Page 63 of Rox

I know what’s coming, and I feel an immense amount of evil joy. The pain and fear he knows nothing about. The darkness I possess is ready to come, and watch as he screams for mercy. Mercy that will not come. He put his hands on not only a woman but my woman. She may be the princess of this club, but she’s the queen of my life. If we have anything to say about it, mercy is not in his future. In this life, or the next.

We are in the middle of a small clearing on the back of the club’s land. Surrounded by a dense brush. Angel shoves Duncan to the center of the circle we make. There is still no fear on Duncan’s face, his attention still on Angel.

“She would have ruined you. Her skill was subpar. I tried to show her that she was not made for this work. She was not destined for the greatness being associated with your name and your brand would have brought her.” Duncan starts to take a step toward Angel.

This whole thing had nothing to do with Rox getting stalked. This fucker was obsessed with Angel. He seriously thought that Rox was going to ruin him somehow. I don’t want to make sense of it all. He hurt Rox. It doesn’t matter what the reason is.

“That little skank wasn’t worth your time or your energy. You telling her now was the best thing that could have happened to you. But you kept coming around her, trying to apologize and be in her life again. Why Angel? Why would you want that toxic bitch in your life?”

The more he spoke, the harder it was for me to reign in my temper. I wanted to destroy him. Prez shot me a look from across the circle. I gave him a nod. Duncan was so focused onshit-talking Rox that he didn’t notice me approaching him. One punch and he dropped to the ground, but he was still alive.

“You don’t know anything about her,” I spit at him as I stand over him.

“I know she sounds like a stuck pig when she fakes her orgasms with your limp dick,” Duncan says as he does that maniacal laugh again.

I snap and drop on him, wrapping my hands around his throat. The laughing doesn’t stop no matter how hard I squeeze. But I know it’s affecting him. His hands come up and start scratching at my face, gasping for air I don’t allow. I watch as the light fades out of his eyes slowly, and I relish the pain he’s feeling. I let the rage take over, and I tightened my grip one last time when the death gurgle rose from him, and his hands slowly stopped clawing at me. For the first time in my life, I experience something in slow motion as they fall.

I gasped, not realizing I was so focused on his breath that I forgot to breathe myself. I fall back off his lifeless body as Prez stomps over. He pulls his gun and lets out a few shots. Making sure there was no coming back from whatever hell he’s in.

“Well,” Angel says, tossing his arms to the side. “I thought it was my job to do this?”

“It was mine this time, and you know it.”

Angel rolls his eyes, “I mean, we don’t have many jobs like this here. And the one time I get to take someone out my way, you,” Angel points an accusatory hand at me, “almost beat him to death and then finish the job by strangling him. And you,” his other hand points at Prez, “shoot him—scaring away the clean up source.”

“What do you use to clean up here? Wolves? Bears?” Cowboy asks, walking over to Prez and pulling the gun that’s still shaking in Dizz’s hand away from him.

“There are wild boars that live here. They are just as effective as—” Angel’s cut off by Willie and a squeal of delight.

“You have piggies here?!”

“Well, boars, technically. But yes, pigs.” Angel doesn’t even fight it. “But they aren’t penned or used to human touch. So you can’t play with them like Butcher’s babies.”

“Still,” Willie puts his hands on his cheeks, “piggies!”

Thirty One

Roxie

Ever wake up feeling like you’ve been hit by a Mack Truck towing about thirteen other Mack Trucks? No? Well, I can say with the utmost confidence ten out of ten do not recommend.

This fucking sucks. I remember some of what happened, but unfortunately, that only equates to pain. That pain now radiates through my body in ways I’ve never experienced before.

I try and open my eyes, but everything seems so bright. I don’t know if the windows are open or if every damn light is on, but it’s too much. My eyeballs shouldn’t hurt this much. Right? Or is it because of my injuries, I just think my eyeballs hurt? It doesn’t matter. Every nerve ending is on fire.

Hushed voices are all around me. I’m scared. Even if my eyes didn’t hurt as badly as they do, I don’t know if I should open them. I don’t know where I am or what happened. My head is throbbing too much to make out who is around me.

The voices become a little louder and a lot more clear. Maybe the soft sheet should have given it away that I’m not in danger, but I’m hurt. My lack of recognition is okay.

“Seriously. I know you love him, but if he bolts again cause of shit, I will rip his nuts off and feed them to him.” Ashlynn growls from close by.

Well, I am not in danger, but it sure sounds like Max is if he doesn’t show up here soon. I laugh at myself, but it comes out more like a grunt because of the sharp stab of pain radiating through my head.

“Hey, baby girl.” My mom’s voice is in my ear, and her soft, cool hand feels like a balm against my warm and angry skin.

“Did they get him?” I ask. My voice sounds like I have gargled glass and sand at the same time. I try to open my eyes again, ignoring the pain and seeing the beautiful faces of my mom, aunts, and Manda.

“They got the guy that did this to you,” Manda tells me as she reaches for my hand. “And if you ever put me through that kind of stress again, I will murder you three times over.”

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