Page 104 of Banshee
“What clubhouse?”
“The Brotherhood of Bastards’.”
“Why the fuck were you at their clubhouse?” I shouted, and she flinched. “I’m sorry, Kyllian. Please tell me everything. I need a list of who I need to fucking kill.”
Her smile was small and sad. “I don’t need you to kill anyone. You don’t even know me.”
“You’re my sister’s child. My family. I failed her; I won’t fail you.”
“How did you fail her? Did you let your father sell her?”
My eyes snapped up to hers. “What?” I growled. “Kaylah ran away.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what she told us. She told us her father sold her to ours.”
My jaw clenched tightly. My hands fisted against the arm of the chair. I’d killed the bastard too quickly. I should have tortured him, made him tell me everything he did to her and maybe I would have found her sooner.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“My road name is Banshee. But my real name is Elijah.”
“Like in the Bible. He defeated Jezebel,” she said quietly.
“No. Elisha defeated Jezebel. Elijah ran like a pussy.”
It was how I was feeling now. Like a fucking pussy who couldn’t protect his family. A vision of Aspen floated before me. Another woman I couldn’t protect because I’d run like a fucking pussy.
I should have taken her when I had the chance. Knowing now what had happened to my sister, knowing what had happened to Aspen. What probably had happened to Kyllian.
“How did you end up with the Brotherhood?”
I listened as Kyllian told me about being sold to the Death Dogs after Knuckles died. Her marriage to Pinch, and his debt to the Brotherhood. And she told me about Firestride coming to collect that debt and taking her as collateral. How he’d made her his old lady. The first old lady the Brotherhood ever had.
I knew there were things she was leaving out. I could see it in her eyes. She didn’t trust me. I understood that. I couldn’t expect her to trust me simply because I was her uncle. The uncle who had allowed her mother to be sold—twice.
I had to earn her trust, and I would. If it was the last fucking thing I did.
Kyllian and I talked about nothing. Mostly superficial stories from our pasts. I told her about Aspen. How I planned to make her my old lady. I left out her connection to the Death Dogs and Pepper, wondering if Kyllian had known Irene.
The doors opened, and Breaker returned. He’d been with Pepper when they found me on the side of the highway.
“Time for a field trip, kids.”
“Where?” Kyllian asked.
“It’s a surprise,” Breaker whispered loudly.
“Touch her, and I will fucking kill you,” I snarled as Breaker reached for Kyllian. He stopped in his tracks and looked at me.
“Big words for a man who’s bound and bleeding to death.”
“Fucking try me.”
Breaker looked behind me and nodded. “Untie the fucker and let’s see what he’s got.” He leaned in. “You may have gotten a shot off at Pepper, but you don’t have a fucking gun now, old man.”
I narrowed my eyes as I waited for someone to untie my hands. As soon as one was free, I grabbed Breaker’s cut and pulled him forward, smashing my forehead into his nose.
Stupid fucker didn’t know enough to step back. The crunch of bone echoed around the room, followed by Breaker’s scream. A fist flew at my face, jerking my head to the side. I grabbed the man’s hand and twisted it, hearing his wrist break and shoving him back.
