Page 53 of Creature's Vengeance
Fuck. “We need to take this to Maddog as soon as he returns.”
“Agreed.”
Ratchet. Luis Diego. And fucking Angel Mackenzie, the nephew of cartel boss Salazar Guerrero. They were all connected.
After all this time, I was finally gonna find the motherfucker who ordered my mother’s murder. There would be no mercy once I did.
“YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?” I asked, staring at the photo Skel brought up on his laptop. “It doesn’t look like him.” I’d remember. At thirteen, I killed the man who murdered my mother, but there had been another with him. A guy with a reddish-blond beard and spiders tattooed on his shoulders. He laughed when that cocksucker shot my mother but left before I could kill him too.
Why think of him after all this time? I wasn’t sure.
Maybe Lucifer’s gift gave me clarity, allowing the final pieces of that day to enter my mind. I remembered every agonizing minute of that deadly encounter. And the one who allowed my mom to die without stopping her murderer deserved the same fate.
“Yeah, I’m fucking sure.” Skel pointed at the older biker in the image. “You said he has spiders tatted on his shoulders. It’s the same guy.”
“He got fat,” I deadpanned.
Skel shrugged. “So?”
“I need him to go to ground.”
“We clear that with Maddog first.” He lightly slapped my back. “Don’t think it’ll be an issue. He knows what that day cost you and Tinman.”
“What’s this fucker’s name?” I never did learn it. Didn’t matter, though. Once the memory surfaced, I knew I’d find him. If Skel didn’t stumble onto it, Drake would have helped me.
“Jim Buffer.”
Jim is going to die a painful death.
I agreed with Drake.
“I want to take this to Maddog now.”
Skel nodded. “I thought you’d say that. He’s in the chapel. I’ll meet you there.”
Blair was on a separate floor, helping Lark and Bianca with cleaning, but on strict instructions from me not to overdo it.
I popped my head into one of the bedrooms that would belong to patched members once it was updated. Blair was sitting on the floor, rubbing an oiled rag over the wood. It matched the desk in the corner, close to the window. “Hey, baby.”
She lifted her head. “Hi.”
“Got something to take care of. I might be gone all night.”
Concern flitted across her brow and then disappeared. “Drake, make sure he’s unharmed.”
An answering growl rumbled through my chest. He fucking loved it when she spoke directly to him. “He’s telling you he’s got it under control.”
“I don’t doubt it.” A smile followed her words.
“Fucking love you, Firecracker.”
“Love you, Balen.”
“Yeah?” I asked, fucking giddy to hear it.
“Oh, yes. I’m pretty fond of that protector inside you, too.”
The feeling was mutual.
