Page 29 of Cerberus's Branding

Oh, fuck me. She’s going to get into a debate with my Prez here and now. I can see it now. Ember’s notorious for debating with her uncles. I’ve heard about plenty of them, including those that I didn’t witness myself. The woman should’ve gone into politics with how much she argues and debates.

“Not gonna argue with you, Ember,” Reaper growls. “Take this shit outside or I’ll do more than threaten bodily harm.” He motions for the door and then looks at Jon. “Show up at my clubhouse again unannounced and I’ll put a bullet between your eyes.”

“You’re threatening me?” Jon has the nerve to demand, lip curling.

“No, I’m not threatening you. Threats are just that, a threat, could be done, but is meant to scare,” Reaper remarks and steps closer. “What I just did was hand you a promise. You come to my clubhouse again, unwanted, you won’t be leaving. I’ll bury you somewhere in the woods and see that you are never found. Got me?”

Jon takes a step back, face paling. He’s at least smart enough to nod.

“Good.” Reaper turns toward me and jerks his chin. “Get this piece of shit outside and deal with him.”

“You got it, Prez,” I grunt, take Ember’s hand, and motion to Jon. “You heard him, outside.”

I don’t bother waiting to see if he follows or not. I don’t have to look behind me either to know several of my brothers are also following. I’m willing to bet even Reaper is going to be in the audience.

Stopping just past the bikes, I tuck Ember into my side and face off with Jon once again. “You wanna keep going on this conversation or you gonna carry your ass to your car?”

Jon looks at me, then at Ember. Scoffs and shakes his head. “You’d rather be a biker whore, go for it.”

“Better to be a biker whore than with someone who has a needle dick,” Ember snarks, curling herself closer to me. “At least I have someone whoknows what they’re doing in bed. I remember the rumors that you were no bigger than the size of my pinky and you didn’t know what to do with it. If I recall, the girls’ locker room joke was you were a five-second man.”

Oh shit.

She just went there, hitting him where it would hurt most. His ego.

Jon’s face goes red, and he looks ready to go off. Before he does so, I put Ember behind me and step in his direction.

“Get the fuck out of here and stay the fuck away. Ember’s my ol’ lady and that ain’t gonna change. You come here, my Prez’s promise won’t be the only one you have to deal with. I’m telling you now, before he gets the bullet planted between your eyes, you’ll get the beat down to end all beat downs. You’ll be wishing for death by the time I’m done with you.”

Face red, Jon does the smart thing and backs away, turns, and makes his way to his little sedan. I don’t know what the hell he was thinking, showing up here in the first place. Regardless, if he comes back, I’ll be true to my word and beat him until he’s begging to die.

I watch him leave before turning my attention to Ember. Cocking a brow, I can’t help but ask, “That shit true?”

“Of course it is.” She laughs. “Why would I make that up?”

“Don’t know, don’t care.” I grin and shake my head. “Let’s get you back inside.”

The words barely leave my lips when it happens. Time seems to stand still, and I watch the bullet slam into the center of Ember’s chest.

“No,” I shout, jumping for her.

There’s a commotion around the two of us. Shouts. Orders barked. I don’t pay attention to them. My focus is on Ember and trying to stop the bleeding. Her blood is covering my hands, soaking them.

“Hold on, baby. You gotta hold on for me,” I tell her, looking down at her face.

“Brother, you gotta let us move her. She needs to get to the hospital.”

“Move. Move,” Stella shouts, pushing past Azrael and Ghost. “I need to get to her.”

Stella drops to her knees on the other side of Ember. “We need to get her to the hospital. But we need to get her ready to move first,” she says, pulling out a shit ton of gauze and other shit.

Everything seems to move in slow motion while I listen and do as she tells me to do. Before I know it, we’re lifting Ember and moving her to one of the cargo vans to transport her. I can hear Stella talking to someone on the phone, ordering a gurney to beready. Other things are said, but I don’t fully pay attention.

All I can do is watch my woman and keep my hands pressing down on gauze. She’s lost so much blood already. I lost her once already, I don’t want to lose her again. Not after she’s finally mine.

CHAPTER 16

CERBERUS

---