Page 96 of Wrath

“Where’s Rocco?” I ask, peering around the room and trying to find him so I can apologize to him too.

“He’s sitting guard on the second floor. We know Cliff’s been caught and Anita’s safe now, but she was really sketchy after you left. I tried talking to her but she wanted to be alone,” Peyton explains.

“Did someone call Grimm?” Aaron asks, sounding concerned.

“Saul called and explained that you had him. He’ll be relieved to know he’s not a threat anymore.” Peyton smoothes her hand over my arm. Hearing the words out loud makes them sound even better.

“And what about Tawk, did the boys bring him back here?” Aaron’s head glances around the barroom. He explained on the way here about the way Tawk reacted to Willow’s death, and it sounds to me like Tawk is in a bad way.

“We heard what happened.” Alicia lowers her head. “I’m sorry, it’s hard to believe that Willow’s not gonna walk through that door again.”

“Tawk was crazy mad, bro. Soon as we got him back here he headed for his bike and he left,” Ruckus informs us, looking equally as worried as Aaron.

“Fuck.” Aaron shakes his head.

“He probably just wanted to be alone,” Peyton tries to assure everyone.

“No, Pey, you didn’t see him, he went into a real dark place.” Seeing Ruckus look so unnerved makes me grip Aaron’s hand a little tighter. He’s being brave and strong but I know that on the inside he’ll be in that dark place, too. He was so determined to get his sister back, he wanted her to see how different the club was becoming. He wanted the chance to be a good, big brother to her. All that's been taken away from him.

“You wanna head home?” I ask, keeping my voice low.

“No, I wanna be here.” He seems focused as he moves us closer to the bar, and Polly smiles at him sympathetically as she pours him a whiskey.

“We’re all here for you,” she tells him, and he nods gratefully as he knocks it back and drags me closer to him.

“Is he dead?” I turn around when I hear Anita’s voice. She’s standing with Rocco at the door and when she charges toward me, looking scared. I take her hand.

“He’s dead.” I see relief in her eyes, but I also see a sadness in her smile. I don’t know what’ll happen to this woman now, but I’ll make damn sure that she gets the help she needs. Nothing can’t be fixed, not even the damage Cliff Adams, and her fucked-up husband, caused.

Everyone seems to settle back down. If this were any other time the club would be celebrating, but there's a heaviness in the air due to the loss of Willow.

“How will the club retaliate?” I can’t hold off asking any longer. Peyton’s told me about the Reapers, they’re brutal. I’m already worried that what happened to Willow is going to make Aaron, and my brother, even more determined to go to war with them.

“We’ll kill ‘em. We’ll kill ‘em all,” Aaron tells me. Tensing his jaw, and the grip he has on me. “I meant what I said outside, you gotta start listenin’, Eden. Everythin’ I tell ya to do is gonna be for your own safety. Those fuckers killed Willow, their prospectstried to rape Peyton. They’re closin’ in on us and they will wanna hit us where it hurts the most.” I nod my head to assure him. I may have grown stubborn over the years we’ve been apart, but I have to let him protect me.

All eyes turn to the door when Raze steps through it with our father, and they watch as the old man shuffles into the room with Cliff’s blood still on his hands. He eventually makes it to a stool at the end of the bar, and when he notices everyone still watching him, he pauses and places his pipe between his lips.

“What's wrong with y’all, ain’t ya seen an old man with blood on his hands before?” He laughs to himself and looks straight at Polly.

“How ya doin’ ol’ gal?” He smiles, looking genuinely pleased to see her.

“Good to see ya again.” She reaches up for a glass and pours him a drink from the same bottle as she did Aaron’s.

“Yeah, well don’t get too used to it, I’ll be headin’ home before I become a burden.” His words make my heart sink and Aaron must sense it because he comforts me.

“Who’s takin’ care of Cliff?” Aaron lights a cigarette and blows the smoke away from me as Raze steps up beside us.

“Dev and Saint are workin’ on disposal.” He takes the drink Polly hands him and nods her his gratitude, and I wait for her to get talking with my dad again before I grab my brother’s arm.

“Thank you.” I look up at him. “I know this is going to be hard for you.” I glance across at our father. “I appreciate you giving me the chance to get to know him.”

“I’m just hopin’ ya get to know the man he used to be, not the one he’s become.” Raze kisses my cheek before taking his drink and moving over to join Peyton, and despite the mix of emotions that are battling inside me, I rest my head against Aaron’s shoulder and finally feel like I’m home.

One Week Later

“Did ya get it?” I ask, knowing how much work Eden put into her presentation. I didn’t want to have to hear this over the phone, but I got far too much going on here.

“I got it!” The excitement in her voice is infectious and when I punch the air, nearly knocking the cake outta Alicia’s hand as she passes, I swear the look she gives me could fuckin’ kill.

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