Page 33 of Blood & Honey
“Stay away from me,” she screams at me, flinging sand in my direction.
I ignore her hurtful words.She’s rightfully angry at me.I drop down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into my side.
We don’t speak at first.I continue to hold her until her crying nearly ceases.
“We need to talk,” I tell her.
Her eyes are wild and frantic as she finally looks at me.
“She was here,” her voice comes out in a low whisper that I barely hear.
“What do you mean?”
“Momma Tee.”
“She was here?Out here on this beach?”I glance around, but she’s gotta be long gone by now.“Was Shelby with her?”
“No.”she shakes her head.“She told me she has a message for you.She has Ash, and she wants her money.”
Rage ignites inside me like an inferno, scorching my insides with its intensity.This was never about Shelby.This was about Momma Tee securing what she feels she’s owed.She’s a fucking fool if she thinks I’ll give her one cent.“Did she say anything else?”
“Only that she’ll be in touch.”She pulls away from me, and I let her.“What are you going to do?”
“Wait for her call, I guess.”
“Do you think there’s a chance Shelby could be with her?That she’s her partner?”
“They were working together before.Anything is possible.”
“Are you going to report any of this to the police?”
“What’s Buford going to do besides stick his thumb up his ass and pretend he’s looking for them?”
“You don’t have to be rude.”
“Babe?”I shoot her a look that says, ‘really.’“Only stating the facts.”I get up and reach my hand out for her to take.“Come on.I’ve gotta tell the guys.”
She hesitates for a second, but when she places her hand in mine, I know despite our difference of opinion about Shelby we are united in our love for Ash.
Back at the clubhouse, my men are arguing about the best possible scenarios to get Candyce and my baby brother back.I have Ashley recount what happened out on the beach with Momma Tee.Each of them listens intently, wearing grim expressions.
The room is abuzz with a restless energy.Each one of us holds the promise of violence within us.Ready to ride or die in the name of this club.In the name of my father.For Ash.
I stop pacing as their chants of retribution dies down.“All right.It’s obvious that Momma Tee is very much still a threat, and she’s the one behind the attack on Slasher.The stakes are greater than ever with her taking not only Candyce, but my brother.”
“Do you think Shelby is part of this?”
I don’t voice it, but I’m starting to believe that Shelby may already be dead.“Possibly.Her and Momma Tee could have been hiding out together this whole time, planning and biding their time for the right opportunity to strike.”
“When are we going after her?”Hemlock growls, and Kevlar and Graves stare at me, having as much at stake as I do.Candyce is Kevlar’s sister, and we all know her and Graves have a thing.If they had taken Ashley, I’d be losing my goddamn mind.That’s the detail that leads me to believe that Shelby isn’t part of this.
I hate her, but I know that she loves Ashley.If she were alive, she would have made contact with her by now, at least to ask about her son.
“She said she’d be in touch.”
“So we’re just going to sit and wait for her to give us a call?”someone calls out.
“No.We’re going to comb over every bit of information we have on her and find out where she’s holding them, and then we’re going to make a plan and take this cunt down once and for all.”
