Chapter Twenty-Two #2
“Kinsley,” Nero puts Oscar out of his mind. “How is Father Eastwood?”
“He’ll make it, barring any complications.”
Nero doesn’t hide his feelings on that. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Marisol isn’t okay.”
Pain crosses his face. I watch Kinsley closely to see her reaction. Her brows furrow expecting something different.
“She was always welcoming to us, she’ll be missed by everyone.”
Even Kinsley hears the sincerity in his words. I expect that will not be the end of her questions, Colton might be safe in the hospital, but she wants to know this won’t happen again. There is no harm in her asking for reassurance.
What I’m not expecting are the words that come out of her mouth, or the way she stands in front of Nero like she’s about to rip him a new one if he doesn’t tell her what she wants to hear.
“We need to talk about the men who shot my cousin and what you’re going to do about it.”
The people closest to us stop talking and look around. Beast shifts in his seat, and Taylor turns to look over when she realizes the atmosphere change. Nero doesn’t take his eyes off Kinsley.
I should have known she’d do this. Kinsley isn’t someone who sits back and lets shit happen around her. Not after what happened with Eloise.
She doesn’t want to be weak like that ever again.
She should have fucking told me what she was going to say. Or asked me instead. I could have talked her out of it, or told her how to handle it. You don’t just walk up to the president and demand he tells her how he will deal with killers.
It’s on me. For bringing her here, for telling her we’ve caught them. I should drag her out of here and spank her ass.
“What makes you think I’m able to do anything about it?” Nero asks.
“You won’t let something like this lie. If I’ve learned anything about this MC, it’s that you give a shit. I’ve been around another MC who took whatever they wanted, when they wanted and didn’t care who got in their way, or who they hurt.”
Great, something else I need Blaze to look into. That guy Kane has got something coming to him at the very least. Nero will want to know who she is referring to.
“Hey, why don’t we get a drink, let everyone get their bearings, and then you guys can talk. I’m Taylor.” She holds out her hand.
Kinsley stares between the three of us then turns to Nero. “If you let Taylor out of her ivory tower, then you feel comfortable enough-”
“Kinsley,” I snap. My tone has her twisting her whole body toward me, and she is not happy.
“Rebel, it’s fine,” Taylor puts a hand on my arm. “Cut her some slack, she’s been through a lot, and I’m not offended. You two go talk, and Kinsley and I will chat.”
Without a care for her own safety, not that I think Kinsley will harm her, Taylor takes her hand and pulls her between me and Nero, heading for the corridor that leads to the bar. I’m not sure if Raven is there, but another friendly face might help calm Kinsley down.
“That is the woman you want to get involved with?” Nero indicates Kinsley.
“No. Don’t be ridiculous.” What is he even talking about? I’m not getting involved with Kinsley, it’s just… sex. Fuck him and his stupid questions. “I don’t want to talk about her.” My tone says that is final.
Nero looks at me like he knows I’m lying but I refuse to show him anything when it comes to Kinsley, or more than I’ve already shown tonight.
“Beast,” he says. “Call everyone in but give me and Rebel ten minutes.”
Beast nods and gives me a look that says I fucked up. He doesn’t need to tell me that. Nero heads for the stairs, and Beast gets to his feet.
“I think this is going to take more than ten minutes,” he laughs.
“Fuck you.”
“Good luck.”
“Just watch them, asshole,” I say, waving him off.
He laughs and follows Taylor and Kinsley as if he was planning to do it anyway, taking out his phone to send a group text to the council. It’s strange to see the surly asshole smiling again. I close the door when I get upstairs. Nero is standing by the window overlooking the church.
I join him and we both watch two priests shaking hands with the people praying outside.
“There could be issues with that,” Nero dips his head toward them. “Colton will not be around for a while. Whoever replaces him won’t appreciate our relationship.”
“They blame us for what happened, Atom said they’re trying to push them out of the hospital.”
“Call them off. No one is going to go after him. This is about us, we know that.”
We watch until the priests disappear inside and it’s not lost on me that the person who would normally clear this kind of thing up is the one the flowers are being left for. I didn’t know Marisol well, but she didn’t deserve to lose her life like this.
“Why don’t we talk about what the fuck that was down there?”
“She has her own way of dealing with things.”
“We all have women who speak their minds. I know that shit well enough, and Nashville has his hands full with Charley. How much does she know?”
“Kinsley is the one who told us about the Demon Sinners being in Baltimore. She saw their cuts the other night,” I tell him as I drag out a chair and sit down. “It wasn’t hard for her to connect the dots.”
“She’s got a set of balls on her.”
It’s hard to hide the smirk.
“Think you can handle that?”
“We don’t need to worry about what I can and can’t handle with her.”
“She got to you.”