Page 85 of Graveyards & Greed

Grolier’s eyes narrowed, but Axel chuckled. I glanced at him. “You can laugh, but it wasn’t funny at the time. I had to lay duct taped and gagged in the back of his SUV while they described in detail how they planned to rape, torture, then kill me.” I leaned forward. “And my cousins would have retaliated.”

Grolier didn’t look like he gave one single shit. He also didn’t look surprised. But Axel sighed and rubbed his face. “We need to do something about him.”

The president turned to Axel with gritted teeth. “Shut the fuck up until I ask for your opinion.” Axel stared at him impassively, and Billy turned to me. “You ain’t innocent after what you did to Carver. You and your cousins are sick fucks.”

Inwardly I sighed and wondered why I bothered to try and save this stupid asshole—except his potential replacement was an even bigger asshole, and a degenerate psychopath and rapist to boot. Better the devil you know.

Leaning forward, I pointed my finger at Grolier. “Eightball and Carver raped a young girl under our protection. She still has stuffed animals in her room, and she likes to play video games. So don’t talk to me about ‘sick fucks.’”

Diego stirred beside me, and I drew in a breath through my nostrils, trying to reign in my blazing anger and tamp down the acid churning in my stomach. “You know what else LeBaron talked about?”

The MC president eyed me disdainfully. “What?”

“Taking you out and becoming the new president.”

For the first time, something besides anger and derision stirred in Billy Grolier’s lined face. His left eye twitched as he smoothed his beard with his palm. “It could be that you’re just tryin’ to stir shit up.”

Tipping my head back, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I swear to God. I’m trying toavoidtrouble, you stupid fucking idiot. Has Terrance asked to meet you, maybe away from the club? Or do you have a meeting scheduled where he could ambush you? A regular appointment coming up that he knows about?”

Billy glanced at Axel. “You call me an idiot again, and I’ll forget that I don’t like to hit women.”

I shook my head. “We’re done. Good luck.” Standing, I started swinging my leg over the bench.

Axel leaned over and grasped my arm. Xander straightened and Diego growled, “Don’t fucking touch her.”

Axel let go and put his hands up. “Easy. I wouldn’t hurt her.”

“That makes one of you in this whole goddamn club,” I muttered.

Billy’s lip uncurled, and he sighed. “Tell me exactly what he said.”

I waited. Then waited some more.

“Please,” he finally bit out.

“He said by the end of the week they have a plan to take you and Axel out, and he’s going to insert himself as president. He didn’t say how or where. Then he spewed a corrupted Bible verse about killing anyone who breathed a word about it.”

“Who were the men with him?” Axel asked.

“Ducky and Earl.”

“Did they say anything else you think we need to know?”

I thought for a few seconds. “No.”

Axel stuck a toothpick in his mouth. “That sounds like him. The guy’s a fucking nutjob. He wants to take me out too, so I’m officially done messing around with this bullshit. Brother, either you pull your head out of your ass and do something about him, or I will.” He turned to us and stood. “I’ll walk you out.”

Billy stayed on the bench as Axel led the way back into the clubhouse. A few new faces were there, including Jolie, who stood behind the bar sporting a swollen nose and two spectacular black eyes.

When Jolie saw me, her eyes went wide, and she started fumbling behind the bar. With my luck, she was probably going for a gun, but instead, she pulled out a wooden baseball bat and ran around the counter.

“You broke my nose and gave me a concussion, you fuckin’ bitch!” she screeched as she came toward us.

Xander moved to step in front of me, but I held up my hand. “I’ve got this.” Picking up a chair, I waited for her to charge. When she swung the bat back, I held the chair up at the last second and blocked her swing. Then I twisted the chair and lunged forward, knocking her back on her ass. Before she could get up, I placed the chair on top of her, caging her in, then leaned down and grabbed the bat out of her hand.

I heard Axel suck in a breath and Diego laugh, but I kept my attention on the woman underneath me.

“Hey Jolie, how’s the nose? Does the Club know you and Terrance plan to kill their president and his brother?”

---