Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 263(@200wpm)___ 211(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Tank mutters to Tripp, “I’ll get word to O’Leary, he crosses into the Carolinas it’s war.”
Tripp nods which I knew would happen. We are the Hellions; we don’t let outsiders run shit down here.
“I gave you what you wanted, Crews. Get me out of here and not in a set of cuffs or in a body bag,” Thomas Reigns tries to negotiate.
I want to put a bullet between his eyes. There is nothing for him to leverage. I should have ended him the moment we arrived. Now, I have to stand down until Tripp gives the call to end him.
No Hellion wants war, but we won’t back down if he comes here. My dad, Boomer, moves to Reigns who is on the floor now holding his chest fighting through the pain that is no doubt radiating through his entire body. “Thomas Reigns, my name is Nathan Vaughn. I’m here to simply explain to you how shit works in our world. You see, this is my family. My son claimed your daughter, that makes her my family. You caused her a great deal of pain.”
“She’s not my fuckin’ daughter,” he spits out and the shock hits me. “I don’t want problems with the Hellions. I want to get the fuck out of here. I got fucked too, ya know.”
My father, completely calm, unrattled, simply strokes his beard. “That’s not how this works in my world. See, my sons aren’t my blood, but they are my sons. The men in this room aren’t my blood brothers, but they are my brothers. And what you need to know is there’s not a man in here unwilling to bleed for anyone else in this cut or the people claimed under the umbrella of this cut.”
Reigns red in the face with fury, “Fuck your loyalty family bullshit. “I gave you all the information. I told you what happened. You have a code. I’ve heard about the honor of the Hellions. Now get me the fuck out of here!”
Boomer stands backing away from Reigns with his eyes to Tripp. “Clear the house, the ambulance will be here any second.”
I roll back as BW and Red lift Diem from the floor. Colt looks to her, “Diem Reigns, I will always keep you safe. Your pain is my pain, and I promise to feel every ounce of it.”
I can’t look at Emmalee. I feel her pain right now. Mostly, I am afraid. Once again, I have something good, and life is a son of a bitch ready to take it away from me.
“Mighty bold of you,” Reigns taunts my brother. “Then again, you think you have it all.”
Colt laughs, “Fucker, I have it all. I know the feel of a good woman coming alive just for me and not because of money or status. I know what it is to be free. I know what it is to give as good as I get. I know what it is to have family, real family. Yeah, I’m fucking bold from it all. I’m also bold enough, brash enough, and brave enough to tell you, Thomas Reigns, I’ll see you in fuckin’ hell.”
Without a moment of hesitation, he pulls the trigger firing the kill shot into Thomas Reigns.
Threats eliminated, I make my way to my van and off to the hospital. I’m not leaving her.
Not now. Not ever.
I finally have something good for myself and I’m not about to be away from her.
THREE
EMMALEE
Life lessons with Emma: Even the best laid plans fall apart. I can’t expect this one to succeed.
Drive until the gas light pops on the car.
That’s what I did one week ago.
Sort of.
The plan seemed simple enough to give me a new start. Not that I wanted this new start. I just can’t find another solution. There weren’t options given, cut and dry instructions. When will life calm down?
After getting shot in Wesson and Colton’s second home, I spent weeks in the hospital and then more time in a rehabilitation facility. When I first woke up, I was overwhelmed with my injury and trying to heal. The bullet hit my brain but didn’t ricochet around like most do. At least that’s what the doctors told me. Short term impacts of a traumatic brain injury were learning to talk again. Coming to, I couldn’t piece much together. In fact, nothing made sense, even the biker in the wheelchair that wouldn’t leave my room. With the patience of a saint, he calmly explained things to me. It took me some time for the memories to come back. When they did, my emotions overwhelmed me more than the physical healing I was doing.
I had no idea it was Thomas Reigns outside the house when my father was shot and killed in front of me. He fired from outside. The window shattered and in an instant my dad was gone. In the chaos, I tried to do what Diem asked and hide in the closet. But I love her like a sister and even knowing now what would happen, I would have still stood beside her in those moments. She didn’t need to be alone.