Page 17 of Filthy Savage

There is no way I’m getting inside of her now. That anger she felt when she arrived is going to multiply tenfold. Opening up the text, I sink my teeth into my bottom lip as I read the whole message.

RYAN: We’re holding your woman hostage. I missed her. This better be a thing. Make it happen.

There is a picture attached at the end.

It’s a group selfie. There are four of them, plus babies. They look good together as a group of old ladies, but my eye will always be drawn to Spencer. I send Ryan a thumbs-up emoji, knowing how much she hates it, then shove my phone in my pocket.

The clubhouse is quiet and somber. We’re back to our regular duties, but nobody feels overly excited about much of anything. One of our own being sent away makes no one happy or puts them in a partying mood.

“You got a plan for the routes?” King asks as he flops down beside me.

I’m still sitting in the conference room, not wanting to go out to the bar. I need to be alone for a little while. I’m not sure when I’ll feel like partying again, maybe never. This shit is hitting me pretty fucking hard.

My stomach twists. It churns as I think about Clink being there without me, without any of us. And all because of me, it’s my fault. Guilt consumes every ounce of my being. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to come back from this, and I feel like a selfish dick because I’m thinking about myself at the same time he’s living the fucking nightmare while I’m here, being free.

“I don’t got shit,” I say, confessing the truth of it.

King lets out a long exhale. “You know this shit wasn’t your fault, don’t you?”

“No,” I snap. “I fucking don’t. Because itismy fault. I planned the routes. It’s fucking on me.”

He shakes his head a couple of times, then curls his lip before he speaks. “We don’t know for sure, but we think Albert has something to do with it. Atomic is fairly certain it was a warning.”

“I’m sure it is,” I say. “Doesn’t make me feel any better about the situation. It’s still my fault as the road captain that this shit went down the way it did. I should have had some kind of better plan in place. Some better payoffs or something.”

King snorts. “You did what you could, brother. You cannot look back and throw a bunch of what-ifs at the situation. We gotta go forward. Figure out what we can do so it doesn’t happen again, and that’s that. Although I have a feeling it wouldn’t have mattered what we did. That shit was targeted.”

It was. I know in my head that he’s right. But in my heart and soul, I can’t shake the guilt that I feel about it all. I’ll probably never get over it, and that’s just the way it’s going to be until some other shit happens, which I’m sure it will at some point.

“What happens with the treaty now?” I ask, thinking back to just a few days ago when I watched Albert sign a treaty saying they would stay in their own fucking territory. Just days ago. And it’s already broken.

King doesn’t answer me. Atomic enters the room, and I lean back in my seat, watching him. “What happens with the treaty,” he begins, “is that we pay them a visit.”

“I’m about fucking done with visits,” I snap.

Atomic chuckles, but I can tell it’s strained. He doesn’t think any of this shit is funny at all. He laughs because he agrees that this is as ridiculous as I do. Then he sinks down in his chair before he leans forward.

“I’m not going to talk to them anymore. That ship has fucking sailed. I should have put foot to ass a lot sooner, but I was trying to avoid casualties of war.”

“But?” I murmur.

“Spying on us, kidnapping several people, including an old lady, and then signing a treaty before going back on it a few days later and getting one of my best men thrown in jail. Although, I wouldn’t give a fuck if it were just a prospect. I’m ready for this shit. I want war,” Atomic barks.

“Going to take a vote?” King asks.

“Fuck votes,” he grinds out. “It’s fucking on.”

Yes.

I am here for it.

CHAPTER

SEVEN

BREW

Leaving the clubhouse,I know we’re going to handle shit in a few hours. A decision has been made, and we’re going to head out as soon as Atomic informs everyone else and gets the women on lockdown.

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