Chapter Twelve #2
“They have a so-called truce with the arranged marriage, but another thing I want more information on is that woman and the deal they made. Grudges like the one between those two families don’t just go away. There is more going on there. It could be leverage.”
Jesus, here I am acting like a fucking prospect when Nero is planning five steps ahead.
“Get Fury briefed on this and have everyone ready for whatever Wallen is bringing to Baltimore. I’m going to put Razer and Nashville on the Sinners.”
“Nashville won’t be happy he isn’t getting a piece of Kivisto.”
“Which is exactly why he isn’t. He’s still dealing with the shit he saw with Sheridan. And his old lady was dragged into this,” he lets out a heavy sigh. “It’s hard to focus on doing the right thing when the person you love is in danger.”
He’s right again. Not that Nashville can’t use his head over his emotions, it’s not like he’s relegating him to a menial task. Handling the Demon Sinners won’t be easy.
“And Beast?”
“Has enough on his plate.” When he doesn’t elaborate, I don’t ask any more questions. “You gonna stop acting like a fucking idiot now?”
We face off for a moment, then I look away.
“Fill everyone in on the plan.”
He’s giving me back the control that goes with my role in the club. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to tell Taylor she is taking a leave of absence from work.”
“Fuck,” I cringe. In a way, that is tougher than what the rest of us have to do. Taylor will not like that at all.
“Get moving on this. We don’t have time to be complacent or arguing among ourselves,” Nero reminds me.
My mind is racing as I drive away from his house.
I intend to do as he asked, but there is one thing I have to do first. Raven doesn’t live too far from Blackhawk Ink in Canton, her place is above a deli, and I have a key to the side entrance that leads upstairs.
The smell coming from the store makes me hungry, but I have too much to do to stop and eat.
I’m not quiet when I jog up the stairs, alerting my sister that someone is coming up.
When I let myself in, it isn’t Raven waiting.
It’s a girl with long blonde hair, and a metal griddle is swinging straight for my head.
I duck out of the way and hold my arm up as she goes for me again, managing to grab her wrist and pull the griddle out of her hand, and she shrieks loud enough to burst my eardrums.
“Get out!” She yells.
“Calm the fuck down,” I yell back. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
She can’t hear me over the screaming, and she raises her hands as if she is about to charge. What is it with me and women trying to attack me?
“What the hell is going on?”
My sister comes running down the hallway wrapped in a towel, her dark hair soaking wet and plastered to her forehead and shoulders. The towel slips, and she scrambles to grab it.
I cover my eyes because I don’t want to see anything that will traumatize me for life, but that gives the kid a chance to punch my shoulder. It doesn’t hurt, but it pisses me off.
“Stop it,” I turn toward her.
“Tink it’s fine,” Raven walks over, having better control of the towel, and getting between us. “It’s my idiot brother. He has a key.”
“Idiot?” I snap. “She’s the one attacking me.”
“You’re a stranger and you just walked in without knocking!” The girl shouts back.
“Both of you stop screeching.” Raven puts a hand on the girl’s forearm and guides her back, giving me a dirty look. “Didn’t I tell you to stop letting yourself in here? One of these days you’re gonna walk in on me getting railed.”
I fake retch. It’s bad enough seeing her in a towel. While I shut the door, Raven takes the girl into the bedroom. My sister’s tidy apartment isn’t so perfect right now. She only has one bedroom, so the kid has been sleeping on the couch, and it’s obvious she isn’t as neat as Raven.
This shit has got to stop. Beast has to get his kid out of Raven’s apartment. My sister is being too nice because she feels bad for her, even though she keeps threatening to do it.
“Jesus.” Raven is wearing sweats and a long t-shirt that almost reaches her knees. “What are you doing here?” She drags her fingers through her wet hair.
“Making sure you do as you’re told.”
Her brow lifts, and she pauses in her detangling. I used to hate sharing a bathroom with her. Her long hair was always blocking the drain, and her girly shit covered the counter.
“I heard you loud and clear. How long am I supposed to keep the bar closed?”
“A couple of days. You need to stay away from the clubhouse.”
“Jesus River. What’s going on?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Come on, it’s just us here. How serious is this? And don’t lie to me. Taylor got hurt and Ellie was stabbed. Do I need to be worried about my safety?”
It’s a logical leap for her. I’m determined to keep my sister safe. It’s rare I tell her anything about what is going on, but this isn’t like anything we’ve faced before. And as someone who grew up around the MC, she’s got a better understanding than most women.
“Another MC has come to town.”
“Without telling you?” she asks, her knowledge doesn’t surprise me.
“They’re not friendly and they’ve been spotted checking out the clubhouse.”
“That’s who Kinsley saw the other night, isn’t it?”
Fuck. Women and their inability to keep their mouths shut. “I need you to promise you’ll stay away. Hang out with Lucky and Phoenix.”
“You don’t need to tell me to stick around the guys at the tattoo shop. I can take care of myself.”
“Humor me.”
She stops and stares, that little perplexed line appearing between her eyebrows.
“Don’t ask me anything else.”
“Are you in danger?”
She isn’t surprised I don’t answer. My look says enough. Music plays down the hall, and we both glance that way.
“What’s going on with that?”
“You tell me.” She turns and drops into the chair she keeps close to the window so she can watch people outside.
“I’ll talk to Beast. It might be best she stays here a little longer.”
“Tink’s not a bad kid,” Raven says, from the loudness of the music it’s clear Tink can’t hear us.
“She’s hurting, it’s only been a few months since she lost her mom.
I get Beast is shocked finding out he has a teenage daughter and has no clue what to do with her, but he can’t hide from her forever.
She’s only seventeen. He’s her dad. She needs him. ”
Silence lingers between us. Our dad was in the Marine Corps and was away a lot when we were younger. He was killed while deployed in the Middle East when I was thirteen. It hit both of us hard, but Raven was a daddy’s girl, it took her longer to get over. She can relate to how this kid is feeling.
“Promise you’ll stay away from the bar. It’ll only be for a few days, a week max. We’re going to deal with this so things can get back to normal.”
“What about Kinsley?”
My heart pounds and I look away from her, which is the worst possible thing I could have done. “What about her?”
“Who’s looking out for her?”
“Nero will keep an eye on things.”
“Hmm.”
“What does that mean?”
Her head cocks to the side, and I make the mistake of making eye contact. “I’m not blind.”
“We’re done here.”
“River.”
“Nope.”
“I promise I’ll stay away from the bar if you promise you’ll stay away from her.”
“What do you think is going to happen to her if I don’t? Which I intend to do,” I add on.
This conversation is not happening.
“Good luck with that,” I point to where the loud music is coming from. “Stay local.”
“Fine,” she slaps her thighs and gets up.
Before I can dodge out of the way, she pulls me into a hug, wrapping her arms around my waist. I throw one arm over her shoulder, pat her back, and pull away. She wants to tell me to be careful, but she is superstitious about stuff like that.
My sister might be a pain in the ass, but she understands if I show up at her place and ask her to listen, then it is serious. I don’t need to worry about her.
And I sure as hell can’t afford to be worrying about anyone else.