Page 34 of Hanging Horseshoes

“I lost them too Beau. All three of you have branded yourselves into my very fucking soul. I was alone here. New town, new business, not knowing a damn person in this fucking state. Them this little lass walked her way into my life and brought her bright-eyed baby girl and stubborn mule of a man with her. All three of you have become my universe, my salvation, my home.” Now its time for my voice to break but I clear my throat and continue. “Now someone blew that home to shreds and you think you're the only one out for retribution. I refuse to be pushed aside. I refuse to let you walk into a situation where you might not come back either. I’ve lost so fucking much today and if I lose you then that’s everything. So you either let me have your back and walk beside you or you better be ready for one hell of a stalker because I will follow your stubborn fucking ass for the rest of eternity. From this life and into the next for just a taste of revenge.”

“Damn, bloodthirsty little filly ain’t he?” Loki says from behind me. I roll my eyes and wait for Beau to speak.

“I might not come back from this.” He warns.

“Then I’m ready to go down with you. We already lost our soul and sanity. If we lose each other that might as well be our life right?” When he nods I know he’s given in and soon we will have the person responsible for annihilating our hard earned happily ever after.

“I’m sorry, Trip. You're right. Fuck, we were all finally a family.” He says tortured, it's like the words are torn from the very bottom of his soul and I feel that pain so damn much.

“Uh yoohoo tweedle dee and tweedle dumb. You have a whole fucking army behind you. We aint losing no-fucking-body else today.” Swift says and it makes the day even more heartbreaking.

I finally found the family the support I was always looking for. I fucking hate that I had to lose two of the most important people in my life to realize it.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Rodeo

During church I was restless. By the end I was unhinged. After the women made the call and we rushed into church, the first order of business was getting all the information and most importantly, who the fuk dared to come into my territory and tear apart my family. The only reason I’m not already in a fucking straight jacket is because of Grim. He reminded me to focus on the anger. Find out who did it and make them pay. I want my fucking revenge. I want the person responsible and I want to tear them limb from limb… slowly.

‘so, whats going on? Did y’all find out anything?” Trip asks, arms crossed and looking as determined as I feel.

I see the pain in his eyes though and it matches my recently turned black soul. I don't know how we will ever get through this but I do know at the very least I have Trip and Trip has me. Hell maybe today we will go out in a blazing glory together. Doubt it, seeing as my rage fuels me and I can damn sure hold my own with any type of weapon. Still, the thought of joining my girls sits in the back of my mind and it doesn't sound half bad.

“Comp was able to pull surveillance from the nail salon camera stationed in the front of the store. There were other cameras and angels but that one gave us the best view of the girls and their surroundings. We caught movement on the sidewalk across the street. Comp was able to zoom in enough to see who it was. I recognized him immediately. LeRoy Quinn, a little fucker we grew up with in the community. Him and his brother Matthew used to bully Ophelia relentlessly when I wasn't around to whoop their asses. He was right fucking there and holding what looked like a black remote. The fucker wasn't even trying to hide the shit he was doing.” I growl out getting angrier and angrier the more I talk.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck…” Trip rants pacing back and forth in front of me, tearing off his cowboy hat and gripping the strands painfully, “Alright, so what's the plan? Where do we go from here? Fuck Beau, give me something to do!” He almost yells. I feel his pain, his frustration and I have just the outlet for it.

“Now we hunt down and rangle us a fucking worm. We bring the fucker here and make him pay.” I seethe.

“Ohhhh.. This is going to be so much fucking fun. I call dibs on dismemberment. And don’t any of you fuckers take this away from me. I didn’t even get to participate in the last family outing. I still can’t believe you got rid of that Devils Cross MC fucker without me. What happened to fucking loyalty?” Loki starts bitching. God I swear these fuckers are worse than their kids sometimes.

“Alright let's head out. We’ll all stop at the…” Swift cuts off giving me and Trip a sympathetic look before continuing, “we’ll stop at the scene, take a look around then split up from there. Everyone saw what the fucker looked like. Trip get with Comp he has a print out. Let’s find this fucker and get him back here.”

We all head for the door, as we open in the ladies pull up in the SUV. Pilling out I can see the tear streaks and wet eyes. I can't handle this right now or I’ll lose it too, so instead of heading to the women like the other guys do I turn to head to my truck, Trip following behind me.

“Rodeo!” I hear Halle call out but I don't stop. I can’t take a conversation with anyone right now but especially not Halle. She’s like the crazy as fuck older sister I never had and I’m holding myself together with fucking zipties at the moment. So I keep walking, “Dammit Beau, stop right the fuck now or I’ll nail that tight ass harder than Trip imagines he could.”

Only that would come out of Halle’s fucking mouth. Then again, only that would get my stubborn ass to stop. I don’t turn back to look at her, that’s crossing a line not even Halle gets to cross at the moment. Apparently, that’s good enough for her.

“Listen to your heart, listen to your intuition. Something don’t feel right about all this. I can’t quite put my tongue on it..”

“Finger on it Halle. ITs can’t put your finger on it.” Jade pipes up.

“I’m more of a tongue girl than a finger girl. Aint that right baby?” Halle says.

“Damn fucking straight, Pet.” Loki replies and by the sounds of it smacks her ass. I start to walk again but she continues.

“There has to be more to this. It can’t just end like that for you. It just can’t, I won’t accept anything less. Just, keep a ear on your gut. Alright? Follow that fucker to them.” She says and it gives me peace as much as it angers me. Who is she to give me false hope? Though, everything in me is saying the same thing. Something doesn't feel right.

I give her a nod before continuing. This time no one tries to stop me and before log I have my Truck pulled out behind the bikes of my brothers. The truck is so Trip could join and not have to ride back but instead gets to be passenger princess. Any other time I would have been cracking myself up.

“You feel it too don’t you?” Trip says low looking out the window. I don't have to ask what he means. Instead I answer.

“Yeah, I feel it.” Its the feeling of our girls still being out there somewhere. Like they haven't left us yet, not fully. It feels like it has to be a lie because if they really were, truly taken from us, I would have stopped breathing as well. My limbs would have gave out, my soul would have departed, my heart would have stopped beating had they be truly gone. I know this for a fact.

Now, now is the time to get some fucking answers. At the T in the road half the crew takes a left, they will be circling around and coming in from the south side of town, while the other half of us take a right. We’ll be coming in through the north of town. Hoping at least one of the groups will get to the scene and able to get past the blockades.

We reach the scene and the image has my stomach rolling.

---