The men chuckle. “Boss,” I hear one of them say and watch as Dylan takes a step forward. The man is in his mid-thirties, he’s been with us for a while but he’s not shown any promise to be anything other than a soldier.
“Yes, Dylan?”
He stops and stares at me. “I know you said that this is a required meeting, anyone who wasn’t here was being put on notice.”
I sigh, what the fuck is he getting at? I hate this bullshit. “Get to it.”
“Boss, Wally isn’t here,” he tells me and I can hear the wariness in his voice. A hushed murmur falls among my men.
“When was the last time anyone spoke to him?” This isn’t like Wally, the man lives for the organization, for my men, for me.
Silence descends as they try and remember the last time they spoke to him.
“Has anyone spoken to him since this morning?” So much fucking shit has happened since then. Again, no one answers. “Right, we’ll deal with that afterward.” I’ll be taking a trip to his house after this meeting. “Now, there have been some developments since this morning.”
My men straighten, their heads held high as they stare at me. I’m not sure if the rumors have hit yet, if they haven’t I’d be surprised.
“My mom is fine, she made it out of surgery and is on the mend. Tina, however, wasn’t that lucky. She didn’t make it out of surgery. That’s another death on Martin’s head.”
Curses go around, before each of them bow their heads in a sign of respect.
“Martin’s parents are dead, he lied and as a result, they paid that price.” They grin, finally, we finally have a small victory. “I’ve also found out where his hideout is. Aaron and David are sitting on it. His parent’s bodies are going to be dumped there, showing him that we know where he is and we will hurt him just as he has us. I’ve instructed them not to take him there. I’m not risking my men’s lives, God knows what he’s got rigged, and they’re going to take him on the road. He’s not going to escape. No more. It’s coming to the end.”
The men smile, glad that it’s coming to a close, we’ve all been on the back foot with this shit, but changes are going to be made. “Boss, is he coming in alive?” Ronald asks and I smirk, these new recruits are blood thirsty.
“Unless Aaron and David need to use excessive force, he will indeed be coming in alive.” I want my go at him, I want to see the life leave his eyes, watch as he finally realizes that I’ve won. “Now, there’s something I need to tell you, and what I say doesn’t leave this house.”
Their eyes widen, each one of them panicked, wondering what it is that I am about to say.
“Mia is pregnant. Martin believes it’s his.”
“Fucking asshole. I say fucking take the bastard out,” Dylan growls.
“I’d set the fucker on fire,” Roland replies.
“Fuck that, I’d attach him to my bumper and drive at full speed,” Clayton tells us.
Each one of them come up with a more graphic way of killing him.
“Boss, not that it matters, but is it his?” Kenneth asks, he’s the only one that doesn’t have a smile on his face. He’s been with us for about six months, in the beginning I thought he was a cop, I never have him do anything other than be a part of meetings and work security at the club.
“It’s mine.” The men all release a ragged breath, one I didn’t know they were holding. All except Kenneth, I stare at the man, wondering what the fuck he’s playing at. “Not that it matters, though, right?”
His eyes narrow slightly, “Are the rumors true?”
I glance at Jagger, there’s something off with this fucker, I knew it from the get go. “What rumors?” There’s absolutely no mistaking my tone that he better tread carefully.
He doesn’t heed my warning. “That Martin raped Mia.”
Every man steps backward as my hand reaches for my gun. He’s pushed his damn luck, the man is done. “Who told you that?” There are only a few men in my organization that know what happened and I know that they wouldn’t say a word, if they have, they’ll pay the price.
He doesn’t back down, he’s a brave man, there’s no doubt about that. “I overheard it.”
“Dude,” Roland growls, taking a step forward. “You had better wise up.” He informs him, and I let him do the talking, right now I’m close to taking my gun and putting a bullet in his head.
“I asked a question,” Kenneth replies, a smug smile on his face.
“A question that you had no right asking, now that you have, you best answer the boss’ question. Who told you about it?” Roland steps up so that he’s face to face. “Answer the damn question, who told you?”
Kenneth’s bravado seems to drop, “I overheard it.”
“Leave him,” I demand, as Kenneth hands reach for his neck. “Kenneth, do you value your life?” I ask and he shrinks back not answering, “Let me rephrase the question. Do you value the life of your wife and daughter?”
His Adam’s apple bobs up and down as he gulps, “Y...yes,” he stammers.
“Then you had better start talking or I’ll start shooting.” I don’t give a fuck, I’ll take his entire family out, I want to know who’s been talking about what happened to Mia. I want to know who’s got loose lips and can’t be trusted.
His next word has my entire body going solid. “Martin.”
“When did that asshole tell you?” Jagger says through clenched teeth.
Do we have a traitor amongst us? How did we manage to overlook this one?
Kenneth smiles. “The night he did it.”
“Move,” I tell Ronald, and he immediately takes a step aside, my gun lifts, “You can go to hell along with him.”
That smile widens. “Don’t you want to know why he told me?”
Yes. “No, you don’t matter to me.”
He laughs. “Oh but how I do. You see Hudson, I matter a lot. You thought I was a cop, you have never trusted me and for that, it was easy for me to turn.”
I shake my head. “You’re full of shit.” Fucking jackass. His eyes flash with anger. I laugh, “Oh, did I hit a nerve.”
“I turned against you because you have no respect for your men.”
I raise my brow. “My men? I have the utmost respect for. I’d die for them as they would me. I don’t have respect for lazy, disrespectful, unethical men. That’s why I have no respect for you, since the day you came on board, you have shown every one of my men what not to do. Why do you think that none of my men associate with you?”
The shock on his face tells me that he hadn’t realized.
“You were dead weight. It’s always been a matter of time before you were chopped off.”
His eyes narrow. “Fuck you. I hope Martin rapes her again, and that fucking kid of yours.”
A red haze forms, and he’s gone. I don’t even realize that I’ve lifted my gun and pulled the trigger.
“Fucking prick,” Jagger spits as he walks over to Kenneth’s body. “He’s dead,” he informs me and I don’t give a shit. “Who the fuck else is a rat? Hmm?” He questions the men and each of them stand tall as if they have nothing to hide. “If it turns out that one or more of you are traitors, I’m personally going to see it that you’ll lose your life.”