Page 20 of Towles

“Paul and McKinley are old school buddies. Paul helped McKinley get the bench he’s on,” I said. “At least it will be a quick divorce.”

“Then Beast needs to know,” Skittles said. “You better believe they’ll be after the club now.”

We returned to the building, and Skittles and I walked down the hall to Ethan’s room. She closed the door behind us.

“What will Beast do?” I asked. Paul needed a good ass-kicking. Too many men hid behind power and money. I was learning the only way to even the score for those who don’t have much is through violence. Yeah, I had changed. I condoned it now.

“He will circumvent the system and get at Paul. Nobody, including McKinley, walks onto club property, throwing around orders like he owns the place.” She pointed at the bathroom. “Feel free to take a shower. I’ll be back in a few minutes with clean clothes. Towels are in the closet.”

“I appreciate everything you’ve done,” I said. I entered the bathroom, closed the door, and started the shower. Naked, I stepped into the shower and squatted in the corner. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I’d fucked up like never before.

7

Towles

We passed Smith’s Funeral Home on the way to Hogzz to find the Punishers. I hated that my siblings blamed me for our parents’ deaths. I didn’t even fucking know they were going to be in town. My brother sent me a text that he wouldn’t be in town. That was it. I replied, love you, bro. I heard nothing back.

Tom, my brother, was worse than my sister Sabrina. He was a judgmental asshole; he didn’t understand I had fewer options than him. Yes, I’d fucked up by laundering money in college. I got mixed up with the wrong people, which sent life in a completely different direction from his. I told him he could hate what I did, but at least love me as a brother should. He declined to do so. I suggested he give up his glass house.

Dad was the same way. I couldn’t count the number of times as a child he told me to hate the sin but not the sinner. He and Tom should have followed that advice.

The club helped. They accepted me for who I am. In the beginning, I fell in love with every woman who threw herself at me. I always told myself this was the one. Few of those women stuck around. Those who did eventually got tired of the biker life. A few of those left with an explanation. So I learned to look at pussy differently. I never let my heart heal because an unhealed heart can never be broken again.

We stopped about fifty yards from Hogzz, climbed off our bikes, and armed ourselves. I carried a .45 in my waistband and an AK in my left hand. Manning wouldn’t be happy—me being a felon and all.

“Take it easy, Towles,” Beast said.

“I don’t give a fuck about getting caught,” I told Beast. “They know I’m coming at some point.

“Do this right, Towles. For now, get out of your feelings. Let that shit go.” Beast put his hand on my shoulder, trying to calm my growing anger.

I shook my head. “Those feelings are the reason I’m here, brother.”

We stayed in the darkness. Beast sent five men around back, leaving ten of us to enter through the front. I wanted them to see me coming. I wanted them to know who took their lives.

“You have a woman waiting for you at the club,” Big Kentucky said. “Don’t fuck that up.”

“She’s just a friend.”

“Yeah, and I’m just a billionaire.” He clapped me on the back. “We got you, brother.”

Two Punishers exited the front, and we raised our guns.

“Drop your shit on the ground, motherfuckers,” Beast said. The men did, and so did I. “The fuck are you doing, Towles.” Beast pointed at Cinder and a Prospect to cover the entrance.

“Come on,” I said to the two men. Thankfully, they wasted no time rushing me.

I let the first man hit me in the chin. The second man thought he had the same gift, but when he started his swing, I hit him between the eyes, and he dropped to the ground. The first man ran off into the darkness, and I heard a loud thud.

“It’s gonna be different on the inside,” Watcher said. “Watch your ass.”

“I’ve got the first ten,” I said, winking at Watcher. All the club members had a friendly competition about who could put the most men on the ground. I think Diesel was first, Beast second, and me a close third.

We walked into the bar, and everything went silent. The Punishers claimed to be one percenters, but not one of the assholes went for a gun. Gunfire erupted out back, but still, nobody moved.

“I want the two men who gunned down my parents,” I said. “The rest of you can walk away unhurt.”

A man my size but much older slid from a nearby booth. His cut let me know he was the club president. Beast saw the man and moved in front of me.

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