Page 150 of Ricochet

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

“Hold on.” Cullen entered the middle of the group, and Adelia’s nerves jumped.

She didn’t trust him or the devious look on his face. The man had a problem. It was as though he could never leave well-enough alone. Colin and Javier must’ve sensed the same as they stepped in front of her.

“I didn’t hear Hawke tell Adelia everything would be okay.” Cullen lifted his shouldertoward Colin. “Just this yuppie.”

Of all the things Colin had been called in his life, yuppie had to be a first, but he didn’t budge.

“Let’s go talk out the details, Adelia,” Cullen suggested in a way that didn’t leave much of an option.

Her dread was instant and mistrusting, and both Colin and Javier started to defend her, but she’d had enough of Mayhem making decisions or letting othersfeel like they should, and she pushed between them. “No.”

His wiry grin was like a serpent’s. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

She stood her ground. “I’m not leaving with you.”

Before today, she’d managed to avoid Cullen more often than not. The most recent time was a few years ago, and that day he was an asshole. He’d been mean and crude, but he hadn’t hurt her. No matter his patch,his history, what damn level of respect he claimed, he still couldn’t hurt her. “Cullen, fuck off, and fuck off again. That one’s from your daughter.”

His jaw flexed when his nose wrinkled, and he turned to Hawke. “You know what? Screw it. Kill the bitch.”

Adelia sliced her gaze from Cullen to Hawke whose sharp stare was trained on her. How had he taken a secondary position to that piece ofshit? Adelia wanted to scream. There were enough stories floating about Cullen. What he did to his family, how he endangered the club more than he brought it to the greatness it had now.

“You, Hawke,” she said. “You’re my president.”

“Bitch, you ain’t Mayhem.” Cullen leaned closer.

“Step back from her,” Colin warned.

She let Colin do what he needed to, knowing he held back as much as a manlike him possibly could, but she would press on, sneering at Cullen. “I’m more Mayhem than you’ve ever been.”

“You’re a bitch.”

Adelia met Cullen’s bravado with a sad headshake. “Because I don’t have a dick and never liked your policies?” She nodded to Hawke. “He’s been trying to get the MC out of the mess you created. You did more harm than good.”

Cullen’s lip curled. “Say all you want, butnothing changes what you did.”

“I’m proud of what I did.” And she wasn’t scared. Maybe that was the blinding light at the end of the tunnel making her delusional, but Adelia had no fear.Andshe could give up the truth and spare her network the danger. Hawke and Cullen hadn’t questioned why she’d steal or her logistics. Just that she did. Why would they think anyone else could be involved?

“Cullen, shut up.” The scratchy, whiskey-soaked voice she’d grown to love growled behind her.

Adelia turned, and Tex had never looked more badass. Not when he first cut her down when she was a teenager for sale in Brazil, and not when he’d scared every guy away who ever looked her way. “Pops…”

“Give me a minute.” He knocked others out of his way, and Lenora followed him like a queen followingher king. “We’re not privy to everything we need to know, but this asshole—” He pointed at Cullen. “Isn’t deserving of the deferral you’re giving him, Hawke.”

Cullen smirked. “We’ve got rules—”

“And they’re bullshit right now.”

“She’s your kid,” Cullen snapped. “Of course, you’d say that.”

“Then call a leadership vote.”

“You’re either blind or stupid, old man. Because Hawke will vote withme, and Ethan’s dead—”

“Because I killed the fucker,” Tex growled. “If you weren’t aware.”

“Two against your one, Adelia’s dead.”

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