Page 73 of What Lies Within

Yet, my brother simply sighs and lowers his weapon, setting it on the table again. "Knew this would turn to shit the minute Sweetie told me she'd taken your bitch." Hands wide before him, he rises from the vinyl-covered seat. I track him, weapon still aimed at his fucking forehead, as I take a step back to watch while he slowly strips the leather from his shoulders. "Getting a bit hot in here anyway." He hangs the cut from the first two fingers on his left hand. "Come and get 'em,brother.”

The colors hit the floor—the first sign of disrespect—and then my asshole brother does the fucking unthinkable. His right hand shoots to his goddamn crotch, and as Minion moves to retrieve the cut, Fox whips his zipper down, dick out, and precedes to piss all over the club emblem.

I feel the tension that radiates off Minion damn near push me out of the way.

So, I fucking retaliate first.

I drop my hand and discharge my weapon, putting a goddamn hole through the asshole’s dick.

He screams, hands cupping the wound as he stumbles back and collapses into the chair. Blood seeps between his shaking fingers, his breaths stuttering in and out of his cigarette-fucked lungs as he comes to terms with the damage.

"Could have saved yourself the pain," I holler to be heard over his pathetic whimpers. "Could have fronted up to us at thedoor and talked man-to-man without this bullshit.” I wave my gun at the room. “What was this anyway? You tryin’ to make out you got the upper hand on me?”

Minion retrieves the leather from the floor, holding it at arm's length while he carries it to the stainless sink and dumps it inside.

“The fuck you do that for?” Fox exclaims, voice pitchy and panicked. “Jesus, Tyke.”

"The fuck you take my daughter for?!" I roar, tendons standing proud along my neck. "Any grievances are between you and me," I shout, drowning out the water swishing over the leather as Minion cleans the cut as best he can, given the circumstances. “You have beef, you bring it tomydoor,” I press. “Not my daughter’s.”

Fucker chuckles, sinister smile on his downturned face as he lifts a palm to check the damage to his fucking dick. “You raise them kids in the club, Tyke, then theyarethe club. Ididbring it to your door.” He lifts his head and pins me with a heated glare. “I just used your fuckin’ assets to do it.”

I don't even think on it. The butt of my gun collects his face as I backhand the asshole, yet the meager spray of blood from his mouth does nothing to satisfy the burning rage that threatens to consume me the longer I stand in his fucking presence.

"Why?" I use my free hand, heel pressed to his forehead, to shove his head upright again and search his gaze. "What the fuck you hope to achieve by takin' my girl?"

“Wasn’t supposed to be her,” he mumbles before spitting pink saliva at my feet. “I wanted your bitch, but she came with complications.”

"Rae." I shunt his head back as I step away, confident that if my palm remains connected to his skull, I’ll kill him before I get the answers I need.

“She’s a hell of a bargaining chip.” Fox laughs. “You came across gold with that one, brother.”

“Do not call me that.” I spin, finger in his face. “Ever again. The blood I share with you sure as fuck ain’t my better half.”

“Glad not to.” Asshole seethes as he stares at me, hands still cupped to his junk. “Think I could get a fucking towel?” he asks Minion, jerking his head at the brute.

“Think you can make do with what you got,” the big guy answers, shrugging as he lifts the cut to let the water run off.

“What you need Terry’s road for, anyway?” I ask, arms folded and gun tucked to my side. My gaze falls to Fox’s weapon, still within reach on the table. I collect it, shoving the thing in my waistband before it becomes an issue.

"Reasons." The fucker hedges the question, glancing at the now empty tabletop.

“He wants to know what they are,” Minion warns.

“Got that, thank you.” Fox scrunches his face up, sneering a mocking smile at the man. “Just don’t see what business it is of yours.” He glares at me as he says the words.

"You take two of my women to woo your fucking boyfriend up there on the hill, then you make it my business to know what's so goddamn important that you needprivateaccess to this fuckin’ road he builds.”

Fox’s lip twitches, wrinkling beside his nose. “I got a contract, okay? I got merchandise I need to move.”

“With who?”

He glares at me.

“You wanna lose your balls, too?” I aim my gun at his hands.

“Fuck’s sake.” He leans back, hissing between his teeth. “Devil’s Breed, okay? I made a deal with them to move the goods south.”

The goods.I know what fucking goods they move, and it ain’t the shit I want moving through my backyard. I lower my voiceand ask in a monotone, “You wear our fuckin’ colors while you do this?”

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