Page 33 of Taming Raptor

“That’s my fucking sister!” he shouted in Benny’s face.

“Mav!” she cried out as she grabbed his elbow of the arm he’d drawn back to punch Benny. “Not in the bar, please!”

Towering over all of them, I took the power position. “Outside. Now.”

The rest of their chapter members glanced at each other nervously. Pussies. I had to give it to them, though—they did as they were told, but if that had been us we wouldn’t have been ordered around. Once outside most of them scattered. I heard bikes start up behind the building, then gravel flew as they tore out of the lot.

“One Short, go in and watch the door. No one comes out without you warning us.”

“No problem, boss man,” One Short replied as he went back inside.

“Jesus. What a bunch of worthless fucks,” Torque muttered. Tigger silently watched everything, missing nothing, I’m sure.

Benny didn’t know when to shut his mouth, though. He lunged at Mav and double fisted him in the chest much like I’d done to him, but with less effect.

“You’re supposed to have your brother’s back! Me and you against the world, remember? That’s been our bar since before we got patched!”

“Enough!” Mav finally roared. This was their fight, so I stayed out of it, unless they involved Fallon again. “It was never the club’s bar. We hung out there—it was our bar as we grew up, sure. But shit like this always starts with somebody in the chapter everywhere we go. Now, not only are we divided, we have these fuckers to deal with.”

“Hey now,” I warned.

Benny turned on me.

“Who the fuck are you? If you wouldn’t have been in there, none of this would’ve happened. This is our town!” Benny spat. I took on a stance that allowed me to drill the little asshole if he said one more fucking word.

“Shut the fuck up, Benny.” Mav ran a hand through his disheveled hair as his eyes darted to me. At least one of them had some sense. Benny gritted his teeth.

Tired of the little fuck’s mouth, I stepped closer. “Do you see this patch right here?” I tapped my 1% diamond. “This says we outrank you and your motherfucking club. I will end you. Do you hear me?”

Though my words were calm, my tone was deadly.

“Fuck. You. When the Demon Runners hear that you guys are here, they are going to annihilate you.” With wild eyes, Benny wouldn’t stop.

I cast a glance at Gator and found him watching Benny with a narrow-eyed gaze.

“Benny, for Christ’s sake, that’s enough. Do you not see that we’re pretty well outnumbered? The brotherhood that you were so quick to preach fucking bailed on us. They left us to fend for ourselves and your dumb ass is going to get us killed.” Mav practically snarled at his “brother.”

When Mav turned to me, he put his back to Benny. Everything happened so fast we all jumped into motion. Benny sucker-punched Mav in the back of the head, bringing him to his knees.

Fallon, who had previously been quiet, cried out and lunged for her brother. Benny drew back to hit Mav again and he elbowed her in the face, causing her to stumble. Torque caught Fallon and immediately passed her off to Gator then drilled Benny in the jaw. He dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, then groaned as he held his face and rolled around a bit.

Mav recovered and went after Torque.

The click of the hammer on Tigger’s revolver echoed through the small parking lot. As he held it up to Mav’s temple. “I think that’s enough. Don’t let misplaced loyalty lead you down a path you can’t return from.”

Phoenix had drawn on Benny.

“You okay, sweetheart?” I called out without taking my eyes off Benny and Mav.

“I’m fine,” she grumbled.

“Get your asses out of here,” I ordered. Benny scurried off like the little rat he was. Mav stood tall and I narrowed my gaze at him. His jaw worked and he glanced briefly to the ground, then to me before landing on his sister.

“I’m sorry, sis. I tried to talk them out of coming here. They weren’t having it. But if you think we’re trouble, we got nothing on these guys.” He motioned to me and my brothers. Then his attention was back on me. “You might want to watch your backs. The Demon Runners are ruthless. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

“Well, guess what?” I leaned in closer to him then whispered, “We’re worse.”

“Bitch”—Meredith Brooks

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