Page 91 of Making Choices

My attention snaps back to the conversation when Toker says, “Brutus ain’t heartless… second he found out what Alex had done to Cherub, he tried to pull outta the deal.”

“That doesn’t answer…”

Venom and I speak at the same time, “Shut up, Hunt.”

Hunter laughs, then motions for Toker to continue.

“Joseph knew his son was a loose unit, so he agreed that he was gonna be dealt with. That was enough to satisfy Brutus… the deal was back on. Only the way I heard it; it couldn’t go down until Brutus had somethin’ on you. Somethin’ big enough to force you to vote with him when he brought the drug and skin trades to church. He knew you had the numbers to defeat him.” Cherub’s cousin puffs up his cheeks and pain flares in his eyes. Pushing his discomfort aside, his resolve to fill us in on his theory makes him power through. “I was a bit in and out of it for the last day or so. Blood loss and too many boots to the head will do that eventually... What I figure is Alex managed to get the Bishops to double-cross Joseph and his grandfather. That’s how he got a lock on the location of the safe house. Seems the ambush was Alex’s way of takin’ out Brutus to force his father to partner with the Bishops.”

“Jesus. Fuckin’. Christ.” Hunter whistles, an irritating sound that makes me want to twist his ear. “That’s some convoluted web Brutus has himself tangled up inside. Now, the big question is why.”

Our phones beep in unison, cutting off whatever Hunter was about to say. Since Cub always has his phone clutched in his hand, he reads the message first. “Seems Brutus has chosen our absence to make his big comeback at the compound. Some of the families have tried to get inside for the wake, but the gates are locked, and the prospects are under orders not to open them ’til he’s spoken to Venom.”

They all start talking at once.

I block them out to concentrate on Cass. He’s unusually quiet—even for him. I can see the wheels turning in his head as he runs some calculations of his own. Fear darkens his gaze when Venom calls a vote to decide if our group is going to arrive at the compound as a united unit. His apprehension becomes more apparent as we each add our affirmatives.

When it’s my turn, my response is immediate and absolute. Feelings for Cherub and any resulting acrimony with Venom aside, my loyalty to the Shamrocks is unending. “Aye.”

The vote reaches Cass. He looks on the verge of vomiting as he shakes his head. “I can’t. Brutus knows… things. I have a wife and a son to protect. They mean more to me than the Shamrocks. Always have. I won’t back him, but I can’t be seen to back you either.”

Venom gives him the out he seeks without hesitation. “I understand.”

Acting like the bats from hell are on his heels, Cass limps away from us as fast as his injured leg will allow him. The rumble of his Harley is stark in the quiet cemetery as he rides away from us. A haze of disbelief cloaks our huddle until Hunter breaks it.

“I did not see that coming.”

It’s the understatement of the century.

Before anyone has time to really comprehend what’s just happened, Venom bursts into action.

“Text Brutus,” he orders Cub. “Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

“On it.”

Venom’s halfway across the cemetery before my head finds the wherewithal to spur my feet into action. I rush after him, drawing level as we move ahead of the rest of the Shamrocks. Heart pounding, gut awash with anxiety, I try to find the right words to broach the topic of Cherub.

“When are you gonna tell Cherub what Brutus is threatenin’ to do?”

“I’m not.”

My reaction is immediate. I step in front of him and shove him in the chest to force him to stop walking. “You’re kidding? You have to tell her.”

“No.” He tries to knock my hand away. I refuse to move. Extending his index finger, Venom points straight in my face. “It changes nothin’ between us.”

“It changes everything… just talk to her.” He needs to be honest with her. It’ll minimise Cherub’s pain at his abandonment. Which I don’t think is too much to ask in the circumstances. “Explain where your head was at and how Brutus took advantage of you.”

My expression is pleading because I know that this is what she needs to hear in order to move on. Half of my request comes from selfishness; the other part is pure protectiveness. I can’t allow Cherub to question her worth when the truth is that her turmoil falls on the heads of the three men who’ve hurt her.

Brutus.

Alex.

Venom.

As I open my mouth to protest again, the apathy he’s been hiding his real emotions behind all day gives way to rage and he snaps at me, “For fuck’s sake. You and I both know I was done before Brutus levelled his bullshit at me. All he did was make me see it was the right choice.”

“Venom, she needs you.”

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