Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 224(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
“Baby,” I said, stroking her delicate cheekbone with one finger. I remembered how she’d looked when I first found her. She’d healed. At least on the outside. “I need you to let me do this. With my brothers.”
“But --”
“Shh… Just listen to me. You did what you had to with your pap. If you really need to face Avery and his ilk before they die, I’ll see what I can do. But I don’t want you there until I say. And I need you to leave when I say. Can you give me that?”
“Styx,” she sighed, meeting my gaze with a determined one of her own. Then she sighed, giving me a soft smile. “You really do love me, don’t you?”
“I do, baby. With all my heart and more.”
“I want to see them before they die. I should be a good person and ask you to just beat the shit out of ’em, but I want all of ’em dead. I ain’t askin’ you or your friends’ta kill ’em. That’s too much to ask of anyone.”
“Honey, you ain’t askin’. I am. And I’ll be the one doin’ the killin’ this time. Not you. Cain shoulda never given that to you.”
“I needed it.”
“This time, I need it,” I said. Meaning it. “So, I’m askin’ you to give this to me. I need to unleash hell on those bastards, and I don’t want you there when I do it. I can’t have you watch it.”
“But I did before.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t doin’ the beatin’ that time. I’m gonna be front and center this time. Please, Jolene. Let me have this.”
“All right.” She pulled me down for another kiss. This time, I made love to her. I stripped her naked and worshiped her body for the better part of two hours. As always, Jolene gave as good as she got, taking me to a bliss so complete, I wondered if I’d ever come down from it. And I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to.
When the text came from Thorn, Jolene was sound asleep in my arms. There was nothing more I wanted than to stay with her, but I had work to do. I was about to vanquish the last of her demons, and it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
I gently extracted myself from her arms and dressed. Before I left, I took one more look at her beautiful, angelic form. I was about to sell a large chunk of my soul. Torturing a man took a toll. And I was going to torture seven. If I’d had more time to prepare, I’d have been creative. I wanted them all to suffer exactly like they’d made Jolene suffer.
Leaning down, I gave her one last gentle kiss, careful not to wake her. Then I headed out to meet my president. We were getting ready for war, and I couldn’t fucking wait.
Chapter Nine
Styx
Shit was about to get real for Avery and the rest of those little fucks. Leaving Jolene now was the hardest thing I’d ever done. Except for looking at her as Mama examined her that first day. Seeing all those bruises on her body, knowing what she gone through at the hands of my fucking brother filled me with even more rage now than it did when it was fresh.
I stalked down the hall into the common room, that rage building inside me with every step. It must have shown on my face because when Queenie, who I remembered from the Bones compound in Kentucky, approached me with a triumphant smirk, I met her gaze and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her face paled, and her hand went to her throat defensively. I shook my head slowly, and she backed away before turning to leave the room. She didn’t even go to another biker in the room. Just left. Yeah. I wasn’t in the mood to be fucked with.
“You ready?” Shotgun approached me with a grin. The man looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, but it was mostly an act. He was always lighthearted and fun-loving, but when it came time to fight, there was no man I’d rather have in my corner than Shotgun.
“I am. They all come or did some of ’em stay back in West Virginia?”
“Nope. All here.” He gave me a puzzled look. “Since when do you talk like a hillbilly? What the fuck, Styx?”
I rolled my eyes. “Is that the most important question you got? Really, Shotgun?”
My half brother shrugged. “Well, yeah. I mean, you lost your man card to a McCoy, that’s one thing. But I’m not sure I can claim you as my brother with that accent.”
“Fucker,” I muttered.
“They’re just outside the gate,” Havoc said as he leaned against the bar, nursing a beer.
Beast strode through the room. The big man was as intimidating as they came. His leather vest showed off his powerful arms, chest, and tats. Yeah. There was a reason he was the club’s enforcer. Beast was one scary bastard. Well, to everyone other than his wife, Lucy. One look from her, and the badass of the club turned into complete mush. Until he looked away from her. Anyone smirking might or might not live to see the next sunrise. He nodded to Thorn, an indication everything was ready.