Chapter 20
KEVLAR
Leaving Rosemary to her own devices is the last thing I want to do, but in order to fix this shit, I have no other choice at the moment. I’ve got to find out what Vulture’s found and let them in on what I found out from my brother, as well as my woman.
By the time she finished telling me all she did this morning, I knew she wasn’t hiding anything else.
She came clean with me, and I’m glad for that, even if it pisses me off to know all the shit she’s been through.
To make matters worse, she kept it from those who would have been there for her when she needed them most.
My phone rings as I step into church. Normally, I wouldn’t answer it, but I pull my phone out in order to see who it is. With Zain on the way, I want to make sure he’s good. Seeing that it’s Cobra, I grit my teeth and answer, “Yeah.”
“Got an anonymous call two hours ago about finding something interesting at the base of the mountain not far from where our clubhouse is.”
“And why are you calling me about this?” I demand, my gut tightening. Whatever it is, I’m not going to like it.
“Because that something interesting is none other than the bitch who spawned my sister and me,” Cobra announces, the tone of his voice venomous. “She’s dead, and there was a message carved into her forehead.”
Oh fuck.
“What was the message?” I swing my gaze toward Viper and Cyprus to find them both staring at me with looks of demand. They want to know what’s happening.
“Message was simple enough. I’ve taken a picture of it and sent it to your phone.”
I yank the phone from my ear, put it on speaker, and pull up Cobra’s message. The sight of a woman who looks so much Rosemary is propped up against the trunk of a tree. Carved into her forehead, is none other than the name Rosie. The fucker dared to call my woman by a name only we use.
“Fuckin’ hell,” I growl and turn the phone to show the others. “Anything else left with it?”
“No, but the message is clear enough.” Cobra growls.
“That’s for damn sure.” Viper sneers.
“The bastard’s done being second in command and taking over,” I grit out.
“Meaning we need to step up our game.” I shake my head and turn my phone back to me.
“Thanks for the call, Cobra.” I don’t bother waiting for him to say anything further.
I hang up and shove the damn phone back in my pocket and throw myself in my chair across from Cyprus and next to Wolf.
Silence descends, and I take the moment to think about everything I’ve learned and the fact Enyo is now dead.
Dominic raped my woman years ago. It had to be at his hands Enyo died.
He took Rosemary and held her captive. Forced her to fight.
Threatened her. He’s had to keep track of her all these years.
But how? How was he able to keep her in his sights?
He knew about the trackers that were now missing.
Fuck.
This shit just keeps getting better and better. That’s for damn sure. To ensure my woman’s safe, it looks like we’re going to have to find a way to take these motherfuckers out once and for all.
“You sure about this, Kevlar?” Aries asks two hours later.
During church earlier, I’d told them what my brother said and how he’s moving to the area. I also informed them of who adopted Joshua, and that in itself was like a bomb dropped.
Alec Mahoney might be known for his security company, but he was also a force to be reckoned with.
No one messed with Mahoney Security or those under his protection.
He has no problem getting involved if he has to, but from what my brother said, he’s leaving this to us and taking his wife and kid on vacation.
This part is good. We don’t have to worry about him stepping into the fray.
“I’m sure,” I grumble, nodding as I climb off the back of my bike outside the building we’d gone to the night Rosemary fought.
I decided to devise a plan while we were in church, and I’m here to see it through.
I hadn’t told Rosemary where I was heading out to.
No way in hell she’d agree to it. But I meant what I said when I told her she was mine.
I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays safe. That includes what I’m about to do.
For the most part, my brothers stayed behind. Viper didn’t like it, and neither did Cyprus, but this is my fight, and I’m going to face off with Dominic myself. Still, Viper ordered Aries, Wolf, Falcon, and Dutch to come with me. The three of them know this is my fight, even if they don’t like it.
“I think we should just go in and kill the fucker and the rest of them, now,” Dutch remarks, his lip curling in disgust.
“We do that, then we won’t be able to find out what else we need to know in order to shut this bitch down,” Wolf reminds Dutch.
“I know, but damnit, the fucker deserves to die, and so does every last one who thinks this shit is okay. It fuckin’ ain’t.”
I focus a look on Dutch, seeing more than he probably wants to let anyone see. Something’s up with him, I just don’t know what it is. I’ll have to remember to ask him and find out what’s going on with him. For now, though, my focus needs to be on the plan we’ve got.
Swinging a leg over, I straighten from my bike. “Let’s just get this done with. I want to get back to Rosemary before she starts to suspect what I’m doing and starts asking questions.”
“Just saying this isn’t a good idea,” Aries grumbles, coming up to stand beside me.
“Brother, you know he ain’t gonna back down from this. Not after all that we’ve found out during church.” Wolf snorts, coming to stand on my other side. “How about we just get in there and see what happens?”
“If guns are pulled, I’m going to shoot back,” Falcon remarks, a sly grin pulling at his lips.
The bastard is always a little too trigger-happy.
Hell, his name should’ve been Trigger rather than Falcon, considering he’s one hell of a shot.
But they called him Falcon for his sharp instinct and eyes.
It’s like he sees shit we don’t see right away.
“That happens, feel free to shoot to kill.” I shrug and start for the doors, eyes on the men standing in front of them.
“We’re closed,” the beefier one declares when we’re in hearing distance.
“I want to meet with Dominic. Let ’em know Kevlar’s here to see him,” I command. I’m not about to let this bastard think I’ll simply walk away. Not until he and I speak.
The smaller dickhead pulls a phone out and makes the call, both still glaring at the lot of us, trying to look intimating which they’re nothing more than some steroid junkies who need to lay off stimulants.
Getting off the phone, he nods while putting the cell back in his pocket. “He says to send you in.”
“Smart move,” Dutch mutters, right behind me.
I make a grunting noise in the back of my throat and make my way past the two men and into the building. There are a few other men just inside, waiting for the five of us. Without a word, they show us toward Dominic’s office.
My eyes lock with the other man’s the instant I pass the threshold.
“Where’s my property?” Dominic demands, eyes watching me assessingly.
“Safe away from you.” I shrug, not giving in to this bastard.
“Then what may I ask you is your reasoning for being here?” Dominic cocks a brow and crosses his arms.
“Got a deal for you.” I step closer, my brothers all coming in behind me.
“And what would that deal be?”
“You want Rosemary to finish the fights to earn her freedom. You know I’m not about to let you have my woman. Rosemary is mine, and I’ll be damned if she’ll do something that’s going to hurt her again.”
“Then I’ll simply have to kill you all and take her,” he states, waving a hand nonchalantly.
“You didn’t let me finish,” I grunt, sliding my hands in the pockets of my cut giving the appearance that his threat doesn’t bother me.
“Well then, by all means, finish.”
Someone needs to gut this smug bastard.
“Rosemary fought six fights and won so far. She’s got fourteen more to go before you allow her freedom. What we’re offering you is fourteen fights. One night and fourteen club members will fight.”
Dominic bursts out laughing. “Oh, this is good.” He chuckles. “You want to take the rest of her fights? Do you all realize these fights are death matches? You will all have to fight until you kill or be killed?”
“We’re aware of what a death match is,” I grind out, wishing I could simply kill the fucker. “However, there’s one stipulation to the matches.”
“Oh no.” Dominic loses the grin and narrows his gaze. “That’s not how this works. You see, if I agree to this, then I’ll need a little assurance that you all won’t back out of the deal.”
“You didn’t let me finish with my stipulation,” I counter.
“Not how it’s going to work.” Dominic sneers.
“You want to take the fights, then so be it, but until the night of the fights, you stay here. Then, the night of them, I want Rosemary here. She’ll watch what your little club is doing for her.
The first man from your club who dies will end the deal, and Rosemary leaves with me.
If you beat me, then she’ll be free to leave. ”
“Fine, you have a deal, but my match will be against you,” I declare, not even worrying about the fact he’s demanding I stay here until the night of the fights. Long as, in the end, Rosemary will be free of this fucker then so fucking be it.
Dominic levels a glare on me a moment before he smirks sadistically. “Fine, you want to fight me. Then we’ll fight. Make it the main event of the evening.”
“I’ll look forward to beating your ass.” I sneer.
“The fight is in roughly two weeks. Give or take a few days. Until then, you will stay and train here.” Dominic cackles. “The rest of you will show up at four in the afternoon, prepared to fight those we line you up with.”
Without responding to him, I turn toward my brothers. “Take care of Rosemary, tell her I’ll be okay,” I say while handing Aries all of the stuff from my pockets and my cut. No way will I leave anything of mine here for this douchebag to touch. “Let her know this is my decision.”
“I’ll let her know you decided to be a dumbass,” Aries remarks, shaking his head.
I smirk and stare at him knowingly. Aries knows me.
He knows what I’m like in a fight. I’ll survive the next two weeks here.
It’ll only be a taste of what Rosemary endured.
Hell, it probably won’t come close, and that’s okay.
I’ll take it and whatever else comes my way in the time frame.
As long as in two weeks, she’s free of this life and this bastard.
Dominic agreed to fight me. He knows it’s a death match and I’m sure he’ll cheat along the way, trying to make me weak in some shape or form.
Still, I’ll be ready for whatever comes my way.