Page 42 of Ruthless Reign

Pope rose from where he sat on the front porch of the house. Tucking his gun into the back of his waistband, he stalked down the stone walkway to the drive.

“How’d it go?” Zade asked Pope from the driver’s seat as I got out and Pope took my place.

“The boys in blue have agreed?—”

“Anything?” I asked gruffly, interrupting them as I took in the empty streets. The quiet yard. The only sounds on the breeze were the rustle of leaves and the song of cicadas.

“Nah,” Pope said, shutting the car door to lean out the window. “All’s been quiet. No sign of ’em. Kaleb and your girl are inside with a couple others. Sounds like a party.”

My blood boiled. “What?”

“See for yourself. Don’t worry, man. I won’t tell Damien, but maybe clear it out. There’s a time and place for that shit but right now ain’t it, yeah?”

I nodded, my teeth cracking under the pressure tightening my jaw.

…leave him alone for five fucking minutes.

I rolled my shoulders back, inhaling deeply as Pope and Zade took off, trying to temper the rage eating away at the edges of my vision.

We had a big win tonight. There wasn’t a great turnout and it took some fucking doing, but Dad managed to convince the local police force to be our eyes and ears at the very least. With Maggie’s help.

They may not have agreed to help us if she hadn’t agreed to be there. To speak on behalf of her murdered husband. The majority of the local force still believed Chief Andrews died of a heart attack. Only the more senior officers knew the truth. The cover up.

He was killed by the Sons because he stood with us, and Séamas O’Sullivan couldn’t abide that while he tried to move into our territory.

It was her that secured the deal for us tonight and now Dad was getting her and her son out of town for as long as it took for this to be over.

And while we were making fucking arrangements to keep all of our asses above ground, Kaleb was fucking partying.

He was about to have the rudest fucking awakening.

The music filtered into my ears as I neared the front door. It wasn’t loud, not like it usually was back before all this started and our place was the place on Saturday nights. But it was loud enough that we wouldn’t hear a vehicle approach from inside which meant it was too fucking loud.

I shoved my way in and four heads spun from the living room, stopping me in my tracks.

“You’re back,” Becca said, beaming at me, her warm brown eyes glimmering in the light in a way that made the burning rage in my core gutter and my jaw clench.

So fucking beautiful.

And she was smiling.

At me.

I shut the door behind me, locking it up tight, and her smile faltered as she took in my expression.

“Hey, Hardin,” Toby said from next to her, a tentative grin on his mouth. Kate didn’t have the balls to smile, she grimaced at me, as if she were already expecting to be absolutely lit up for being here.

“We found a couple strays outside,” Kaleb said carefully. “They showed up a few minutes after you left for the meet.”

“Well, we didn’t really have a choice,” Toby said with a chuckle that was more a scoff. “You kidnapped our roomy.”

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in tight for a sideways hug that made her laugh.

“Toby,” she chided without any mirth.

“But it looks like she’s doing just fine, aren’t you, Becks?” Kate teased, sipping her drink.

Toby nodded enthusiastically, pinching Becca’s cheeks. “Just look at this glow,” he all but squealed. “That is the glow of one well-fucked lady.”

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