Page 55 of Ruckus

Sasquatch quickly moves away, heading round the side of the building, and when we hear the sound of his fist connecting with brick, Quinn moves to go after him.

“Leave him be.” Raze grabs her arm and pulls her back, then looks over to the woman investigator and her partner. “That straight-assed bitch ain’t gonna let you dictate where Saul goes, she’d have seen the cut before we even showed up. She’ll know what this is, and if you start pullin’ your weight, she’s gonna assume you're involved.”

“I am involved.” Quinn snatches her arm back. “And that straight-assed bitch ain’t as straight as you think she is. I’ve worked with her before,” she tells him, before strutting her way over to her and proving her point.

“Raze.” Wrath is seething and I can tell by the way Raz’s chest falls that he knows what’s coming. “Time to take some action, Prez.” Wrath barges past him and heads to his bike, tearing off, while the rest of us watch Saul get loaded into the back of the coroner's van.

One by one, the brothers make their way back to their bikes and when I notice Vike sitting on the concrete next to the pool of blood, I head over to join him.

I don’t have any words for him, so I just sit beside him staring at the same spot on the floor.

“Last time those fuckers came at us, Saul took a bullet for me,” Vike speaks so quietly I barely hear him. “I told him I’d repay the favor someday.” He huffs a laugh, and suddenly outta nowhere that laugh turns into a gut-wrenching sob.

“It was my turn.” I look up to Raze who drops his head and walks away, and when Sasquatch comes back from the side of the building, knuckles torn open and dripping with blood, he sits on the other side of our friend and puts his heavy arm round his shoulders.

The clubhouse is eerily silent when we get back, the girls are sitting with Alicia, and I guess Finn and Rocco made up their differences because Finn is leaning across the table and kneading his shoulder to comfort him when we step inside.

Wrath is already here at the bar with a bottle, knocking it back, and when I make my way to the bar to join him, he pulls me away from the others.

“I gotta get outta here, I can’t sit and watch everyone do nothin’. I’m takin’ my girl home. You got Freya for me, right?” he checks, and when Eden steps up to us with a sad smile, she reaches in his pockets and grabs his keys.

“Don’t worry, I’ll drive us,” she assures me.

“Don’t go doin’ anythin’ stupid,” I warn him.

“I should take Alicia home.” I notice Vike is behind me, when I turn around. “One of us should call her parents.” I nodmy head, unable to imagine how hard that's gonna be. Alicia’s difficult situation just got a lot more difficult. But we’ll all take care of her.

“Anythin’ she needs,” I tell him.

“I hear ya.” Vike takes a long, deep breath before he moves over to her, and when she throws her arms around his shoulders and breaks down, he grips her tight and remains strong.

Raze is already at the bar, drinking, and I step over and nod for Polly to pour one for me.

“You got a plan?” I ask, looking at the devastation surrounding us. Nobody could have predicted what happened today, it’s shaken us all.

“I can’t let ‘em get away with anythin’ else. We already look weak.” He shakes his head and massages the bridge of his nose.

“I tell you what you need to do…” Alicia drags herself outta Vike’s arms and comes at us. “You need to ride to the Reapers’ compound and tear off somefuckingheads.” She points her finger in his face and he stares down at it in shock.

“Theydid this. They found out and they killed him!” she yells.

“Found out what?” Raze looks as confused as everyone else around us.

“He was in love.” She drops her hand and takes a step back. “Like you, and Wrath, he… was in love with Ronnie Wilkins’ daughter.” She drops her words like a bomb and Vike quickly releases the hold he has on her shoulders like he just got burned from it. “They even have a kid together, and he was too scared to tell you.” Her voice goes weak.

“Holy shit.” Vike looks to me, then to Raze, with wide, shocked eyes.

“That’s why he’s dead. And because of you.” She turns her head to Tawk who’s sitting at the end of the bar. “He would never have gone to her house if you hadn’t turned up there thismorning. You all know San Diego is crawling with Reapers. But he had to check they were safe because of your fucking threat.” Alicia rushes out the door before she bursts into more tears, and Raze nods for Vike to go after her.

“Well, that explains a lot.” Raze blows out a breath and tips his chin at Polly for another hit.

“There's no way Saul would have hooked up with Ronnie's daughter, he’s not that stupid.” I refuse to believe what I just heard, but then I think about the way he ran outta here after Tawk made his confession, and I have to admit, it does make sense.

I look over to the table and notice Freya’s not here anymore, and when Peyton heads over to offer Raze some comfort, I can’t resist asking where she’s gone.

Wrath did ask me to take care of her before he left.

“She went back to her room.” Peyton smiles, before she gives all her attention to Raze, stroking his neck and whispering something to him that ain’t my business to hear.

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