Page 15 of Wrath

“You don’t need to do that, sweetheart. I made a promise to someone I care very much about, that I wouldn’t hurt your boss. But I made no such promise for anyone who tries to stop me from doin’ what I came here to do. I don’t know who's got the job of cleanin’ all these glass walls, but I don’t think they’d appreciate all the blood your two boys over there would bleed if you interrupt ‘em.” I gesture my head over to the corner where two security guards sit eating their lunch.

“Now, if ya could point me in the direction of Mr Collard’s office, I’ll say what I came here to say and then I’ll leave.” I release her slowly.

“But, emmm… Mr Collard runs his diary by appointment only, his two o'clock will be arriving any minute now,” she hesitates.

“Good, I’ll make sure I’m quick.”

She still looks unsure as she nods her head and gestures her eyes to the left.

“Thank you…Glenda.” I read her name off the badge she’s wearin’ and wink before I make my way past all the glass-walled offices, toward the biggest one at the back. I pass a huge conference room that has a panoramic view, and it comes as no surprise that Mark Collard’s office is equally as big. He’s resting back confidently in his chair, with his feet up on the desk while he talks to someone on the phone.

The cocky prick doesn’t seem so confident when he sees me marching toward his door, and I watch him through the glass that separates us as he stands and hangs up the phone.

“Hey, Mark.” I pull on the fancy chrome handle and let myself in.

“You’re a Sou?—”

“Sit yourself back down,” I order, thinking of all the ways I could make this manipulative bastard suffer.

“You can’t come into my office and tell me what to do.” He laughs nervously as a crowd starts to gather around the glass behind me. Problem with the grand design of this place is that if anything goes down, you're a goldfish in a bowl.

I like the idea of all this man's staff seeing him for what he is.

“I said, sit the fuckdown!” I slam my palms on his desk making him jump and sit all at the same time.

“How much?” I ask, staring him straight in his murky, gray eyes, and waiting for his answer.

“She’s a biker whore now, I shouldn’t imagine she’d be too pricey.” The cunt tries to show face and be clever. I have to remind myself of that promise I made, instead of reaching for his throat and taking away his ability to eat with a knife and fork.

“Eden worked hard to get where she is. I want to know how much the business is worth so she can buy you out of it.”

The asshole plays to his audience, sitting back in his chair and letting it rock from side to side.

“More than you can afford.” He smiles like a Cheshire cat, and I imagine taking out my knife and making it a permanent one.

“Try me.” I stand straight and fold my arms across my chest.

“$600,000.” He raises his eyebrows at me.

“Okay.” I nod my head and turn around, getting the hell outta his office before I tie the fucker to his chair by his intestines and send him flying through his window on it.

“That won’t buy back her reputation,” he calls after me. “She ruined that for herself the day decided to become a biker’s slut instead of my wife.” My feet stop moving and my fists clench. I have to close my eyes and picture her face. I have to remind myself of all the ways I let her down so I don’t give in to the temptation to do it again.

Eventually, I take in a long, deep breath, release it through my nostrils, and continue to walk away.

I need to get my hands on $600k, and luckily I got an idea of where I can.

“Open up!” I slam my fist against Raze’s beach hut door, over and over. He’s not in the clubhouse but his bike’s in the yard, so that must mean he’s here.

“Come on, Raze, I gotta talk to ya.”

“D’ya not get the fuckin’ hint?” He eventually rips open the door and when I see the bed sheet he has wrapped around the bottom half of his body I let him see my smirk as I push past him to get inside.

“Hey, Pey.” I tip my chin at his old lady, ignoring the fact she’s sitting on the bed wearing one of Raze’s shirts and looking embarrassed.

“Wrath, we’re kinda in the middle of shit.” He frowns at me sternly.

I’m fully aware that I haven’t been his favorite person since Eden showed up, and I get why. Old memories plague us all and I never deserved for him to forgive me in the first place. Eden being back here will be a reminder to Raze of how I let him down too, but it’s also a chance for me to try and make things up to her. I ain’t gonna let it pass.