Page 63 of Tav

Tav

She’s like a valkyrie. But better because she’s mine. All these men are pissing themselves. They have nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide. All of them except Royal. Every man who snivels, begs and cries has him lighting up on the inside. This man gets off on fear and power.

Marx leans forward, murmuring something in Royal’s ear. Whatever it is has him stiffening, the glee on his face replaced by pure unadulterated anger.

“What’s the matter, Uncle?” Vic asks, feigning concern as he steps over the man that he put down, “accidentally” standing on his pudgy pink hand. “Worried that our little sister is bringing an end to your dreams?”

Royal stares at Vic for a moment, before his gaze moves, stopping when it hits Dom. His lip curls up into a sneer-like grin. “My, your mother did make beautiful children, didn’t she? Pity she died before she could watch me break you all.”

A pop from Pixie’s gun, followed by a dull thud has us turning to look at the newest victim.

“Oh yeah, you’re doing a great job of breaking us,” Vic answers, not taking his eyes off the man on the floor.

“I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you. Let me guess, you and your brothers have been taking turns looking after Lovely? Helping her with the night terrors as she screams and cries, begging for it to stop?” He smiles when neither Dom nor Vic answer. “You stay up all night watching that beautiful baby girl I made by forcing my seed into your sister’s belly, protecting her from people that won’t think twice to put a bullet in you before selling her to her new owner. I hear he likes to break them in before they’re 6 months old.”

Pixie wipes his grin off his face, moving fast as lightning and backhanding him across the face, his head flying sideways. Instead of looking at her he laughs maniacally as if he is the funniest fucker on the planet.

“Oh my dearest Patience, is that all you got? I’ll tell you what, I’ll let you continue your little crusade. Get this out of your system. Then, well, that’s when the fun will start. You think you’re so smart, coming here with all these big tough men. Let’s see how they fare when the Keep finds out what you’ve done, huh?”

Pixie’s eyes narrow before widening. She spins to look at her brothers who all seemed to have figured out what the hell he’s talking about. They communicate without words, and I’m getting antsy at the look on her beautiful face.

“We’ve got this, sis. Marx, please stay with my sister. Tav, I need you with us,” Vic murmurs..

Marx takes one look at Pixie’s brothers. His jaw clenches and yet he still nods in understanding. I can feel the bewildered look on my face that my Pres is agreeing with them.

“Wait, no I’m not leaving my fucking Ol Lady -” I start. Pixie steps up to me, her small hand cupping my cheek, the warmth of her stopping me in my tracks.

“Baby, if you don’t go with them we’ll never make it out of here. Royal has a failsafe, and I think he’s put it into play. If youand the boys don’t get out there soon, we’re going to have the weight of the Keep bearing down on us, and those men will have a fuck ton more weapons on them than we do.”

I open my mouth to argue with her, but she presses her fingers against my lips, “Octavius, listen to me. I need you to go. I need you to make us safe. I need you to get us home to the kids and we can’t do that if we’re both in this tiny room.”

I study her face, and I know I have to do what she asks of me. I need her focused. The only way I can do that is by listening to her. She can’t complete her mission if she’s fretting about me and the kids.

Pressing my forehead to hers, I breathe in her scent. Telling her I love her isn’t enough. The word just isn’t big enough to describe how I feel. I say the only thing I can think would make sense to her, my woman who survived a fucked up religious cult who thinks having people submit to them is what makes you powerful. “You own me, all of me.”

Her quick intake of breath lets me know I hit the mark. “I love you, Tav.”

She grips my head and kisses me roughly, then pushes me away from her, stepping up to the next man in the line, the very last one before it’s Royal’s turn. I hesitate to follow Vic and Dom, who wait impatiently by the door.

“Prospect,” Marx barks, bringing my attention to my Pres, “I’ve got her. Go fuck them all up so we get out of here in one piece.” I nod at my Pres and turn to leave the room.

My legs feel like I have lead in my boots as I follow Vic and Dom.

“I need you to get your shit together. We’ll take care of the men and then be back in time for Blanche’s big finale,” Vic says, gripping my shoulder and giving me a shake.

I scrub my hands down my face, getting into gear, but I still can’t shake the feeling that is in my heart. I know why shewanted me gone. She thinks that by splitting up one of us will have a better chance of survival. She has another thing coming because there is no way I’m leaving this place without that stubborn woman of mine.

“Who do we have to fuck up so I can get back to my woman?”

Matching grins spread across their faces.

“Why Tav, I didn’t think you’d be so bloodthirsty,” Dom coos under his breath.

“Royal’s looking cocky in there. Either he knew we were going to strike, or he’s had the fail-safe in play since Hammer’s arrival in case something like this happened,” Vic explains, back against the building as we move quietly toward the entrance of the main hall, where all the men will be. “If that’s the case, he’s had a camera in the meeting room the whole time.”

“Wait,” I stop to look at them both, “If that’s true, why hasn’t anyone burst in?”

“He would have given them strict instructions to wait. He’ll have a signal, trust me. When that happens, there’ll be an ambush. But it won’t be us who’ll be in the hot seat.”

---