Page 52 of Ruthless Reign

She gave me a subtle nod—quick and short. But I understood what it meant. She wanted it to be done with. She wanted it over so they couldn’t haunt her anymore.

I grabbed my gun from the holster under my arm and held it at his forehead, right in between his eyes.

“Make your peace with God,” I told him.

“Fucking do it, you—” He didn’t get the rest out before I pulled the trigger, bits of brain and skull exploding out the back of his head. Reaper’s body fell over backward, nearly colliding with Doc’s legs.

Lunchbox wept next to him, sobbing and snotting down the front of his shirt. Alas, I was but a merciful leader. I aimed my pistol at his head next and put him out of his misery.

Then, I returned to Stallion, who sat stock-still like none of this bothered him. Perhaps he thought he’d get away with it, or perhaps he knew he would always end up here.

“What to do with you?” I shook my head and tsked through my teeth, blood boiling with the thought of what could have happened to Julia had we been delayed. My rage nearly bubbled over, having not dulled with what I’d done to Lunchbox and Reaper. “Should I take your hands? Should I beat you to death?”

None of it fazed him.

“Should I throw you to the club?”

Whoops and hollers of agreement came from around me. I wouldn’t be so delusional as to think they cared enough about Julia in two months to avenge her honor. No, this was about loyalty. Roses didn’t fuck with another member’s wife. Roses didn’t side with another club over our brothers. Roses didn’t disrespect our colors like that.

Stallion gulped and squared his jaw around the gag, training his features so he didn’t react. But the twinge at the corner of his eye gave him away. If I tossed him to the wolves, they’d tear him apart.

“What do you all think?” I turned toward my brothers, toward the over sixty members crammed into the barn towitness my retribution. “Stallion came after my old ladybecause he disagreed with something I did.”

“Boo!” came the chant from all around me.

“Should I take his hands?” I glanced around, connecting with Hollywood’s stare. It could have been V, and his uncharacteristic scowl told me what he thought about that. “Should I take his skin?”

Some cheers filled the space mixed with arguably less boos.

“Should I let you have him?”

A chorus of applause echoed through the small space.

“What do you say, wife?”I glanced at Julia, tilting my head to the side.

She considered, looking around at this motley crew of outlaws. When she came to a decision, she met my gaze again and said, “Let them have him.”

Stallion sighed and sagged, sitting back on his haunches while the rest of the Roses shouted their enthusiasm. But I agreed. The club deserved a chance to have their revenge. We allowed disagreement. None of us were slaves to the patch. But the way Stallion had gone about it spat in the face of everything we stood for.

“You heard the lady,” I said. “Do your worst, but for the love of God, clean up after yourselves.”

I walked back to Julia and put my arm over her shoulder to guide her from the barn, but I caught Leo’s gaze just as we turned to leave. He nodded, approval and respect in his expression. If someone had asked me a year ago whether that would have meant anything to me, I would have said fuck no and never. But now, some small part of me ached with satisfaction that both he and my wife were okay with what I’d done. It took a monstrous side of me to deal with those beasts, and even if I didn’t like it, they had to go.

15

JULIA

“Shut the fuck up, traitor,” Lenny roared, smacking me in the face. He had worked for my father for years before Gabriella took over, and now he stood over me, fury in his eyes as he beat me. “How dare you betray your blood like this?”

Another goon grabbed my hair and held me up so Lenny could hit me again. I fell to the side, biting back tears, refusing to let them break me, but I didn’t know how much longer I could hold out. Gabriella had found out about me, about how I’d been leaking information to the Roses. I didn’t know how she knew. I’d probably never find out, but it didn’t matter. Now they had me, and I shivered at the thought of what they’d do before Gabriella arrived.

“I ought to bend you over the table and let my men fuck you bloody,” Lenny said. “How disappointed your father would be in you. You’re nothing better than a warm hole now.”

I stared him down and ground my teeth.

Fine. Let it turn to rape. Let it be over with.

“Gabriella said no,” the other goon cut in. “We’re not supposed to touch her…like that.”

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