Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
My worthless father hooks the duffel over his shoulder and turns toward his bike. As he walks away, I steal a glance at Skyler, letting him see how much I love him in my gaze.
But I turn back to watch the man who tortured me walk away because I know what’s coming.
Come on...
Come on...
One phone rings and the sound cuts through the quiet like a gunshot.
Ward doesn’t even look at Gravedigger, the Dagger’s brother who used to try to grab my ass all the time.
“Ignore it,” he orders as he ties the duffel to his bike.
Gravedigger digs his phone out anyway and as soon as he sees it, his forehead wrinkles.
Another phone rings. Followed by two more.
It’s happening. A thrill runs through me, but cold sweat beads between my shoulder blades.
The brother who taught me to ride a motorcycle answers his phone. “What’s wrong?” he asks in a dark tone. He turns to look at the trees, muttering into the phone. “No... that’s impossible.”
Ward is fuming. “What the fuck are you doing? Get on your bikes.”
Nobody moves.
Every man is staring at his phone.
“The Pit Stop?” another stammers, and I cherish watching his face go gray. “What do you mean it’s burning?”
My father rips the phone out of his hand. “The hell are you talking about?”
“It’s Tommy.”
“I don’t give a shit if it’s Jesus Christ.” Ward shoves the phone back against his chest. “Mount up.”
Another ringtone. Now they’re all going off. Every single brother is dragging his phone out as texts and calls fly.
One brother answers then tells his Prez. “The Crow Bar burned down.”
“The Pussy Palace is on fire,” someone yells.
Another of my father’s favorites is pacing with his phone to his ear. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I taste blood watching the reality unfold in front of us.
Beside me, Skull folds his arms.
Ward grabs his man by the front of his cut. “What the fuck did they say?”
“The warehouse on Creek Road is on fire too. The liquor is all going up…”
Almost on cue, the ground gives a low rumble beneath my boots. A second later a deep boom rolls through the valley.
Every Dagger turns toward the black smoke climbing into the sky.
I don’t. Neither does a single King. Ace nods once.
“This ain’t over!” my father roars, pointing at every King one by one. “Every last one of you is dead. You hear me? I’ll kill you all.”
Not a single Dagger.
He spits on the pavement, swings a leg over his Harley, firing the engine and slams it into gear.
The bike fishtails before finding traction, then rockets down the road.
I watch him go. Nobody moves or says a word.
A thin ribbon of gray smoke curls out of the top of the duffel bouncing on the back of his bike.
“Right on time,” Ace says quietly.
Every eye follows the smoke. Ward is too busy throwing one last middle finger over his shoulder.
Poof.
The duffel erupts in a bright orange fireball and the disgraced Prez jerks so hard the bike nearly lays over.
Flaming hundred-dollar bills explode into the air.
For one surreal moment they dance above the highway like burning confetti.
Ward skids to a stop, twisting around, he gapes at the burning money. Fake money.
Behind me, Skull lets out a low whistle. “Damn that was fun as fuck to watch.”
I watch him standing there while fake money burns around his boots.
The fear I’d carried my whole life is gone.
Skyler presses a hot kiss to my neck. “Love you, Chaos Snow.”
I pass the pistol back to Skyler and stand up on my tiptoes, getting close to my husband’s ear. “I love you too. Now we got a marriage to consummate.”
I’m off my feet and over Skyler’s shoulder before I can blink.