Page 75 of Crow

To fuck and gone with that promise. Grab the nearest pool cue and ram it in his eye. Let two of the guys hold him upside down while you see how many pool balls a prison pocket can actually hold. Take him to the bar and waterboard him with—

Stop. Raven. We’re not doing that. Christ.

Tarynn’s losing her family, but she doesn’t break down. I don’t know if she’s in shock or if she anticipated this very moment. No one says anything. Silence falls over the place like a shroud. It’s so quiet that I can hear everyone’s breathing.

Where the fuck did the music go?

We could always track him down later. Lock him and kill him slow. Not for days or months, but overyears. He’s going to wish that he’d just hurled the Jezebel insults and had done with it.

Yeah, that’s really going to make Tarynn feel better.

I’d love it if this guy’s head was served up to me on a platter. I think it would make a great anniversary gift.

“I hope to prove you wrong.”

The whole place seems to let out a collective breath at Tarynn’s soft response. She’s a warrior, this woman. A queen.

Her father hates that he hasn’t ruffled her or broken her. His own daughter, and this is how he treats her? Like his property?

“Hope all you want,” he splutters. “But you won’t.” He snaps his head to me. I wish it was his neck that snapped. “I spent years raising that girl. Teaching her the right path. The true way. I hope you’re happy.”

Tarynn slips her hand into mine. The warmth of her palm spreads calm through me that I didn’t even know I could feel. “We’re both happy, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep it that way.”

“With all due respect—” I have to cut myself off. What a stupid saying. I don’t feel that any respect is due to this hypocritical, blind, holier than thou piece of shit. “Owning a motorcycle doesn’t make me a piece of trash. Being in a club doesn’t mean I’m bound for hell. It doesn’t put me past redemption, and it doesn’t mean I can’t be a good man.”

“But you’re not. You’re not a good man. My daughter is going to reap what she’s sown.”

“She’s sown nothing but kindness and the desire to reconcile with her family.” I can’t help it. My voice is a dead level growl. I’m about ninety-nine percent of the way to taking out the real trash. “If you won’t be her father and love her enough to see past your own ego and pride, you don’t deserve to have peace of mind, but I’m going to give it to you anyway. I’d die to keep her safe. I’ll do anything to make her happy. She won’t be alone. She’ll have a family.” The same family that didn’t hit me hard until the night I told them about Raven. My club. My brothers.

“If you think a club full of drug dealers and rapists is going to pass as family-”

A blur of leather and blonde hair comes streaking up from the back. Patti grasps onto Tarynn’s father, taking his arm so hard that she nearly wheels him completely around. “Hey, now. My name’s Patti, which you already know, but there it is again. I own this place and I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Talk like that isn’t welcome here.”

“I’m Tarynn’s father! I’ll stay and talk to her if I want to.”

That earns a few shuffling feet, cleared throats, and cracked knuckles from around the place.

“I believe you just disavowed that right, and more’s the pity for you. Somehow, you managed to raise a beautiful human being.”

Tarynn basically collapses against my side now that Patti has this. I sweep my arm around her, tucking her tight to me, letting her lean on me. I can be her strength. Now. Always.

“Lucky for her, she’s downright smart and didn’t turn out closeminded and bigoted like yourself,” Patti says, clucking her tongue. “Men like you gives meaning to that saying about the blind leading the blind.”

Tarynn’s dad shakes off Patti’s hand and whirls around. “I want to talk to my daughter.”

“Not right now, you can’t. This is her place of work, and I believe I heard her repeatedly express a desire not to have a personal conversation while she’s trying to do her job. Believe me, I’m doing you a favor.” Patti sweeps her hand around the place in a ‘read the damn room’gesture. “If it wasn’t me kicking you out, one of them would. You think that a man takes kindly to being called a rapist? That’s a strong accusation and completelyunfounded. Bikers don’t settle scores with words. They do it with their fists. If you don’t want your face beat in, you’ll leave now.”

He ignores that good advice and sets his sights on his daughter again in one last appeal. “Tarynn! Come with me right now. Walk away from all of this. Turn your back on this life. If you don’t, I’m not responsible for our damnation.”

“Honestly, if that’s the option, then I’ll be damned. But Dad, we both know that’s not the way it works. My salvation isn’t between you and me.”

Patti slams her fists onto her hips, none too gently. Even she’s past her seemingly endless store of patience. If Tarynn’s dad didn’t take the hint about my menacing presence, it’s clear he’s not going to listen to anything she’s going to say. “That’s enough now. Let me see you to your car. I’m going to ask you not to come back here. Homicide is bad for business.”

“You think you’ve got all the answers, girl? You don’t have the sense that god granted an insect. You’ve turned your back on your family, your church, your faith.”

“Hey. You know that saying about preaching to the choir? Well, this is thewrongchoir. They’re looking a touch bloodthirsty.” Patti snaps her fingers and points at the front of the bar. “There’s the door. If you’re not out of it in the next few seconds, I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

The gun comes out of nowhere. I’m moving before I can even think, wrapping Tarynn in my arms and spinning her around behind me. Someone screams from the back and men burst into that explosion they were primed for.

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