Rue stands there and watches as I beat the fuck outta the step-cunt.
There’s a lotta anger issues in me about this man, a lotta rage I need to fucking pulverize into his face and I’m fairly certain he’s already brain-dead by the time I get my knife out and slit his throat because there’s nothing left of his face.
I’ve caved his skull in with nothing but my fists and pure fucking fury.
Rue grunts at me, “We need him in pieces, brother. Hard to move him otherwise.”
Pieces. I can fucking do that.
I’m covered in blood by the time the rage clears a little and my mind comes back online. I glance up from the bloody corpse to see the alleyway blocked with a couple of dumpsters and Hellion’s truck.
“I called for backup. I’ve got Keely in there with Angel, just focus on cleaning this mess up because it’s broad fucking daylight, brother,” Rue murmurs, and Hellion stalks over to us, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
“Cecee is gonna fucking love this shit. You did good work. He got what he deserves, the sick fuck.”
I nod along but I’m too fucking pissed to comment.
We get the pieces of Paul loaded up into trash bags and into the tubs on the back of the truck. Rue grabs a hose and cleans down the side of the building, doing what he can to get rid of the blood.
I wait until this place doesn’t look like a crime scene before I go find my girl.
Angel’s wrist is broken and needs a cast.
Keely watches over her through the whole process, directing people so they don’t touch her any more than they have to, and I keep a hold of Angel’s other hand the whole time, scowling at everyone.
I changed clothes before we came in.
I’m too fucking twitchy after the step-cunt shows up to let her outta my sight so once she’s fixed up I take her home for a shower and then we both head into The Boulevard so I can work while she naps in my office.
Diamond left the place in a fucking mess and when I work my way through the inventory I start to wish I could kill the fucking bitch all over again. Rue actually comes down to help me out and Speck shows up with him, looking just a little more alive.
Angel lights up when he slumps into the chair next to hers in my office.
“Miss me? Fuck, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you down here so soon. Though I gotta say, I’m glad I’m not in danger of having my balls ripped off around you anymore.”
She giggles at him and I give him a glare. “Think twice, asshole, because if you keep sweet talking her I’ll risk Keely’s wrath to knock your front teeth out.”
Angel shoots me a glare and I leave them to it, focusing on the pile of work I have to deal with instead of them both gossiping about which strippers Speck is chasing after now.
Rue runs inventory on the bar stock and then interviews the new bouncers, scowling and being a fucking nightmare to everyone who crosses his path. It’s a good thing, every last one of the girls is tiptoeing around us all now they’ve seen what happens when you overstep the Unseen line.
Rue’s attitude just reinforces that shit.
We leave together after the sun comes up, Angel yawning and looking fucking edible even with the cast on her wrist.
We make it out to the motorcycles out back, laughing and joking around, and even keeping an eye out for shit we miss the slight woman hiding in the shadows.
"Jazmin?"
Angel stumbles a little, tucking into my side. Speck turns to look at the woman and startles. I know who she is before I turn to get a look at her but when I do there's no hiding she’s Angel’s mom.
"I know it's you, baby, I've had everyone looking for you."
Angel glances up at me but I’m too busy frowning at her mom like she's a fucking demon. I read that fucking file. I read it, I know exactly what this woman has done.
Angel doesn’t exactly know that though.
"Can we leave? Can we get out of here?" she whispers, and I finally look away from her mom and back down at her.
Her mom steps forward and I move in front of Angel on instinct. “Jazmin, please. I kicked Paul out. I kicked him out so you'd come home. I didn't know! I didn't know what was going on."
Angel’s hand slips into mine. “Tomi, I really need to leave."
I’d rather kill this woman but instead I nod and sling an arm over her shoulders, pulling her into my body as we walk. Speck takes up Angel’s other side like a shield but Rue stays behind, meeting my eyes with a nod.
I swing onto my hog and Angel gets on behind me with ease now she’s had enough practice, her arms tight around me as Speck grins at her from his own hog.
"You don't look like a Jazmin. Angel, through and through."
Her giggle is a little choked but it still sounds better than the thready tone she had before. "Words like that'll get you killed, Reece."
I huff like I’m pissed but really I’m happy Speck can get her laughing. "Stop fucking calling him that or he really will get fucking buried."
Rue stalks up behind us all and gets onto his bike. He meets my eye with a scowl.
Angel’s arms tighten and I ask, “Anything important?"
He shrugs. "Just a whole lotta regret that's too fucking late and a warning about Paul so she doesn't know we have that covered. C'mon, it’s late and I’m fucking beat.”
Regrets.
It’s too fucking late for regrets.
When we get back to the clubhouse the guys all wait around until Angel is off of the bike and then Rue hesitates for half a second before pulling Angel into a quick hug. He’s slow enough that she can stop him if she wants to but she is so shocked that she lets him. Then he stalks up the stairs, the clubhouse quiet this early in the morning even with some stragglers still drinking from the night before.
"Jesus Christ, are you going to cry over a fucking hug? Angel, you're killing me here," Speck says, and I glance down to see that Angel’s lip is trembling just a little as she shoves at Speck when he goes in for a hug too.
He clutches at his chest like he's wounded, cutting a little too close to home with that one action, and then jogs up the stairs after Rue.
Angel turns to me and I lean back against the seat of my hog, watching her carefully.
"I'm fine."
I scoff. "Sweetness, you're never fucking fine. I need to start tanning that sweet ass of yours every time it comes outta your mouth."
She sighs and tips her head back to look up at the early morning sky, the colors of the sunrise still bright. I wait her out. I’ve learned enough about this fierce and fragile girl of mine to know that’s exactly what she needs.
"She knew. She knew what was going on long before I ran away. She didn't want to give up her grief for my dad for long enough to help me… to leave Paul and figure this shit out on our own.”
I blow out a breath and tug her into my arms until she’s staring up at the sky again with me wrapped around her like a shield.
I decide that life is too fucking short to keep shit from her. “Listen to me, Angel. I love you and I’d die for you. I’ve given you my patch so that if I do have to lay down my life for you, my club will protect you too. She’s fucking nothing to you now. You have me and my family, my mom is yours now too. Forget about some weak bitch who never deserved you in the first place.”