Page 30 of Hatter

“Take care of you?” Cheshire sneered, releasing Teddy’s jaw with a vicious shove. “Looks like he did a real great job of that. He fucking ran like a coward. Didn’t care if any of his men lived or died, you included.”

As much as I wanted to beat the hell out of Teddy for the part he’d played in bringing Eddie into this clubhouse, I could tell Cheshire needed an outlet for his fury right now. But I did have another question for him…

“What about the rival club we heard was heading here from North Carolina? You have a part in that too?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, but it was on Eddie’s orders. He’s done business with them before and wanted them to take over this town, chase Underland out.”

“Anything else that asshole is responsible for?” I asked.

Teddy glanced at Jo. “He sent thugs after her, but they got distracted. I heard she stood up to them, though. Eddie didn’t like that. Said she’d need to learn her place again.”

I had a feeling we’d gleaned all the information we could from Teddy. He’d now outlived his usefulness. He might talk a bit, but I could tell the man was too scared of Eddie to take us to his hideout, or tell us how to find him.

“Time’s up, Teddy,” Cheshire snarled, his smile morphing into something twisted and sinister. As he drew back his fist, his cold blue eyes locked onto mine for just a moment. It was like the devil himself had taken over my brother, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. Cheshire’s fist collided with Teddy’s face, releasing a sickening crunch.

“Please,” Teddy whimpered through broken teeth, blood streaming from his nose. “I’ll do anything.”

“Too late for that,” Cheshire said. His fists moved like pistons, each punch landing with brutal precision. Every time Teddy tried to cry out, another blow silenced him. The room filled with the sounds of pained grunts and flesh meeting flesh.

“Fucking traitor,” Cheshire spat, his breath ragged as he continued his assault. My stomach churned at the sight, but I couldn’t look away. This needed to be done. Teddy had betrayed us, and he needed to pay for it.

“Cheshire.” He paused, his fist still raised, and looked over at me. The malicious grin on his face sent a chill through my bones. “Finish it.”

Cheshire nodded and reached down to draw his knife from his boot. “Any last words, Teddy?”

“Please… mercy,” Teddy choked out, his eyes wide with terror. Cheshire pressed the blade against Teddy’s throat.

“Mercy?” Cheshire laughed, the sound devoid of any warmth. “You should have thought about that before you fucked with the Underland MC.”

With a swift, brutal motion, Cheshire’s knife sliced across Teddy’s neck. Blood sprayed across Cheshire and the room. Teddy gurgled as his life drained away, and soon, he slumped forward. I’d never wanted to desecrate our clubhouse like this, but sometimes, you had to do what was necessary even if you didn’t want to. The fight earlier had been one thing. We didn’t bring that shit here. Eddie had. We’d simply defended ourselves. But Cheshire killing a captive Teddy was another matter entirely.

“May God have mercy on your soul,” Cheshire whispered, wiping his blade clean on Teddy’s shirt. But deep down, I knew that neither of us believed in mercy anymore.

Shake’s crew moved with practiced efficiency. Without a word, they wrapped Teddy’s lifeless form in a tarp, hands steady despite the gruesome task before them.

“Thanks for stepping up,” I muttered to Shake as I watched his men work. He just nodded, understanding that there was no joy in this moment.

The heavy silence in the clubhouse seemed to press down on us all, suffocating any chance of conversation. We’d done what was necessary, but the weight of our actions settled on our shoulders like a leaden shroud.

“Fuck,” March said, breaking the quiet. His eyes met mine, and we shared a silent understanding. This was the cost of loyalty, the sacrifices we made to protect our brothers in the Underland MC.

“Get some rest,” I told the others, my voice raw. “We’ll deal with the fallout tomorrow.”

“Rest?” Cheshire scoffed, his grin gone, replaced by a hollow expression. “After this shitshow? You really think any of us are going to sleep tonight? Not to mention, have you seen this place? We’re sitting ducks.”

“For tonight, board up the windows and do your best with the door. Then try to sleep,” I insisted, clapping him on the shoulder. “We all need it.”

As they dispersed, I found myself alone in the bloody room. The coppery smell filled my nostrils, a constant reminder of the violence we’d wrought. It was a necessary evil, but it didn’t make the burden any lighter.

My thoughts turned to Jo, asleep in her room, blissfully unaware of the carnage just down the hall. She deserves better than this. Instead of escaping the violence she’d experienced living with Eddie… Well, look at this mess. I wasn’t sure she was much safer. Sure, none of us would beat her, but it didn’t mean her life wouldn’t be in danger.

She’d been in the middle of the gunfight with Eddie’s men earlier. Now we’d brought a traitor here and murdered him while she slept. This wasn’t the way I’d wanted to live my life after leaving the military. I’d just wanted to settle in a quiet town, maintain the brotherhood I’d discovered while serving, and find a way to carve out a new life for all of us. But I’d thought my days of fighting were over.

“Shake,” I called out as he passed by the door. “Make sure she doesn’t find out about this, all right?”

“Of course, Hatter,” he replied, his voice solemn. “You have my word.”

“Thanks.” I nodded.

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