Page 37 of Vengeful Mates

I put out my own cigarette in her fancy crystal ashtray. “Tell us where we can find him, and we’ll get the fuck out of here.”

She bent down to scribble something on a notepad. “You can find him here. Give him my regards before you kill him.” She faltered on the word kill.

Something went down between those two. They fucked and he mated her. She opened her heart to him, trusted him, and he betrayed the trust. Burned her. The fire within her pulsed dark and hot. She wanted to kill him as badly as I did, but something held her back. Love, maybe. Or maybe she couldn’t bring herself to kill her mate, if my suspicions were correct. And they were usually right.

“Kill him, and I won’t come after you for restitution for destroying items in my casino.” Faline liked to gamble like me.

No deal. If I failed, it meant my head on the line, and I wasn’t taking the gamble with a mate and family.

“Tell me your name, biker.” Faline nursed her wine glass against her breast. “War goddess to War god.”

“The name’s Slade Vincent.” I stood, and Zethan moved to the door, gun ready in case we met resistance on the other side. “Thanks for the smoke, kitten.” I shot her a wink. Slade Vincent always had the last word.

Her chest rumbled with an angry purr as we exited, and we were lucky she let us walk without another fight. I stared down her men, daring them to take a swing or point a gun at me. Sadly, none did.

Outside in the parking lot, we jumped onto our bikes, slamming down our helmets, when the space filled with the buzzing of more bikes.

Fuck.

Ten bikers surrounded us and blocked our exit from the lot. Fury scorched my insides. Fucking Faline’s men called them while she took us into her office. A damn distraction. Clever little War goddess was gonna make us pay for the damage to the casino. We didn’t just walk into her joint and beat up her men and leave. War was declared. Let the best god win.

Each biker pulled out a Beretta and six started shooting. The rest slammed the butt of their jammed guns, fighting Zethan’s magick. The enforcer and I got off two rounds, hitting the men with precision, right through their helmets. Bullets pinged on metal and pavement, sparks flying, and we ducked behind our bikes for cover. I peeked around my tailpipe and let off a few rounds, catching a rider in his leg and torso. He sagged off his bike and it tipped over. Shame to wreck a brand-new, sporty Honda. Casualty of war.

My enforcer did this impressive new Matrix move—his magick heightened with Aaliyah brought into our fold—blocking the bullets, suspending them in the air. Stunned, a few bikers lowered or dropped their weapons. Firing mechanisms in their guns clicked as he disengaged them. He walked right through his shield, popping off rounds, clocking rider after rider, until they were all dead.

“Nice work, Zeth.” The nickname came out as I clapped his shoulder. I hadn’t used it in too long.

He bent down to inspect his bike, then mine, checking for bullet holes. “Just doing my job and saving my brother.”

Brother. I hadn’t heard a sweeter word drop from his mouth. I felt a pulse along our bond. A sign of life. Our friendship resurrected and brought back to life. Not out of the woods, but at least he wanted to work on it, and I couldn’t have asked for more.

Zethan straddled his bike. “Let’s get out of here before more show up.”

Faline and her security team rushed out of the casino as we tore away, and I raised the bird at her.

Until next time, my worthy adversary.

CHAPTER14

Aaliyah

Drop into the club time.Spend time with my busy men. Deliver them the coffee I juggled in the cardboard carry tray. Steal a kiss. Hang out for a bit. Deliver Daddy a little present I bought him. Make him do some yoga with me, otherwise he’d make excuses not to do it.

Old Nurse A heard all the tricks in the hospital.

I’m too sore. I don’t want to do the stretches the surgeon assigned me.

Too tired. Go away.

I just had dinner and I’ll feel sick.

This nurse didn’t fall for them then and wasn’t about to go easy on her men when it came to their health. Healing avatar and all that business…

Dusty barked at a supplier in the corner. Pitbull packed boxes of bike parts in the garage that looked like they were just delivered. I gave them both a wave and got one back from Dusty, who got even tougher on the phone.

Bones and Slash hung out with their new girlfriends, cuddling on the couch. Cute as it was, they were slacking off while their president was in his office, and Slade would be furious if he found out. Their heads, not mine. No snitch here. The president could punish me for it, and I would take it all.

Brix played pool with his two groupies, doing nothing as usual. My gut turned to stone at the sight of the bastard who turned the club against my daughter and me. Asshole grunted his greeting and I smiled, sweet and syrupy on the outside, a cunning, deadly assassin on the inside, imagining all the ways to spit roast the pig.

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