I lean down into her face. “Liar,” I hiss.
She sighs, squeezing her eyes shut for a split second. “Look, it was me and my dad, okay? The club had nothing to do with it.”
“So, Ruben wasn’t coming after me because I killed Luke McKenzie?” I probe.
“Yes. He wanted you dead for that, and that stupid asshole Corr was supposed to take care of you at the training facility, but that was before Ruben was arrested and the club came under new leadership. The order went out that you weren’t to be touched, forcing us to take matters into our own hands.”
My eyes meet Galen’s as I try to work out if she’s telling us the truth or not. His gaze suggests he’s as suspicious as I am.
“If you wanted revenge for your sister’s murder, why target the guys?” I ask.
“They weren’t innocent either. They used Parker’s intel to burn the drug house down, and then they tossed her aside like she hadn’t helped them.”
“Parker was a conniving cunt who was playing every angle,” Galen says. “She turned up at the fight on the losing side. That was her choice, not ours.”
“It doesn’t fucking matter!” she shouts, nostrils flaring again. The chair screeches as she squirms on the seat, her arms straining in obvious pain. “You dragged her into this mess in the first place.”
“Wrong, bitch.” Caz grabs her by the throat. “That honor was Finn’s. He used her as his lackey. He was the one who put her in harm’s way. Your anger is misplaced.”
“Don’t worry. I was gunning for him next.”
“You know where he is?”
She shakes her head. “Pussy took off with his number two. Dad’s trying to find them, but so far, they’re hiding under a rock.”
She reached the same conclusion we did that Finn and Brooklyn took off because they know they have fucked up and made enemies on all sides.
“Were you behind the shootout at the diner?” I ask, moving on to the next topic.
“Yes, but I should’ve just done it myself. Those assholes couldn’t do anything right.”
“You were at the party at Galen’s during spring break,” I continue. “Why?”
“Ruben asked me to broker an arrangement between The Arrows and The Bulls.”
“So, Tempest was the conduit?”
She laughs. “Oh, please. That trailer-trash dumb bitch couldn’t fucking sell oil to the Arabs. She helped me get close to Darrow Knight, and that’s about as useful as she was.”
A throbbing pain in my temples has me swaying a little on my feet, and Saint slides his arm around me, keeping me steady.
Taylor laughs. “Having trouble standing, Harlow?”
Galen darts forward, slapping her viciously. A flash of pain races across his face, and I know that cost him. “You’re lucky you’re still breathing, cunt. Don’t push your luck.”
She spits out a mouthful of blood, sending daggers in all our directions. “I’ve answered your questions. Now let me go.”
We burst out laughing, angering her further. She hisses, narrowing her eyes, and the chair wobbles as she struggles against her restraints to no avail.
I slip out of Saint’s hold, putting my face all up in hers. “Who the fuck said anything about letting you go? The deal was we wouldn’t go after your little sister, and we’ll stick to our word.”
“Just kill me already then,” she snaps. “Put a bullet in my skull and be done with it.”
That had been the original plan, but now I’m rethinking things. I straighten up, smoothing a hand down over my hair. “Nah.” I shake my head. “There’s no fun in that.” Honestly, if I wasn’t so dead on my feet, I would gladly stay here and torture the bitch for a couple hours, but I’m barely keeping my eyes open, and Galen is about to conk out, so we’ll have to put it on ice.
“You!” I click my fingers at the guy hanging by the wall. He’s been watching the whole thing go down, but he hasn’t interfered, letting us handle our shit, like a good little soldier.
He walks to my side. “Ms. Tamlin needs to be reminded why the Saints are not to be messed with. Be creative in relaying the message, but I want her alive.” I grin maliciously at her. “We’ll be back to finish up in the morning.”
The bearded dude infuriates me when he casts a glance over my shoulder, looking to Saint to rubber stamp my decision.
My asshole doesn’t let me down though, storming over to the guy, grabbing him by the throat and shoving him into the wall. We walk toward them. “Did my girl not speak clearly enough?” Saint’s eyes rip through the older dude, and he shoves him a couple more times before letting him go.
“Understood, Saint, and it’ll be handled.”
“Don’t tell me,” Saint snaps, cracking his knuckles like he’d love to ram his fist in the jerk’s face. “Tell Harlow.”
“And while you’re at it,” Galen adds, coming up on my other side. “You can apologize for disrespecting her.”
“I’m sorry, Harlow,” the guy says, his cheeks reddening in anger. “You can trust me to carry out your command.”
Taylor laughs, claiming our attention. “Da fuck? You must have some magical pussy, slut. This shit has to be seen to be believed.”
Caz punches her in the face. “What the fuck were you told about spouting that shit?”
But she doesn’t respond, because she’s out cold, and we exit the warehouse, all of us more than ready to head home.
CHAPTER 4
“WHAT DO WE do with her?” Theo asks, when we reach the guy’s barn a half hour later. Someone switched the heating on while we were en route, and it’s toasty warm as we trudge inside. We are all beat and ready to hit the sack.
“Princess.” Saint tosses his keys on the kitchen counter, scrubbing at his prickly jaw. “Your call.”
“I don’t know,” I truthfully admit. “And my brain’s too tired right now. Let me sleep on it.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Saint agrees.
“You two head upstairs,” Theo says, gesturing toward me and Galen. “We’ll grab some supplies and follow you up.”
Galen and I drag our weary bodies up the left-side stairs, gawking at the new addition to the first bedroom. The new bed Theo had delivered is a monster that stretches from one side of the room to the other. It would probably sleep eight, so there’s more than enough room for all of us, but I’m a little worried about an elbow to the ribs during the night, and it seems Galen is on my wavelength.
“I can’t wait to test that bed out,” he says, shooting me a wicked smile. “But I’m likely to kill one of those motherfuckers if they touch me during the night.”
“It can wait,” I agree, taking his hand and pulling him into the second bedroom where a comfy king-sized bed awaits us. “We’ll sleep in here tonight.” I help Galen get undressed first before changing into my sleep shorts and flimsy tank. Then I brush my teeth, comb my hair, pulling it back into a ponytail, and climb into bed beside him.
Saint and Theo appear in the room, carrying a tray loaded with bottles of water, pain meds, additional bandages, and a bowl filled with chopped fruit. “Thanks,” I whisper as Theo sets it down on my bedside table, conscious of the soft snores rumbling from Galen’s chest. He’s already out for the count, and it won’t take long for me to follow him to the Land of Nod.