Page 19 of Wolf

“Not our fight?” Maddox sneers and Joker slams his fist on the desk.

Interjecting before this devolves into an argument that no one can win, I say, “We followed the guys for the drop. Didn’t find a damn thing. Something’s foul about this, Prez.”

Joker slowly nods and tips his chin. “Only thing we can do is flush the bastard out.”

“How?” Maddox asks and I’m relieved that his attention has turned, for now. Unfortunately, I know Duke will be on my ass the minute I leave this room, and it burns to deny him but it’s what I have to do.

Miriam is safe now and if the other Abernathy girls stay away, it should resolve itself. Once everything calms down, I’ll bring the subject back up myself.

“We bait the trap,” Joker says.

Beside him, Romeo pushes back his chair to stand. Despite his pretty face, which he uses without mercy to bag all the ladies, he’s still fierce as fuck as he leans over the table with his knuckles pressed against the wood, and says, “I’m tired of this fucking shit. Whoever it is, I’ma bust his ass.”

Even though Romeo could have used his tenure to be VP, he never wanted it, which is why when my father, Diablo disappeared six months ago, I stepped into his shoes. Presumed dead, it’s another sin that I will avenge but hunting down the Aces one by one is easier than taking down an entire damn police department.

We don’t know what happened to my father, but I do know the last time I saw him, he was sniffing around the sheriff and his predilection for underage girls. It burns to know we haven’t brought Dad home, but I haven’t forgotten. It’s only a matter of time.

Now, I’m the VP and Romeo the Ride Captain. He’s been around long enough that the men respect him and he’s deadly as fuck at that.

Joker slaps him on the back as Maddox heads toward the door. When he opens it, I follow, saying, “If we start sending them out on false errands, something is bound to rise to the surface.”

“Let the vengeance be mine,” Joker says, and I mentally wince as I step into the hall.

It’s been a long time since Joker spouted shit like that. I hope this doesn’t push him back to the darkness because he might just stay there this time.

Of course, as soon as I enter the main area, I find Duke leaning against the bar.

I refuse to acknowledge the burn in my chest though. I’m leaving Lilli in that bastard’s hands, and it doesn’t sit right…at all.

Lilli

The weeks pass quietly in our home. Daddy is more subdued than I’ve ever seen him. We’re not allowed to speak Miriam’s name and just like that she’s erased from the picture.

I was horribly lucky that no one noticed I was gone, but I can’t be happy about it because my sister took the beating instead.

It’s Friday and I’m sitting on the bleachers during lunch, huddled into my sweater. Out on the field, my peers race back and forth, throwing a football. One of the girls shrieks and I glance up before turning away.

Is Miriam, okay?

I’ve never considered that Daddy could be so violent, and I’m left wondering what else I don’t know about my parents.

It’s bad enough discovering his extracurricular activities but the sheer brutality of Daddy’s anger was so beyond that I’m afraid to consider how far he might one day go.

How he justifies his behavior is a mystery to me, but I know that if he’s right about the fiery hell of damnation, he’ll have a front-row ticket when he dies.

“Hey,” Darcy says, sitting beside me.

“Hey,” I mumble.

“What’s up?” she asks, and I glance at her sideways, admiring her dark hair shining in the early afternoon light.

I don’t blame her for the mess that followed that night, but I can’t help but think it wouldn’t have happened if I had come straight home, instead of partying with her.

Maybe I’d still live with my head in the sand at that. Ignorance is bliss supposedly but even as I think it, I know that’s wrong. Not knowing wouldn’t have changed a damn thing.

“Nothing,” I say, dropping my half-eaten sandwich in my bag.

“I have something for you.”

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