At first, I put the warning in my gut down to feeling shitty over Angel’s shit but as the night stretches on I know something’s up.
The curse is handy like that.
Sure, I’m probably cuntstruck but I also can tell when shit is going down.
I know before my phone starts ringing that something is happening.
Something is very fucking wrong, something in this town is about to go off and fuck knows what the hell it actually is but I feel like I'm going to fucking puke.
The door to my office bursts open and Rue’s face is fucked up. “You feel it too, right? I’m not going fucking nuts, am I?”
I mean, we could be wrong. There’s so much shit going on in the fucking club at the moment it could be paranoia but the fine tremble in his fingers on the door handle tells me it's not.
Something is happening.
Something fucking bad is happening.
I get the camera feed of Angel dancing on my screen but she’s fine, just gotten out on stage and there’s security fucking everywhere around her.
She’s safe.
"Call Poe. Call Poe and I'll call Keely.” I say and he nods, the phone already halfway to his ear.
"What's up?" she answers on the first ring.
"You okay? Where are you?"
She hums under her breath. “I’ve just gone on my break at work. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just stay safe. Something is happening."
She hums again. "The curse singing to you? I'll keep an eye out, baby."
I hang up and immediately call Hawk’s number.
Voicemail.
Fuck everything.
I turn to find Rue talking to Poe, mumbling a few threats about keeping her ass at home and I get back to calling down the list.
Trink is in a bitch of a mood but fine.
Speck doesn't pick up.
Hellion doesn't either.
I grab my keys and start out of The Boulevard, yelling over my shoulder at Axe to keep the place locked down. He frowns at me but nods, solid in the orders. I don’t want to leave Angel but Axe isn’t on my fucking watch list and there’s something happening.
I try Hawk again and this time he answers. "Where the hell are you?"
I get my ass on my bike, leaving the helmet tucked in the bag, and jerk my head at Rue. "Something's going on, Speck and Hell aren't picking up. Mom's fine, and Trink and Poe. Have you got eyes on King?"
He grunts, "Yeah, and Lyn but Law was helping Speck with the bar today. He wanted extra green for the hog he's trying to buy. King can feel it too, get your asses over to the bar. We’re on our way too.”
Jesus fucking Christ. I'm on the road without thought, the motorbike flying underneath me and Rue coming in hot behind me. It's a fifteen minute trip between the clubhouse and the bar, we make it in eight.
"What's the plan here?" Rue says, and I shrug.
"Shoot first, ask questions later."
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I check it as I swing off of the hog.
Angel just got off the stage. I’ll keep her in your office until her next dance. I’ll keep her safe, brother.
Fuck.
I didn’t realize Axe had noticed my fucking obsession but I guess I’m not as slick as I thought. I have to just fucking pray he isn’t one of the rats and I haven’t just left her to fucking die.
My heart is fucking screaming in my chest.
I'll need to come to terms with the fact that she was my first fucking thought when the feeling hit my gut, that I only called Keely first because of habit.
I wanted to call Angel.
Fuck.
The bar is closed for the fix up so the parking lot is empty, except for Hell’s hog and Speck’s old truck. He must have given Law a ride over here.
Something tightens in my chest but I try to talk myself down. They're here. They're probably just busy, there's a lot going on here and if they're cleaning the place out after the shooting then of course they're not going to pick up on the first call.
I glance at Rue but he's still just as fucking worried, shifting straight into the future Prez the club needs. "We go in slow. Just in case. The worst that happens is we're both fucking laughing about this tonight over beers."
True.
I give him a nod and draw my gun.
The club has owned the bar longer than I’ve been alive, I was a fucking toddler the first time I came here. I know every inch of the entire property, I know which of the wooden floorboards will squeak, I know how to open the back door without a sound.
I go first because it’s protocol.
We walk through the back rooms and there’s nothing. It’s not until I creep around the corner that I thank God for this fucking curse. Whatever it is, however I got it, I'll take the fucking pain of being cuntstruck every day of the damn week because I’m here at exactly the right fucking time.
Speck has a fucking gun to his head.
There's group of fucking Demons standing there laughing as they're about to fucking execute my cousin, kneeling there with Hellion and Law, beat to hell like they’ve been fucking tortured.
I take the guy holding the gun out with a headshot.
His friend sees us and pulls a gun but Rue gets him first.
Law dives onto the ground as bullets start flying everywhere and then I see him tug Speck down with him. Hell kneels there like he's fucking hoping a bullet takes him and Rue starts cursing the asshole out.
"Get your fucking head outta the way, you dumbass!"
Finally he slumps down onto the ground and grabs a stray gun, killing the one of the guys from where he's ducked behind a turned over table.
I might lose my mind a little but I walk out into the bar as if I’m fucking bulletproof, ignoring Rue’s cussing as he follows me out. We’re assholes but we’ll die together if we have to, just to have each other’s backs.
Three more down and Rue takes the last guy down with two shots to the back when he tries to run.
I feel relief for about a half a second.
"Tomi! Tomi, Speck's shot."
My brain just fucking short circuits. Just shuts down but I'm moving on instinct. I've learned a lot from my mom over the years listening to her stories and little things she'll say to me about packing wounds.
When I look at my cousin’s chest I'm fairly fucking sure there's no saving him.
I try anyway.
I know Rue will be calling 911 for him and there'll be a helluva lot of paperwork to do about this shootout but I couldn't fucking care less. I'll do time if I have to, I just need Speck to fucking live.
The blood just pours outta him, no matter how hard I pack it, and by the time the EMTs arrive I'm covered in blood. Beyond covered, it's dripping from every inch of my skin and Speck's face is the color of a corpse.
I'm fucking sure he's dead.
I don't even notice my surroundings until they have him loaded up and out of the building, working so goddamn fast but he's dead. There's no fucking way he's coming back from that. No way.
I stand up and find Rue staring at me with blank eyes. The type you get when you see your brother, your blood, bleeding out on the dirty fucking floor of a bar.
Law is shaking like a fucking leaf while he's talking to Thorn, standing there in full uniform and taking notes. His face is fucking grim, the frown etched so deep into his skin I don't think he'll ever look happy again.