Page 98 of Truths

His hands lift in the air. “Look-”

“You're the reason that scar-faced motherfucker became obsessed with Lex. He hurt her, but you fucked up. First, she's a woman of the club. She doesn't break easily. Second, the Slashers outed you. Mentioned you by name when they had her because they couldn't get her to crack. Should've really done some research first.”

“But Lex isn't the only woman you've had a hand in hurting, is it, Ivan?” Jennings asks. “You just never expected the Drifters to patch over the Hellraisers.”

Collin narrows his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“We patched over the Hellraisers, and their President, Dax, lost his wife. Came home to a house fire that claimed her life. Except she wasn't the one in the house. Ryan Graves, the President of the Kingsmen, ordered her capture. Ivan and O'Malley hurt Dax's wife while she was held captive. Workedwith a sociopath who drove her to try and kill herself to end the torture.”

“All of this to get your rocks off and overthrow the RIO while helping O'Malley overthrow Collin. Before you try and deny it, we have you talking to O'Malley about your plan. We can play it for you, if you'd like,” TK says.

Shaking his head, Ivan chuckles nervously. “Where did you get these recordings? This all seems very convenient, no? You have to know they're doctored.”

“No, I don't think they are. And I didn't know about a President's wife. You're caught, Ivan,” Collin says. “A man who purposely seeks out to harm women doesn't sit well with me.”

“I have money,” Ivan says quickly. “Name your price.”

VP laughs. “The amount it would take to offset what you did to Lex and Dani isn't an amount you have.”

“You might be surprised.”

Getting in his face, Colt forces Ivan back against the counter. “The only repayment I'll accept is your blood as you take your last fucking breath. You can't buy your way out of this. Not after what you did to my wife, and not for what you did to Dani.”

“I never touched Lex!”

“But you pointed O'Malley in her direction. Made him obsessed with her. He watched us fucking. She could feel his eyes on her, and he broke into our goddamned clubhouse to chain her to my fucking bed. Sent her sickening love letters and forced her to kill a man who tried to violate her in our own house.”

“After the RIO finds out about all of this, this might actually be the better ending for you,” Psycho says. “Then again, I helped create the plan of your demise, so probably not.”

He shakes his head. “You think the RIO has nothing to do with this? That they're not part of this whole scheme? Killing me will only rain hell down on you.”

Psycho pulls out a sack and unrolls it on the counter with various large knives nestled in the luxurious fabric with a giddy smile on his face. “I guess we'll find out when they open the box I plan to send with your head in it. But considering we have the Mexicans on our side, and the RIO is making next to no money on us right now since we’ve stopped all shipments, I don't think there's much hell that will be raining down on us anytime soon.”

Staring at Psycho as his head tilts side to side as he stares at the large, machete-looking knife with an almost manic smile on his face scares even Jennings. Times like this make Jennings more than happy to have him on their side. Undertaker and Venom may be able to match his level of crazy, but he'll always be the original Psycho.

Collin nods his head, and two of his men each take one of Ivan's arms and carry him through a door off of the dining area, his legs kicking in the air in a desperate attempt to free himself.

“They're taking him to the basement. Whoever wants to go and watch, feel free. There is a set of stairs to the right by the office. Jennings, unless you wish to partake, too, I'd like to speak with you. After hearing about his involvement with another lady of your club, I believe Psycho should be the one to take him out.”

Psycho bounces on the balls of his feet. “I really fucking like you.”

“I'll stay up here,” Jennings says.

TK nods. “I'll stay with you.”

“I'm getting a few hits in,” Colt says. “Can I borrow a knife, P?”

“You can borrow them all,” Psycho says. “Except Eleanor. She's mine.”

VP walks down with the two of them, and Collin nods in their direction. “He named his knife?”

“The machete,” Jennings and TK both say as though it's completely normal. To them, it is.

Chuckling, he snaps his fingers, and the same woman as the last time they were here walks up with a bottle of whiskey and three glasses. He pours the amber liquid into them and clinks in cheers.

“I would like to make my proposition. After thinking about this a bit more after our first conversation, I realized you could have kept me in the dark about this. I got Ivan here, but I wasn't completely needed. You shed light on a situation I thought I was very aware of and thought was resolved.”

It's true. Jennings didn't need to get the Irish involved, but he also wanted to make sure that they had the facts straight. And if it meant they stopped unnecessary death like Dimitri's, he wanted to take that chance.

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