Page 450 of The Tempted

“What’s the big emergency?” I questioned, ticked off that I had been summoned here in the first place.

“Blackie got arrested last night,” Jack ground out.

“For what?” I asked incredulously. Shit, he probably got a DUI.

“Brantley arrested him. It’s not good,” Jack said, swiping his hand across his face. “The kid he beat up is nearly dead.”

“The kid…” I said, recalling the guy with Lacey.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“Yeah, Riggs, the kid that nearly raped Lacey in the parking lot,” Jack said, through clenched teeth.

“Blackie was leaving and caught Lacey struggling in the parking lot. He beat the fuck out of him. Brantley showed up and slapped cuffs on him. If that piece of shit dies, Blackie is looking at murder,” Jack explained, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I pray that little shit lives,” he grunted. “He lives, I’ll cut his little dick off but at least then Blackie is looking at assault in the first degree and attempted manslaughter. With his priors he’ll serve about five years.”

“And that’s the best case scenario?”

Jack nodded.

“Blackie’s doing time, either way, let’s just hope it’s five years and not twenty to life,” he sighed.

“Christ. I had no idea man, everything was cool when I left,” I paused. “How’s Lacey?”

“Stryker took her to my house. She was shaken up but she’s blaming herself for all this shit,” he paused.

“You’re probably going to think I’m crazy but I’ve got this feeling…” he said, as he reached around and cupped the back of his neck. “…I think Lacey has a crush or something on Blackie.”

Ah, fuck this.

Why me?

I shrugged my shoulders and tried my best to act clueless.

“Why, because she feels bad? I’d fucking feel bad too if Blackie saved my ass and got arrested for it,” I said, shoving my hands into my pockets.

“Right,” Jack agreed warily. “So, you didn’t see anything strange between the two of them at the bar?”

“I saw Lacey on a date with some douchebag and Blackie being Blackie at the bar wallowing in his shit. They didn’t even acknowledge each other and when I waved at Lacey she stared daggers at me.”

It was somewhat true.

“I’ve got to go to the courthouse. Bones is staying with Lacey and Reina at my house, think you can swing by the hospital and get an update on the kid?”

I sighed.

“Yeah,” I said, deciding I’d make a quick stop at the hospital then head straight home. Unfortunately, I’d have to wait to discuss a plan for Wu with Jack. If he didn’t give me the answers I needed, a solid course of action to bring this motherfucker to his knees, I was taking things into my own hands.

I felt my kid kick for the first time today.

I missed months of that.

I wasn’t going to miss one goddamn moment once he was born.

So this war? It had to end before Lauren gave birth.

Either I would end it.

Or the Satan’s Knights would.

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