Page 44 of Beast
“Quit fucking playing games with me.” I got up and pulled clothes on. Donna raised the gun in case I had other things in mind. She explained Sturgis and having the two men killed. She refused to tell me who was helping her. “I could kill you right now, Melissa.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Because you’ll promise me you will take care of Mark. There’s no way out of this for me.” She turned her head as if listening for something.
“He’s sleeping in the bunker in building two,” I said. Then I offered something I shouldn’t have. “How’d you get in here?”
Donna shrugged. “Years ago, when the bunker was built, the club also had a series of tunnels built beneath the clubhouse grounds. They’ve never been used. There’s one beneath your bed, so I had to wait for you two to stop fucking.”
“Leave, Donna. Go to Cali like you said you were and never come back.”
“That’s not the way this works, Melissa. Marcus knowing I fucked around on him with one of his officers . . . he’ll never stop searching.”
I sat back on the bed. She was dead.
We both looked toward the door when we heard Marcus’s voice in the hallway. Diesel was with him.
“Take care of Mark, Melissa.”
Beast opened the door, and Donna pulled the trigger. I screamed and turned away.
Diesel helped me from the room while Marcus stayed. “Skittles,” he said. “Skittles, look at me.” Diesel lifted me into his arms, and we met Wendy, Carmen, and Gigi at the end of the hallway. “Take her into church and close the door.” He held my jaw in his hands. “Skittles. Not a word until Beast tells you.”
“Okay,” I said, and he left the room.
“What the fuck happened?” Gigi asked.
I shook my head. I couldn’t say even if I were allowed.
“Get her some water,” Wendy said. She started to leave the room, and I called her back.
“Diesel said for us to stay in the room,” I said. “That’s what we need to do.”
“We heard a gunshot.” Carmen sat in the chair beside me. “Who got shot, Melissa?”
“I can’t,” I said. “It’s club business. I promised Marcus.”
“What a wild fucking night.” The excitement in Wendy’s voice almost made me sick. It was too much excitement even for a club of outlaws.
“This is what it's like,” I said. “Tomorrow, you should go back to your regular lives. It’s not safe for you here.”
“Fuck that,” Carmen said. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Me neither,” Wendy said.
Gigi kept quiet.
For Wendy and Carmen, there was nothing left but the club life. Killing an outlaw biker said as much.
Wendy grabbed four beers from the fridge in the corner, and we drank together, four best friends at a crossroads in our lives and our relationship.
17
Beast
Isatonthebed, unable to move, staring at what was left of Donna. For the first time as President of the Brothers, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want Mark to know what happened. I couldn’t. Someday, I would tell him, but for now, he needed to think she ran off to Cali for hopes and dreams. It didn’t mean I forgave her. It meant that I cared enough about my son not to traumatize him.
“Beast,” Diesel said from the doorway. “Skittles is in church with her friends. I told her to keep this quiet.”
