look at me, so I made her, my fingers still clutching her jaw.
“That’s some shiner you got there.” The skin around her eye had already turned a purple blue. At least it wasn’t swollen much. I pulled at her bottom lip, looking at the cut on the side before letting go. “What were you doing out alone?”
She stepped back next to Trick. “I needed to get out.”
“You went alone? At a time like this?”
Tanit licked at the cut on her lip then crossed her arms. “I didn’t think they’d come for me. It’s not like I’m important or anything.”
“Cut the crap, Tanit.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I needed to get away for a few hours, so I met up with some friends. That’s it.” Her gaze drifted from mine. “I didn’t think—”
“You’re damn right, you didn’t think. You can be glad you’re still fucking breathing right now.”
“Granite,” Onyx called and gave me the stink eye, a silent way of telling me to fucking relax.
I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.
It wasn’t Tanit’s fault they got caught up in the middle of this, just like it wasn’t Alyx’s or Neon’s fault.
The collateral damage in this war was increasing by the day, and I had to fucking stop it as soon as possible, before someone else got hurt.
I turned to Trick. It was impossible not to notice the worry lines on her face as she draped her arm around her sister’s shoulder.
“You okay, Trick?”
“Yeah.” She flicked her blonde curls over her shoulder. “I’m just glad she managed to get away in time.”
“How did you manage to get away?” I asked Tanit, scanning her up and down, making sure there weren’t any bruises I missed.
Her lips curled. “I have a mean-ass right hook. I’m not the only one who’s sporting a bruised eye right now, I can tell you that.”
“Good.” I placed my hands on my hips. “We’re taking you two to the safe house until things settle down.” Fuck, who was I kidding? Things would never settle down until each and every one of those Pythons ate the dirt of their graves.
Trick nodded. “Thanks, Granite.”
“Yeah, don’t mention it. You pack light?”
“We did. We only had time to grab a few things.”
“Good. We’re riding from here. Grab your stuff. We need to head out.”
While Trick and Tanit grabbed their little backpacks from the van, Onyx and I made our way to the bikes.
“Tanit doesn’t seem too roughed up.” Onyx stated the obvious.
“Yeah. She looks okay.”
“She still has the hots for you, though.”
“Jesus, Onyx.”
He smirked. “What? You can smell that pussy from a mile away whenever she’s around you.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Onyx snickered then got on his Harley.
I grabbed my lid, and from the corner of my eye I saw Tanit walk my way. No matter how roughed up she was, it didn’t stop her from sashaying those hips of hers tightly hugged with a pair of leather pants.
She pulled the band from her hair, the brown locks falling over her shoulders. “Can I ride—”
Onyx whistled. “Back here, sweetheart.” He motioned to the back of his bike as he started the engine.
Tanit regarded me with huge question marks swirling in her eyes, but I played the fool, pretending I didn’t know what she was trying to do.
She cleared her throat then sauntered to Onyx, getting on behind him.
With a subtle nod, I thanked my little brother for saving my ass from a very uncomfortable situation.
I hated riding with chicks. In fact, no woman had ever had the honor of holding me tight while feeling the power of my Harley between their legs.
To me, it was more intimate than fucking.
A man’s ride was sacred, and you didn’t invite just anyone along.
At least I didn’t. Onyx, on the other hand, really didn’t give a fuck.
He grinned and winked at me, knowing all too well I owed him a fucking favor.
Trick joined Dutch, and our wheels hit the asphalt with a loud roar of engines.
There was nothing like the rumble of pistons firing, the thunderous sound echoing through the dead of night.
It was my favorite time to ride, when the roads were empty, with no other sound than the powerful engine I controlled.
A half hour later, we pulled up the driveway of the safe house, parking our motorcycles at the back.
Tanit got off while Onyx cut the engine, turning toward the house. “Is this ours?”
I didn’t like her use of the word “ours.” It felt wrong.
“Yeah. It belongs to the club.” It was a subtle way of letting her know there was no “ours” in this equation.
Her eyes met mine, her fake lashes so long I could see them through the darkness of early morning.
I cleared my throat and turned to Dutch. “Help the girls settle in.”
He nodded and went inside. Trick followed, but Tanit hesitated, keeping her eyes on me.
I’d seen that look far more times than I’d care to admit.
It was the same look she’d give me while on her knees, eyes tearing up while her mouth was stuffed with my dick.
Funny how that thought no longer appealed to me… at all.
“Go inside, Tanit,” I ordered, not wanting the moment to stretch to the point where it would become uncomfortable.
The heels of her boots clicked as she walked up the porch and into the house.
“Yup, she’d still suck your dick, man.”
I scowled at Onyx. “Shut up.”
“Just sayin’. That woman is like a bitch in heat around you.” He shot me a cocky grin. “Better sleep with one eye open, or you might wake up with the wrong pussy in your bed.”
I shoved him with my shoulder. “Shut the fuck up.”
Fucker was clearly having fun at my expense.
He stepped inside the house, and I took a deep breath while rolling the aches out of my shoulders.
Things could have ended differently for Tanit tonight.
She could have ended up looking like Neon, or worse—if that was even possible.
But, thank God, she didn’t. This club wouldn’t have been able to handle another goddamn crucifixion.
After walking inside, I took the stairs down to the basement. Dutch would have Trick and Tanit down there as well. Now that the Pythons knew about Tanit, having her on their radar, we couldn’t chance it. Hiding the girls was our only option.
Ink approached me when I took the last stair. “One would think it’s the goddamn end of the world with everyone we’re hiding down here.”
“Yeah, well, we don’t have a choice. I’m not risking any of the girls. Especially after—” I bit my tongue.