Page 19 of Beauty & Corruption

“No shite.”

“Where’s Bird?”

“I’m going to ask the fucker myself.” Mordy sadistically smirked, lifting Pookie and stuffing her into his back pocket.

He quietly crept closer to Patrick, and I was right behind him. My heart was pounding in my ears, and sweat rolled down my temple. Mordy lifted Bloodlust and wrapped his arm around Patrick’s throat as quick as lighting, and I drop-kicked the back of his knees.

“Fuck!” he yelped, falling to the ground. My eyes were on the woman, and at once, I froze.

“Where is she, you fecking maggot?” Mordy hissed, pushing Bloodlust further into Patrick’s skin.

“Bird?” I uttered the name in such confusion. The lady looked like the woman I loved, and to anyone who didn’t know Bird’s body like I did, they would believe it was her. It wasn’t. She didn’t mention having any sisters, so that couldn’t be a viable explanation either. But who was she?

“Éan? Huh?” Mordy said in a hurry, his attention flickering to the woman. She lifted her hands behind the table and sat up before I realized what she was doing. She brought a handgun over her head and pointed it directly at Mordy. I pointed mine directly at her.

“Bird? Ha. You mean Regina Wright? Bleh. Even her name sounds fake. You want to know why? Because it is.”

“No shite, Cunty Sue. Give us something useful, or he’ll shoot,” Mordy answered in usual Mordy fashion, not fazed at all by the gun directed at him. “What about you, Falbo? You have anything useful before I slit your bastard throat for you?”

“I’m not saying shit about shit.” Patrick stood his ground.

“Suite yourself.” Mordy shrugged, pushing Bloodlust farther into Patrick’s skin, and a trickle of blood fell down his neckline.

“Wait! Don’t kill him!” the woman frantically said. “She’s in the trunk.”

“I don’t see a fecking elephant in the room, lass,” Mordy said through gritted teeth, his patience wearing thin.

“No, dummy. There is a car in the back room. She’s in that trunk.”

“And I’m the fecking president, wannabe Bird.” Mordy yanked his arm backward, and blood poured out of Patrick. Mordy released him, and Patrick’s hands were on his throat at once.

“I was telling the truth, but now I guess you die.” She adjusted her grip on the gun, and my eyes connected withMordy’s. “Pookie!” he yelled and smiled, ripping something from the bear as he yanked it out of his pocket, tossing it at the woman.

“NO!” I yelled, but I trusted my brother’s instincts and ran as fast as my feet would carry me. When I reached the door, I looked back. Mordy was running in the opposite direction.

“You fecking promised,” he shouted when his hand gripped the doorknob and nodded for me to go through the one I was at on the opposite side. I didn’t want to leave him, but I had to trust him. I had to get to Bird. She was here. A blast thundered through my ears, and the wall behind me exploded, knocking me off my feet. I was hurt, but it would be okay. I scrambled to my feet and ran as fast as I could toward the blue car.

Chapter 21

Mordy

Ishook my head at Stone. I should have known his stubborn arse would want to play the protagonist. It was who he was. He was never able to stop himself from being the hero; it was as if bravery and stupidity held equal weight within his brain. Truthfully, I was surprised he ever wound up breaking the law, much less joining up with our band of misfits. He was too good to be a bad person. I knew as soon as I met him that he would regret joining the MC. Honestly, he had lasted longer than I ever thought he would.

“You fecking promised,” I reminded him as my fingers wrapped around the doorknob on the opposite of the room from him. My brother constantly second-guessed me because my methods were not what he saw as practical. He questioned most of what I did on a daily basis but savingÉanwasn’t something I would budge on. Not now. Not ever.

From the initial fluctuation of my pulse, I knewÉanand I were in trouble—one or both of us were bound to die. That was the natural order of things. People lived and then died. People were never intended to be close to the sun without feeling its painful burn. Its beauty was something you were supposedto admire from afar. There were endless research studies and ample proof of this, but I was a gambling man. When I finally realized why I was so enamored by her, it was too late. I honestly didn’t know how long I had loved her, perhaps from the moment we met.

When I toldÉanthat I would always be her corruption and that she was the beauty, she didn’t understand. I guess I didn’t really either. Maybe I fell short of the deal by not keeping up my end of the bargain, but she’d have to forgive me. She would never forgive me for sacrificing myself so Stone could save her. A smug smile of arrogance spread across my face as the explosion rang in my ears, and unrelenting pain shot through my body as I thought of the hellÉanwould give my brother.

My body smacked the cool floor, and I told myself I wouldn’t let the last thoughts in my head be hideous. Regina opened my eyes and reminded me there were still people in this world worthy of the breath within their bodies.

Tears blurred my vision, and everything was blurry, and then nothing.

Darkness.

Bás.

I could have never understood that the beauty I told her of was a gift for her. I thought it was her looks and soul, but it was her life. I hoped she had the most beautiful life. One that brought tears to the most angelic of souls because she deserved everything ounce of goodness the world had to offer.

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