Chapter 46
Vincent da Silva
People screamed and shouted, shuffling around to make room, their stunned expressions bouncing between me and the idiot.
“Anyone else know who that is?”
“No, fuck no,” everyone mumbled, their heads shaking.
“Anyone?” I bellowed, stomping to the edge a second time.
“No!”
“Shut the fuck up and show respect.”
Dash came to stand beside me, his other pistol brandished, as well. Our arms stretched taut, three weapons were now pointed, ready to liquidate.
“First, I’d like to address something some of you may have noticed,” The Boss began. “Janelle is no longer with us.”
People started looking around, acting as if they’d forgotten all about her, and I nearly snorted. She was so damn worthless, only used as a cum dumpster between the brothers.
“Last night, I had Vin and Dash get rid of her.”
They were mumbling and not looking at either of us fully.
“I’m afraid my boys got a big problem where she was concerned. If you’ve had any sexual contact with Janelle in the last six months, you need to get yourself down to the clinic on 3rd Street. She was spreading the clap, kiddos. You’re all screwed right now.”
A couple of the men who were in a committed relationship blanched. “Oh, shit,” one of them muttered.
“What the fuck you mean, ‘oh, shit?’” his wife shouted, banging her fists on his arm. “I’m going to fucking kill you, asshole. You fucked that skank?”
“Silent!” Boss boomed, his voice ricocheting around the large space.
“I’ve already spoken to a doctor there that owes me a favor and he’s waiting to see everyone privately and off the books.
Get it taken care of. My people will not be disgusting, diseased riddle hoodlums. We are Serpents, people respect us, as they should.
Clean it up, boys, and in the future, be more careful. ”
“Hey, Judy,” Dash snapped, moving one of the guns in her direction. “Shut the fuck up. Take it home. Now ain’t the time or place.”
Her mouth clamped but silent tears poured down her cheeks, her complexion red, her body shaking. He kept trying to whisper to her and touch her, but she nudged him away each time.
“I think I said take it home,” he repeated, a brow arched.
The two fell quiet but she walked to the other side of the room.
“As we all know, Jackyl is gone. Everything Vin said was, unfortunately, true. Somewhere along the lines, he lost his way and caused a lot of problems I do not want associated with the Serpents. We might be a gang, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have standards or principles.
The things he did were unacceptable and Vin and Dash cleaned up his mess.
“So, it is my honor to appoint Vincent da Silva as his replacement. He is more than qualified to fill those shoes. In fact, I believe he will be even better than Jackyl in some ways.”
Pride prickled through my system, my sight lifting to the office window with a small smile. “Thank you, sir.”
“My pleasure, son. I am expecting everyone to accept my choice and abide by his rules, for he speaks for me when I cannot. Is that understood?”
No one said anything, but some heads were bobbing.
“If I find out at any time in the future, whether it be tonight, tomorrow, next year, or ten years from now that you got a problem with Vin or Dash, you will answer to me and I promise you, kiddos, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
You think Jackyl was bad? Or Vin and Dash?
Wait until you come face to face with me, it’ll be the last one you ever see. ”
The gang grew uncomfortable, which was good, because I knew what was about to be discussed next. A major truth bomb was about to be detonated right in the middle of everything.
“Which brings me to my next point. We are slowly winding down 2019 and society, as a whole, has come a long way. You are my family, you are all my sons and daughters, and in my family, we keep open minds about everything. You have to to be in this line of business. Not everything’s so cut and dry.”
My pulse quickened and my muscles tensed as I cast another anxious glimpse at Dash. He was still as cool as before on the outside, his expression hard and unforgiving.
“I’m not gonna beat around the bush on this matter, I’m just going to state it as it is, a fact.
Nothing more, nothing less, just a fact as simple as stating someone’s hair color.
It doesn’t change people, their actions, their beliefs, or their characters, so there best not be any issues with what I’m about to reveal.
Is that understood?” he boomed, echoing a second time.
“Yes, sir,” people muttered, already agreeing, though they had no idea to what.
“Then it’s settled. No one’s gonna give Vin or Dash any problems because they’re gonna get married one day. Right?” he shouted a third time.
More gasps and gawks, no one saying a goddamn thing. My brow arching, I briefly paused my sight on Tinkerbell who was writhing with fury, unshed tears in her eyes, her nostrils flaring as she heaved with labored breaths. Yeah, she might cause a few problems.
Dash was grinning ear to ear, his stance straightening and his chest puffing with pride.
“Goddamn, that feels kinda good, huh, Vin?” Checking his emotions, he cleared his throat and resumed scowling, his fingers uncurling and curling around the guns.
“Ahem. I mean, that’s right, goddammit. We ain’t gonna hear no shit from no one, right? ”
“But…you’re totally anti-gay,” someone offered.
He bristled and leaned to the left, shoving that arm forward. “Say it again, bitch. You wanna be buried, too? Say it again.”
“N-No, I’m just—”
He growled and pulled the trigger, shooting him in the leg. The man howled and fell to the floor, grabbing the wound and rocking, dripping sweat.
“Ah, fuck!”
“Now do you got something to say?”
“No, god, no. Ah, shit.”
“Don’t you fucking dare help him,” Dash shouted and swung the gun to point at someone else rushing over. “Now, does any other motherfucker up in here got a problem with me getting the gayness? Huh?”
I almost snorted that he still used that word. Apparently, I could change his sexual orientation, but not his vocabulary.
“Are we done with this now?” Boss argued, crossing his arms.
The gang mumbled and bowed their heads.
“Fine. Congratulate your new leaders—”
Dash blanched and spun around to gawk at the wall, whispering, “Leaders?”
“On their new ranks and their upcoming nuptials. Show them the same respect you gave Jackyl. You’ve already seen what disrespect gets in the Serpents. Shape it up or get out. And you know there’s only one way out. Signing off, kiddos. Behave. If not, say goodbye.”
The call ended and the wall went dark. I glanced up at the office and gave a small nod, knowing he was peeking through the blinds.
Focusing on the gang, I slowly uncocked the gun and lowered my arm.
“You heard The Boss. We are a family, nothing’s changed about that.
Now Jackyl’s already been buried, I saw to it with Boss’ help and, no, ain’t no one gonna know where it’s at.
Just know, despite the things he did, he was given a respectful service and a proper burial with a headstone and all. ”
Inch by inch, Dash withdrew from his defense stance, as well, lowering – but not uncocking – his weapons.
Closing the gap between us, he stood beside me, his chin lifted defiantly.
“Yeah, I get it, some of y’all got questions about me, and I understand it.
No, I ain’t answering them. Just know things have changed and this,” he snapped, pointing to the floor with a gun.
“Is how things are from here on out. This,” he went on, waving that same gun back and forth between me and him.
“Changes nothing.” He sliced that arm through the air, making everyone nervous that he was so freely swinging a cocked gun around.
“I know some might be worried about what other gangs will say or do when they find out, but.” He snorted, shrugging both hands out now.
“If anything, we’re a little more ruthless. ”
“As was proven today,” I snickered, tugging at an earlobe.
“If you guys thought we’d risk it all for one another as friends, think about the lengths we’re gonna go to as a couple.”
Someone snickered, his gun pointed, and he shut up.
“Ain’t none of this changing nothing!” he barked again. “If you don’t like the changes, then move on, but don’t let us find you, cuz it won’t end well for you.”
“Loyalty should not be contingent on what someone does in their bedroom,” I shouted. “Me and Dash have always lived for the Serpents, we’ve always made y’all our first priority. Anyone standing here right now who wants to deny it is a fucking liar.
“Our priorities to the Serpents has not changed. Our priorities to you have not changed. At any given moment of the day, we are willing to put our lives on the line for you.” My teeth gritted, I sneered, “I expect the same in return, regardless of our personal relationship. I have already been given clear cut and strict orders from The Boss that if anyone even so much as makes us suspicious of their allegiance to the Serpents…to all of us, including your new leaders, then we are to liquidate, and that means everything tied to you,” I stressed with lifted brows with a slight pause to let the severity of those words sink in.
“As we see fit. Are we all on the same page, here?” I barked loudly.
“Yes, sir,” they grumbled somewhat in unison.
“Do Dash and me got any reason to worry about our brothers and sisters? The same ones we’ve fought with and protected since we was kids?”
“No, sir.”
“Great. Now, I’m aware that everyone has heard about Tiny leaving town after what happened.
She is returning next week and there will be a celebration at my place.
Just a simple BBQ, bring what you want and if you can’t, no worries, you’ll be taken care of.
I understand a lot has happened in a very short amount of time, but the same rules apply.
We are still a goddamn family, we are still the Serpents, the baddest motherfuckers in Alabama.
We are still,” I emphasized and pointed to the ground.
“The ones who own this goddamn town. Don’t let nothing that happened these last couple weeks twist things up.
“If you are here, you are better than everyone else because not everyone who shows interest in the Serpents gets in. Very few people, in fact. We ain’t a big gang, but we don’t gotta be because what we lack in quantity, we outnumber in quality.
Them other gangs can only wish to be as good as we are. ”
Their moods started shifting, their heads bobbing in agreement, some shouting a “Hell, yeah,” here or there.
“There isn’t one person in this group right now that hasn’t sacrificed something for someone else here, and I expect it to stay that way cuz that’s what family does.
We ain’t about to let outside forces fuck up our unity, I’m not about to let it happen inside.
I understand the confusion about me and Dash, but don’t forget what we were in your eyes two months ago when we all last got together. We are the same.”
“We’re stronger,” Dash chimed in, uncocking one of the guns.
“There was a disease inside of us, a fucking cancer that went unnoticed for years with Jackyl, but we cut that cancer out and now we got no secrets. We are all Serpents in this room, and before we became that, none of us had no one else. We stepped up to the plate for one another when no one else would. We are and always will be, brothers and sisters.”
More people agreed, some waving fists in the air.
“So, let’s put this whole, ugly mess with Jackyl in the past, forget about what me and Dash do at home, and get back to what we always was.”
The grumble amongst them was weak, but hopeful, for there was very little animosity staring back at us now. Mostly, it was coming from Tinkerbell because her ego was wounded.
“All right, then. Unless anyone got something to say, we’re done for the night.”
Very slowly, the crowd dispersed, Charlie hobbling off, Judy cursing out her husband, and people stepping over Sam’s body bleeding out on the floor.
Tinkerbell lingered longer than most, her face scrunched, daggers shooting from her eyes.
Huffing, she spun on her heel and stamped off, her hands propped on her hips.
The chaos fizzling, my insides sank and my muscles relaxed. Turning to Dash, I smirked and jutted my chin. Grinning, he strode over to me and planted a quick kiss to my lips.
“See?” he chuckled. “Easy.”
A soft laugh pushed through my nose. “Easy? What the hell are we gonna do about him?” I grumbled, swiping an arm at the dead man.
He pouted, tipping his head to scratch behind an ear. “Huh. No idea. Other than him,” he stressed, uncocked the other pistol, and tucked them into the waist of his jeans. “Everything was pretty easy.”
Grinning, I shook my head. “Yeah, well, don’t be too quick to think that.”
“What?”
“You heard what The Boss said. Leaders. Plural. You and me, we’re running the Serpents together.”
His expression fell and he gulped. “Yeah, I heard that. You knew about this?”
“I did.”
“And didn’t tell me?”
“Wasn’t allowed.”
“Holy shit.” His eyes bulging, a hand raked through his hair. “This is blowing my fucking mind right now.”
“Well, prepared for it to be blown a little more.”
He squinted and cast a sideways look. “What’s that supposed to mean? There’s more?”
“Yup. Time to meet The Boss face to face.”
His jaw fell with astonishment, his skin turning ghostly white. “What?”
Smiling, I took his hand, pressed a kiss to his knuckles, and dragged him off the platform, leading him to the far room.
As we climbed the steps to the office, I glanced back at the dead body and cursed.
We still had a very long night ahead of us.
It would be near morning before we were crawling into bed.
My heart pattering quickly, I couldn’t help the small, mischief smirk. But at the end of this day, I’d be crawling into bed with my future husband, a husband that was not secret who was not hiding me. This was everything I’d always longed for.