Page 6 of Sinner's Storm

Though I hated she was a cop, more.

Throughout our lives, Robin and I have always maintained a close bond. Losing a parent apparently did that to some siblings, no matter the age gap. However, when Robin told the family she was joining the NYPD after college, I lost it. I didn’t want my sister anywhere near the police, let alone working for them. What I did in my spare time was bad enough, but if she ever found out, it would be disastrous, not only for me and the family, but for the Soulless Sinners.

As I glanced around the pub, a flood of memories from joyful moments, infectious laughter, and heartfelt sorrows besieged my mind. The overwhelming feeling of sorrow was something that I found extremely difficult to cope with, and, as a result, it greatly restricted the amount of time I could spend in this place. The realization that I would never have the opportunity to walk into this place and see my dad again was an unbearably painful feeling.

Despite the passage of time, I continued to feel a deep longing for him.

With a fortifying breath, I settled myself onto a barstool and flashed a contented smile. “So, Finley gave Brenden a run for his money. Who else was here?”

“Well, Ares showed up and was her usual self. That girl is a handful.”

A chuckle escaped from me as I nodded my head. “Arabella show?”

“Yeah, but that girl is too shy to cause trouble. Did you know her parents are still trying to get her back in the business?”

“Thought Bella was done with that crap?”

“She is, but her parents didn’t get the memo. It was good to see Delany out and about. Haven’t seen that girl in ages.”

“Delany?”

“Oh, that’s right. The last time you saw Delany, she was just a little girl. She moved back here before Robin and the other girls started tenth grade. You were already out of the house by then. She’s the sweet one. She’s a mom now. Her daughter Harlow is just the cutest little thing.”

“Moved back?”

“Yeah. Her dad was a firefighter in another firehouse. After 9/11, he needed to get away, so he transferred to Arizona. Delany moved back after her parents died in a house fire. A relative offered to take her in.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I murmured, swiftly brushing away any hint of melancholy. I always felt this way when I was here. I hated it. “Look, Mom, I need to get going. I just wanted to stop by and check in. I’ll come by this Sunday for dinner, okay?”

“Sure thing, honey. Go home. You look tired. Are you sleeping okay?”

“I’m good,” I replied, smirking as pictures of my club piece, tied up and gagged, filled my head.

Oh, yeah... and if she knew what was good for her, she would be ready for me when I showed up in an hour.

After giving my mom another hug, I walked out of our family-owned bar and took a deep breath.

“You okay, Storm?”

Shaking my head in an attempt to dispel the lingering memories, I managed to utter, “I think I deserve a good, strong drink.”

When Fury and I walked into the clubhouse, we were surprised to find it completely empty, which was odd considering it was a Friday.

“Hey, guys,” Silver said with a smile as she stood behind the bar. “Board meeting. They are waiting for you two.”

Nodding our heads in unison, Fury and I proceeded towards the boardroom. I didn’t bother knocking and simply walked right into the room.

As Montana glanced up from his seat, looking unbearably bored, Bane’s face twisted into a frown before he resumed speaking, “Your father’s wounds—”

“Asshole,” Montana growled. “Call him asshole.”

Bane’s eyes narrowed as he responded with a somewhat guarded but affirmative, “Alright. Asshole’s wounds are healing nicely. I’m keeping him sedated at the moment.”

“Why?” Mercy’s head snapped up.

I knew there was no love lost between Mercy and George Stone. The former President of the Soulless Sinners, and Montana’s father, made his bed, and now he was being forced to lay in it. All because he didn’t want anyone to know he fathered Largo, Mercy’s woman. Instead of coming clean, he destroyed his marriage to Virginia, punished Mercy’s woman, and created a clusterfuck that damn near obliterated a valued alliance with the Romano Family. Although the severity of the damage caused by George warranted a punishment of death, Mercy made the decision to mete out the identical punishment that George had insisted the current board inflict on Largo. Despite my participation in the decision to end his life, I still felt that it was fitting for the old bastard to face consequences befitting his betrayal. It became clear to me at a young age that second chances were rarely, if ever, capable of altering the course of events.

The best course of action was to quickly eliminate the poison before it had the opportunity to spread.

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