Page 74 of Wrath

“I’ll stay,” Big offered.

“Fine, but the rest of you go.” He motioned his head towards the door. “If we see something, you’ll be there first to know.”

We all exchanged glances, and it was pretty clear that none of us wanted to leave that room. But we knew better than to argue with Prez. Besides, he was right. We were going to have a hell of a fight on our hands, and we all needed to be at our best. Sadly, there was no way in hell I was going to be getting any sleep—not when my brothers and my woman were in danger.

I had no doubt that the Demarco brothers had faced many adversaries, but they’d never faced one like me.

They would soon regret ever stepping foot in Port Angeles.

I’d make sure of it.

CHAPTER20

Mia

It had been a long night—a very long night.

Even after Wrath came to see me, I was still a bundle of nerves. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to shake the anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. The only time it seemed to ease was when I felt Wrath crawl into bed next to me. Then, and only then, my mind stopped racing, and I could finally relax enough to drift off to sleep.

Sadly, the anxious feeling returned the second I woke up and found myself in bed alone. I immediately started thinking about the night before. The pictures. Cody. The gunshots. The all-consuming fear that something might happen to Wrath. It was all too much. I simply couldn’t stand it for another second, so I got out of bed and went to the bathroom for a shower.

I didn’t have many options for clothes—just a few things I’d saved from high school, so I had to make do with a pair of distressed jeans and an oversizedPink Floydt-shirt. Once I was dressed, I brushed the tangles out of my wet hair and started to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I was just about to open my door when I spotted a note wedged in the frame.

I pulled it out, and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw it was from Wrath.

Hey, sleeping beauty. Sorry I couldn’t stay. I’ll be back when I can.

I thought the whole Wrath coming back and getting in bed with me was just my mind playing tricks on me, but clearly, that wasn’t the case. I slipped the note into my back pocket and headed to get my coffee. When I got to the kitchen, there was already a pot of coffee brewing and fresh biscuits sitting on the stove, but there wasn’t a soul around. Even Jasmine and the rest of the club girls had made themselves scarce.

It felt strange being there all alone, so I decided to carry my coffee outside. I walked over to one of the picnic tables and sat under the shade of the towering oak tree, its leaves rustling softly in the gentle breeze. I hadn’t been sitting there long when I spotted Wyatt walking in my direction.

There was sadness in his eyes that tugged at my heart as he sat down across from me. He had a high-functioning form of Asperger’s which was often a blessing and a curse. It’s what helped him with all his computer wizardry and just all-around smarts, but it made it difficult for him to communicate, especially when it involved something or someone he really cared about.

I could tell by the look on his face that something was troubling him, so I didn’t push. I simply sat there and waited as he took a deep breath, steeling himself and said, “I don’t have much time... but I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. Really sorry.”

“What exactly are you sorry for?”

“Everything.” He shook his head, and his voice was strained as he said, “I should’ve looked into your boss, but for reasons that make no sense to me now, I convinced myself it wasn’t necessary.” I could see the anguish etched on his face as he said, “I let Dad down. I let the club, but most of all, I let you down.”

“It’s okay. Really. There’s no way you could’ve known what he was up to.”

“You don’t get it.” Wyatt said, his voice growing stronger, "It’s my job to know.”

“Okay, then we both messed up.” I reached over and placed my hand on his. “But it’s okay. I’m okay.”

“Yeah, but I still feel bad about it.”

“Well, that makes two of us.”

I sighed, then took another sip of my coffee. I looked behind me, searching for any sign of Wrath, but no such luck. Wyatt noticed my searching for him and said, “He’s inside with Dad and the others. He’s probably gonna be awhile.”

“I kind of figured that.”

“I should apologize about him, too.” He ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair and sighed once more. “Wrath is a good guy, and I’ve got no business telling you not to see him.”

“You were looking out for me and for him, too.”

“No, I was being a selfish asshole.” He turned to look me in the eye as he said, “I’m not gonna lie... It would be easier if you two didn’t hook up. He’s taking on a tough role with the club, and I meant what I said about the distractions. It would make it tougher, but it’s Wrath. If anyone could do both, it’s him. And honestly, it might be the best thing for him. He’d be lucky to have you.”

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