Page 50 of Dragon Strife
It’s astounding how little care they have for a woman holding a gun, like there’s no real threat that I—a human with tits—would actually shoot a grown man. The one brother sitting at the bar slowly turns and I recognize his face, but can’t recall his name. His stringy, black hair skims against his shoulders and his gray beard hits his chest in a tangled mess. His dark eyes scan me over as I approach and sit on a stool beside him, leaving a spot between us.
“Genni,” Chip leans on the counter from back behind the bar. “Are you okay?” He looks around, then back to me, his nose crinkling from the stench of my clothing. “Where are the others?” he asks quietly as the two brothers a few stools down begin to murmur.
After assessing the brothers in my vicinity, I feel safe enough to drop my gun to the counter and grab the bottle Chip places in front of me, bypassing the glass to swallow down gulps of whiskey as the brother beside me lets out a low whistle. “What others?” I ask, my voice already sounding clearer as I drag my hand across my mouth and place the bottle back down.
Chip’s mouth opens and closes as he stares at me in shock. I wait for his explanation, but the brother beside me pipes up first. “You’re Vic’s Daughter,” he states with surprise. I give him a look as I slowly raise my brow.
“No, I’m your fucking President,” I say as a familiar voice hits my back.
“Genni?”
My eyes must be playing tricks on me because sitting at the bar and drinking a bottle of whiskey to herself is none other than Genevieve Varga.
“Genni?” I breathe out as I watch her body stiffen. She slowly turns and I nearly fall to my knees at the sight of her. Her forehead is slightly swollen and forming a bruise and the whites of her eyes are lined red, probably a result of being choked out if the bruising around her neck means anything.
“Don’t call me that,” she rasps, her voice sounding like she smoked a pack of cigarettes, one right after the other. “She no longer exists. I’m V now.”
“V,” I whisper as I step forward. “How did you get out?”
“So you knew I was in there?” She bares her teeth. “What did I ever do to this club to deserve such treatment? What does my father’s legacy mean for you to do this to his daughter?” Kennedy snorts from his seat near her at the bar and she spins to glare at him. “Got something to say?”
“Actually, yes,” he replies. “Jaeger was your father’s legacy, and that’s why he was made Vice. He was meant to be President. Not you.”
“Watch your mouth, Kennedy,” Chip warns, but Genni—V—is already shooting murderous daggers at our enforcer.
“That can’t be all,” she taunts. “Keep going.”
“Kennedy,” I call out. “This is not the time nor the place.”
“You’re right.” He nods casually and gets off the stool, regardless of the fact that she could blow his fucking brains out if she wanted to. “Where is our President? The real one?” He sounds nonchalant, but I can hear the threat riding his words as he stares her down.
V grabs the gun from the bar top and hops off the stool to stare at Kennedy, her height nearly putting them eye to eye. “Do you mean the one I knocked unconscious and locked up in the Slaughter Room? ThatPresident?”
“You better be joking,” he says, his voice filled with violence and his muscles locked in place as his hands curl inward. I tense, waiting for the moment I’ll have to pull my gun out and shoot Kennedy.
“Not even a little bit,” she replies with a smirk, her eyes never wavering from his as she meets his challenge. She’s so fucking strong now and as much as I’m proud of her, it’s a strength she acquired from a need to survive.
“Laith!” Chino yells from behind me, his boots pounding on the floor as he nears. “Jaeger’s bike is outside but I can’t find—” Kennedy and V continue to stare each other down as Chino stumbles into the room, her name seemingly ripped from his throat when he lays eyes on her. “Genni?”
“No,” I answer him under my breath as she leans in close to Kennedy’s face and growls, the gun in her hand twitching. “That’s V.”
“Where’s Jaeger?” he asks me as he steps toward her, and I grip his arm to stop him from going farther.
“She’s not the woman you once knew. She’s chang—” I’m cut off as the quick slam of the gun’s handle into Kennedy’s temple has the room falling to a hush, and when his body drops to the ground like a sack of potatoes, I suddenly realize the full danger she is in. My brothers are armed, and she’s not a member. I just pray they remember who her father was. “Call Malik … now!” I hiss at Chino as he grabs his phone from his cut pocket.
“Did anyone else want to fuck with me right now?” she calls out as she raises her hands into the air, the gun still nestled in her grip. “I could’ve killed him, but I remember what each of you meant to my father. I won’t hesitate next time.”
“Charles,” Chino whispers into his phone. “You need to get over here fucking now.” He hangs up and I roll my eyes as we continue to watch her closely.
“Be prepared for dramatics,” I advise as V turns to look at me and finds Chino at my side. “Heads up,” I warn just as she raises her gun at him.
“You look terrified, Chino.” She snickers as she steps toward him, her eyes flashing with a manic look.
“Genni, listen, we’re here to help yo—”
“Don’t call me that!” she screams and then shoots at his feet.
It’s chaos after that. Brothers are drawing their guns and I run to stand in front of V, forcing her back against the bar, protecting her from anyone who decides to shoot. Chino is in shock, his eyes wide on the bullet hole in the floor and his chest heaving.
