Chapter 11 #2
That statement means I won’t get to know anything else.
Judge
We pull into the compound, and I carry Evie up the stairs. She protests the whole way. In the bathroom, I strip her and myself before walking us under the multiheaded shower and washing her off. She is covered in Justin’s blood and brain matter, which I assume is from the detective.
Cupping her stomach, I say, “Baby, I can’t lose either of you. I wouldn’t survive it.” My forehead falls to hers, and my body locks up with emotion.
Just the thought of what could have happened to her tears me up inside. If Justin had raped her, I’d drop him in a vat of acid while still alive. If he’d hurt her, I’d keep him breathing, torturing him until the pain subsided, which would be never. My mind would become unhinged without her.
When she’s completely clean, I drag her to straddle me on the bench and get her dirty again before cleaning her up once more and carrying her tired body to bed.
I climb in naked with her as she sleeps and rejuvenates, but as time passes, ignoring all the phone messages is no longer an option, so I begrudgingly get up and head to my office.
My men are all waiting for me.
“Church,” I say, and everyone drops their cell phones into the locker that only a few of us have the combo to, and steps into the vault-style room. No devices are capable of recording in here.
Lach leans against the wall, paying me no attention. All the other board members, including Torch, are at the table with a few members standing around. He and Ruby arrived an hour ago, and she has been secured in his third-floor suite since.
Not wanting Chump to figure out we’re discussing him, I leave Rusty and Loco out there as well. No prospects and no nomads allowed.
“Start the vote first by patching in Rusty and Loco?” I ask.
We go around the table, beginning with our Sgt.
at Arms, Spike; then Road Captain, Racer; next is secretary, Spider; treasurer, Hooks; enforcer, Hammer; tail gunner, Gus; then our Chaplain, Grave, and finally my second-in-command, Torch.
All vote yea. Mal, Lach, and Law all agree, even though their votes don’t really count.
“I’ve already got the patches for their current vests, but I had new vests made too,” Grave offers.
“Good,” I respond. “They will be perfect additions to the crew. Rusty is a cleaner, which will help us immensely. His knowledge of chemicals surpasses even my best scientist at the factory.”
“You should have seen how he left the motel. There’ll be no doubt that Justin killed Paris, and your ol’ lady was never spotted. Along with us never being there either,” Hammer chuckles.
“Is Justin waiting for me?”
“Yes,” is all Hammer has to say.
“I’m having Ruby sit with Evie while we take care of him and question him about this Kurti guy.”
“All I can find on Kurti is that he’s Albanian. Is he the loan shark or boss?” Mal asks.
“No, that’s Bersha. Keep searching.” I pause for a moment, then bring up the next topic of discussion. My woman’s life was jeopardized because of this asshole. “Thoughts on Chump.”
“Well, he got his nickname for a reason,” Spider quips.
“This isn’t a joke.” I shake my head. “That fucker could have cost me not only my baby but my woman carrying it. I want him thoroughly questioned about today. I want an eye kept on him. He’s staying a prospect, too, until getting things straight with him.
Evie has asked that he no longer be on her detail, so I’ll be looking for someone else. ”
Hammer interjects, “I have a woman who works with me that I’d consider bringing over. She’s not a part of the club and would only be Evie’s guard when she’s off the compound. What do you think?”
“Let me think about it. That’s a good idea, though. I want you to question Chump.”
“Okay, I’ll send her file to you. Mal has already done a deep dive on her. As for Chump, I’m all over him.”
“Yep,” Mal confirms.
We break and file back out. Our cell phones get unlocked from their box, and after that, Grave congratulates Loco and Rusty. I watch as Chump gets pissed and walks off. Hammer follows along; he’ll get any information out of him that there is, even if he must torture him for it.
“Loco, you stay here with the girls,” I order, and he affirms.
A text to Evie is next, letting her know I’ll be leaving the compound for a bit. She doesn’t respond, but I notice Torch messaging someone and figure it's Ruby.
Grabbing Rusty, Spike, and Torch, when he’s through, we head to the factory.
By the time we get there, the business is running on its evening skeleton crew.
The factory produces agrochemicals for farmers nationwide.
However, a byproduct used now and by the previous business is hydrofluoric acid.
It won’t completely dissolve bones or skin, but it will kill, and it’s painful—exactly what I need.
We step into the sterilized gowning station and put on protective gear before shuffling into the room where Rusty left Justin.
He’s hanging from a hook but is attached to an IV bag with medications to keep him alive until I’m ready for him to die.
The dick shot should have killed him, but we saved him instead, to finish him off this way.
Same with Torch: Justin didn’t get to Ruby, but Torch is given his due for the threats to her.
“Hello, Justin,” I chuckle as I get close to him. I’m in a bright-white hazmat suit with the protective face shield on. “You tried to rape my woman.”
“I didn’t. Let me go. I have money.”
“No, you don’t. You caused your family’s bankruptcy with your scams and illegal insider trading. You are days from being arrested, but you aren’t scared of that. You’re scared of the loan sharks you owe money to, the Albanians.” I shake my head, disgusted with him.
“How do you know?”
“We know everything now.”
“Please, Evie wouldn’t want you to kill me.” He tries to appeal to me, but I can’t contain my uproarious laughter.
“You really are an idiot. She wants you dead so her family will be safe from you.”
“My family will look for me.”
“I doubt it. They got on a jet for Bali today. They are getting away from you.”
“No, they wouldn’t leave me.”
“It doesn’t matter. Who is Kurti?”
He chuckles now. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I nod to Rusty, who hits the button, and the crane slowly lowers Justin to the surface. “I’m not afraid of water.” He continues to laugh.
“Wrong. That’s hydrofluoric acid. It won’t dissolve you entirely, but it will sure hurt like hell. I don’t need you dissolved, though. I do own a pet crematorium. But you knew that.”
“It wasn’t my idea to go after you. I was pissed that you caught Evie’s eye, but he wanted revenge. He said he was due.”
“Who is he?”
Justin’s feet enter the acid, and his flesh begins to smoke.
“I don’t know. I never met him. Dean knew him. It was all Dean. Ask him.”
“I can’t, he’s dead for raping a woman.”
“Fuck,” Justin screams.
Rusty keeps lowering him into the acid. It’s to his knees, and I know from experience that we don’t have much more time. It’s entering his bloodstream and will kill him soon enough.
“Shut up, Justin.” I walk closer, not stepping within the splash range. “I can get you treatment, and you’ll live if you tell me something.” I nod at Rusty, who raises Justin’s body slightly.
Justin flops around like a soon-to-die fish on a hook. Acid flies around, but I know I’m safe.
As he slows down, aware he’s dying, he looks me in the eyes and says, “He’s going to kill all of you Knights, even Evelise. I’m going to watch you from Heaven.”
I drop my hand, and Rusty drops him. “You’ll be watching from Hell, asshole.”
Justin only flounders for a few more moments before he’s down. Rusty pulls him out of the vat, then over to the water, where he rinses off the body so we can dispose of him safely.
“What the fuck are we going to do?” Torch asks, and I realize I only have one more person to talk to.
“I must talk to my father. This has nothing to do with the Kings but our family instead.”
By the time we make it back to the compound, Evie and Ruby are in the kitchen, cooking and visiting.
I walk over and pull my woman into my arms, glad she’s safe with me.
I spend time with her before trying to call my father, but they must be in a remote location, so a call won’t get through to him right now.
It will be something I’ll have to talk to him about when they’re home for the holidays.