Page 53 of Ruckus

We may need to look at getting a bigger place, somewhere with a bigger yard where the kids can play. I check my phone, and when I see I have over eight missed calls from my sister, I decide I should call her back. I left the club in a hurry, with no explanation. It’s natural that she’ll be worried about me. Iguess, given the way I reacted, what I’m about to have out with Raze won’t come as too much of a surprise. I was unable to hide my anger when I realized what Tawk almost took from me. It’s gonna take a lot to forgive him, even if he is in a bad place. What I have to remember is that I got my girl and he lost his. I gotta put myself in his shoes and think about what I’d do to whatever fucker took Lettie away from me.

Alicia answers almost immediately and I can tell from her voice that she’s been worried.

“Saul, where are you?” she yells at me.

“Relax, lil’ sis. I’m fine.” I laugh as I pay the cashier and pick the smokes up off the counter.

“Fine… You stormed outta here like you were ready to kill someone and I know what Tawk did.” She must be in the clubhouse because she’s holding back, thankfully she won’t have to do that for long.

“Lettie's fine,” I tell her, knowing that it’s what she really wants to ask. “And you’ll be pleased to hear that what happened today made me realize that you were right.” I place my hand over my free ear when I step back outside and the huge truck that pulls in hisses to a stop.

“What are you saying?” I can almost imagine the clever smile on her face.

“I’m saying that I’m on my way back to speak to Raze. I’m bringing ‘em home, Alicia, we’re gonna be a fam–” I hear a loud bang, like a car backfiring, then drop my phone as a bullet whistles past my head. It shatters the glass door behind me and I quickly scope the forecourt to see where it came from. Tires screech, a car pulls up beside me, and when I see that the barrel of the gun in the masked man's hand is pointing at me, I know he ain’t gonna miss a second time.

Iwalk back into the clubhouse with Wrath, bruised and a little beaten, but he needed it. Freya shakes her head at me from the other side of the room, while Wrath taps the bar and asks Polly to get us a beer.

“Next time, no need to go easy on me.” He slaps my back as he takes a stool and starts to unbind his hands.

“I wasn’t goin’ fuckin’ easy,” I growl, taking the ice Polly's already got wrapped in a towel, and pressing it against my cheekbone. Wrath and myself both look over toward the girls when an ear-splitting scream comes from their table and my thoughts go straight to Freya, but she’s not who the scream came from, she’s up and on her feet, holding Alicia as she stares at the phone in her hand with wide scared eyes.

“Alicia, calm down. What happened?” She’s desperately trying to get some sense outta her and I rush over and take the phone, pressing it to my ear to try and figure out what's got her so shook. I hear more screams, and panic coming from the other end.

“Call an ambulance,” I hear someone cry out in the distance.

“Hello… HELLO.” I check the phone screen and see the person she was talking to is Saul. “Hello!” I yell again, hoping someone will hear me and explain what the fuck is going on.“Alicia, were you talkin’ to Saul? What did you hear?” I grab hold of her shoulder, probably a little too roughly for a woman in her condition, but she’s in shock and I need to know what she heard.

“Two shots. Loud ones… Then he’s, he’s not answering me.” Her eyes are wild and frightened as she stares back at me.

I got nothing comforting I can say so I let Freya take over, and press the phone to my ear again.

“Hello…someone?—”

“Hello.” A shaky voice comes from the other end of the line.

“What happened?” All my brothers have gathered around, with concern on their faces, waiting for me to relay back to them what the stranger says next.

“It just came out of nowhere, pulled up in front of him and…shot him.” The man sounds like he’s in shock himself.

“Is he alive?” I watch everyone around me tense up when I ask my next question.

“I’m sorry, we called for an ambulance but…” The man on the phone voice goes quiet and I shake my head at the others as a lump wedges in my throat.

The whole room is silent, even Alicia has stopped sobbing.

“Where are ya… tell me where ya are.” My voice comes out hoarse.

“We’re at a G&M, just off Route 5, Oceanside,” he explains, and in my head I thank him, the words just don’t come out.

“I know where he is.” I look across at Raze who’s looking at me as if he’s expecting me to tell him this is all a joke. Vike backs away from us all, shaking his head and looking like he’s about to throw up. And when all the others look to Raze too, I can see he’s all outta answers.

“Why are you all just standing here? He’s your brother… Go help him!” Alicia cries out, and when I turn my head back toward her I close my eyes before I speak.

“Darlin’, it’s too late. Saul’s gone.” I feel tears prickling my eyes when I open ‘em back up, and the scream she makes rattles my bones and triggers Vike to chuck his guts up all over the clubhouse floor.

Freya looks at me as she pulls her friend tighter to her body, and takes her weight to stop her falling to her feet.

“You said you know where he is?” Raze checks he heard me right and I nod back at him.

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