Page 73 of Tempting Fate

Dad shakes his head at my demand. “You’ll see just how right I am shortly.”

“You’re insane.”

“Maybe.” My father smirks as I glare at him. His blue-eyed gaze, so much like mine, moves between me and Zeke as deviousness dances in his sharp features. “But I’m rarely outmanoeuvred.”

Done with his dramatics, I pull away from my dad and walk into Zeke’s arms. He encloses me in his embrace, shielding me from my father’s sight, and turns me so my back is to the crowd. On my periphery, I see my father stalk off without another word.

Everyone scrambles to follow him.

“Do you know what he’s talking about?” I ask.

Zeke shrugs, although I can see his thoughts running a million miles a minute, trying to work out what has set off my father’s pig-headedness.

Grabbing my hand, he pulls me behind him into the shed my father has entered. The door’s being held open for us by the sergeant-at-arms of the Inadale chapter who ushers us in with urgency, and then twists the handle to secure the doors behind us.

I don’t know exactly what I expected to see when I came face to face with Alex again, but finding him dressed in a bespoke suit, flanked by his grandfather, father, Hugh, and eight made men, wasn’t in the realm of possibilities. Pain makes his generous lips a tight line. He leans heavily on the calliper secured to his forearm. The dust swirling in the empty shed has reddened his eyes.

Other than that, he looks in decent health.

Hugh, on the other hand, looks a lot worse for wear.

His face is bandaged, and he clutches his side.

“But Charlie said…” My shock remains unvoiced as Kristoff Maddison steps forward and holds his hand out to my father.

“We appreciate you taking the time to meet with us, Brutus,” the boss of the Maddison clan tells my dad as they shake hands. “Especially in the circumstances.”

“What the fuck?” Zeke blurts. “This ain’t the kinda meetin’ we discussed.”

“You’ll have to excuse my VP. He’s still learnin’ how to conduct himself in public.” Dad holds his hand up to silence Zeke when he opens his mouth to argue. “I was surprised by your call but, I must say, I’m intrigued by your offer.”

Alex’s father, Joseph Kingsley, smirks at Dad’s blatant lie. The double-cross in play makes it clear that my dad has been in touch with the Maddison’s more than he’s let on. When he chuckles at my discomfort, I swallow deep, averting my gaze from the corrupt politician who’s gone out of his way to make my life a misery. My attention is caught by Hugh, who chooses this moment to wave at me like we’re long-lost friends.

“Anna,” he drawls. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Yeah,” I retort. “What a coincidence.”

“Coincidence or fate, princess?”

“More like a nightm?—”

“Don’t speak to her,” Zeke growls over my retort. “She doesn’t exist for the likes of you.”

The boss of the Maddison clan holds up a hand to silence Hugh when he opens his mouth.

“Maybe we should leave the young ones to their devices?” Kristoff asks in the same tone a creepy uncle might offer you his last candy. “They can patch up their differences while we discuss a mutually beneficial path out of the mess my grandson—” He slants a piercing look at Alex. “—has caused with his rash actions.”

Zeke’s temper has been slowly building as he’s taken in the scene before us. I can feel the tension coiling within him, my awareness that I’m about to see the mythical “Venom” in action grows by the second. Apparently, Slash and Toker can feel the same thing. They quickly move into place, taking up position on either side of us.

“I think that’d be wise.”

In the immediate wake of Dad’s agreement, the shed falls silent.

Disbelief emanates from the Shamrocks’ side as the sound of motorcycles approaching at a distance fills the air. In the Maddison’s midst, an atmosphere of arrogant expectation builds. Alex shuffles awkwardly, leaning his weight on the crutch, and, ever the faithful friend, Hugh follows him when he slowly steps into the expanse of concrete separating the two groups.

“I’d like to apologise, Lily.” Zeke growls a second time at Alex’s use of my nickname and Slash takes hold of his upper arm. My cousin crowds closer to me, his right hand tucked into the left side of his cut so he can easily grab his handgun from its shoulder holster. “I should have left you alone, like you requested. Please know that I’m sorry for any pain I’ve caused. You have…” Alex trails off, his nostrils flaring as he battles his rage to continue with the transparently unwilling apology that he’s being forced to offer me. “You have my… word… as a Maddison… that this is the last time you’ll lay eyes on me, unless you specifically request otherwise.”

I take in Alex’s tightly clenched fist and the hardness in his chocolate-brown eyes.

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