Page 11 of Blood & Ash

Circling the block before pulling over gives me peace of mind that no one is following us.

“This shit is seriously fucked up, man,” Goose says as we pull up under the carport. “I can’t believe Shelby would do that shit. Do you really think she killed them on purpose?”

“Wouldn’t put anything past that bitch. Not after this shit with the fake Will.”

I get off my bike, doing another perimeter check. Never can be too fucking careful. Not with whoever was behind this still out there. We could all have targets on our backs.

“Need to act fast,” I say, my voice echoing in the quiet, dark house. “We can’t risk losing our club and our land to some gold-digging cunt. How did I not see it? Did everyone know they were fucking?” The silence that stretches between us gives me my answer. The whole fucking club knew they were going behind my back and didn’t say a damn word. There’s no time to be pissed about it right now. There’s too much at stake.

Too much to prove.

“What are you going to do about Shelby?”

I rake a palm over my head. “Fuck if I know. She swears she’s having his kid. Taking out a pregnant woman.” I shake my head. The thought of it makes me sick. Bile churns in the pit of my stomach.

“Let me do it.”

“I can’t put that shit on you.”

“She took out my father, too. Bitch earned my retribution and figure I owe you for not saying shit, but you gotta understand the position I was in. Stuck between betraying my Prez and my best friend. I’ve always had your back, and that hasn’t and won’t ever change.”

I nod. He has. All my life it’s been me and Goose.

And right now, I need his support more than ever.

Yeah, this whole situation sucks, and it’d be easy to blame him as much as I’m blaming myself. However, that’s not going to make our problems go away. The last thing we need is to turn on each other.

“Now we need to make sure we’ve got everything we need before the wake tonight.”

Together we run down our list of options while going through our cache of supplies: rope, cable ties, a tarp, gloves, masks, a couple Glocks with the serial numbers etched off and a van that’s untraceable. Buford makes a lot of exceptions for the club, but not with this. Shelby’s a woman and pregnant. This is different than taking out some low life. This can’t be traced back to the club.

If this comes back on us, we’re cooked.

We go over our plan one last time, making sure we’re in sync. I can see the worry etched around Goose’s eyes, but we both know this is necessary to protect the club.

There’s no other option.

Neither of us wants to do what’s needed, but what choice do we have? We’re in the thick of it. Backs to the wall. Only one way forward.

Shelby has to go.

Marty too.

Goose holds my gaze, and I know he wants to ask if I’m sure about this.

Revenge never makes a man feel better, but it’s them or us, and I choose us.

I choose the club.

I always will.

Loyal to the day I die.

“It’s better to go into this fully prepared than be caught off guard,” I remind him, answering his unspoken question, mirroring the words my father has spoken to us a thousand times. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Fuck, I miss him even if I am so angry with him.

As we finish packing our gear up, my heart is heavy with the responsibility now weighing on my shoulders. Goose follows close behind, his movements unhurried but focused. I’ll handle Marty and he’ll deal with our Shelby problem.

It’s fucked that despite all that she’s guilty of, there’s a small dark space deep inside me that still cares about her. I should be the one to take her out. Not Goose. I invited her into our lives.

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