**
Axel pulls me into a bear hug, clamping a hand on my shoulder and giving me shake in the process. “Fuck. It’s good to see you, man.” He kisses my cheek, and I hug him tighter. Happier to see him than I ever imagined.
“Hey, Abel,” a soft voice calls.
“Coralie. God damn what are you doing here?” I glance over Axel’s shoulder and that’s when I see the body on the floor and fuckin’ Oaklyn tied to a chair with a knot the size of a tennis ball swelling on her forehead. “The hell is going on?”
“Got you a present. This cunt has been playing you for months. Meet Raul Hernandez’s sister. Andrea. Bitch thought she could use me to get Ainsley out of her way. Thought she could use us to kill her brother. Thought I’d take Ainsley and the kid, split with them and you two could rule or if that didn’t play out she was gonna kill your old lady and promised me a place at her side.”
“There you are, lover.” Oaklyn licks her lips and smiles.
“You,” I snarl, moving around my brother. I wrap my hand around the whore’s throat. “I want answers.”
Her devious eyes widen.
“What kind of game are you playing?” I squeeze harder wanting to choke the life out of her till she gasps for her last breath. I can’t do that though. She knows too much valuable information. I drop my hand and she coughs.
“All I wanted was to be with you. Us to rule side by side. I’m in love with you. I got your brother out for you. I did it all for us, baby.”
I scrub a hand over my face wishing to fuck all I had never fucked around with this cunt. I should’ve checked her out. “Does Harlem know who you are?”
“Of course he does. Who do you think reports to my brother and got me an in with you? You’re cute, but you aren’t very bright.” She laughs, baiting me.
I dial Murphy. Brother needs someone to take his shit out on. And this cunt just signed Harlem’s death warrant. “Hey, man. About Teagan. It was Harlem. Fucker sold us out. Handle it.” I hang up. I shove my burner back in my pocket and grab Oaklyn’s mouth, smashing her lips together. “Where’s my wife?”
“Not dead...yet.”
I rear my fist back ready to punch her right in her filthy cocksucker.
“Oh. You a tough guy now? Please. You don’t have it in you.”
“Abel might not want to hit a woman. But, bitch, I’m not Abel.” Coralie moves in and whips the back of her hand across the whore’s mouth, splitting her bottom lip.
Oaklyn spits a little blood at the floor. “Sweetheart, you’re only mad because I fucked your man.”
“You gave me sloppy head while I was shot up with whatever drugs you gave me. I’d hardly call that fucking me.”
I fold my arms over my chest to keep from snapping her damn neck.
The bitch frowns when she doesn’t get the reaction she wanted.
Coralie grabs her by the ear, giving it a hard twist. “Start talking.”
“My brother betrayed me. I set up the hit on your wife. She was supposed to die, not Teagan.” Her eyes close, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think she almost has an ounce of remorse in her blood. “I paid off that doctor. Told him to lie to you about the paternity results of your baby. I thought it’d push the two of you apart, but you went the extra mile to keep your wife and paid him to lie for you.”
My stomach drops. I look to Axel. “Need to find that doctor.” I dial Trucker and hand my phone to my brother. “Tell him to grab the doc.”
“On it,” Axel growls.
I light up a cigarette and take a few puffs. “Stop lying and telling me you did any of this for me. What are you really playing at?”
Oaklyn bats her lashes. “I told you. I did it all so we can be together.”
“Bullshit.” I press my cigarette to her nipple, and she bites her lip.
“You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that if you want to hurt me.”
I grind my teeth together and take another drag. The smoke pulls through my lungs. I don’t find any pleasure in torturing a woman, but this bitch has whatever she gets coming. “Coralie. Hold her head still.”