Page 31 of Blood & Honey
“Shouldn’ttheybebackby now?”I direct my question at Goose and Slasher.Who knows what Blood and his men were riding into.It could have been a trap.An ambush set up by Shelby and whoever is helping her.There’s no way she is doing all of this on her own.
“Hey, don’t worry about it.”Goose attempts to reassure me, patting my shoulder.“They’ve got each other’s backs.They’ll be fine.”He chugs the rest of his beer and belches.
But his words do little to appease my concern.The loud music now seems too intrusive and isn’t helping the budding migraine that’s forming in my head.I can’t shake off the growing feeling of dread curling in my stomach.
Something is wrong.I can sense it.
I try calling Blood, but I’m sent straight to voicemail as I pace the length of the bar, fighting the urge to go off searching for my husband.
The clubhouse door swings open, and in walks Blood, his face as pale as a ghost.His gaze sweeps over the crowd before meeting mine.His green eyes are dull, devoid of any light.He looks defeated.The sight breaks my heart.Something bad must have happened.
“What’s wrong?”I ask, rushing toward him.Goose and Slasher stay silent, sensing that whatever news Blood is about to share, it can’t be good.
“Candyce and Ash,” he says, his voice on the verge of cracking, sounding absolutely gutted.
The words pummel me, practically hammering me into the floor.
“What?”
“They’re missing.”His words hardly register in my mind.The implication doesn’t need to be voiced for it to sink in.
My breath leaves me.My head feels swimmy, and I know I’m on the verge of fainting.“You think it was Shelby?”
He nods, confirming one of my worst fears.My sister is the awful person everyone says she is.Deep down I guess I’ve always known, but this cements that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.The room blurs around me as my knees buckle under me.
Blood’s voice distorts, sounding like white noise or the inside of a seashell.Strong arms catch me, preventing me from collapsing onto the cold floor.Goose transfers me to my husband.Blood clutches me to his chest as if he’s afraid I’ll break.And hell, maybe I will if he lets me go.
“What happened?”I intended to keep my voice steady, but the wobble in my bottom lip has me on the verge of tears and sounding whiny.
“There’s not much to go on,” he murmurs, but I pull away and look up at him, demanding answers with my gaze.I know he hasn’t been fully transparent about my sister.
“I’m not a child, Blood.I can handle whatever the truth may be.”
His gaze softens, and he sighs.“Okay.I’ll tell you.”
He pulls me over to one of the worn leather couches in the corner of the bar.My face must be one of shock and horror as he goes over the details of the day his father and Eightball passed away.Blood doesn’t skimp on the details, not sparing me when he talks about how he was with Shelby the night before.
My heart breaks for him all over again when he recites the sight of Shelby standing before him covered in his father’s blood and how eventually she confessed to her part in the plot to destroy the club.
“And now we’re here and that little boy is in danger because of me.”
“You didn’t know she’d come back.”
“Hell,” he says with a scoff.“Maybe I did.I was too weak to do what needed to be done back then, but now I’m ready.If I get my hands on her, Ashley.I’m going to kill her for what she’s done.”
“Blood,” I start, but he cuts me off.
“Don’t.”He closes his eyes, pulling away from me.“Don’t try to talk me out of it.”
He’s right.I was about to try to defend her even though I know all the horrible things she has done and part of me still loves her.Only I know Blood is the President of this club, and he has his role to play too.He has to avenge his father.Not only for himself but for his men.“She’s my sister.”I have to ask him despite knowing what his answer will be.I have to try.“She has to have help.Do you think there’s a chance that Momma Tee is behind this?You said it yourself that she was pulling the strings.She manipulated Shelby.”
“Shelby made her choice.She signed her death warrant the second she set her sights on my old man.”
“If you find them…will you––can I at least say goodbye first?”
He chews on my question for a moment, keeping his gaze trained on his boots, likely realizing the gravity of what he’s confessing to me and how it will change things between us once more if he goes through with it.He loves me, I don’t doubt that.But he loves his club more.They will always come first.
“I know what I’m asking is a lot.”
