Page 47 of Reconciling the Consequences

“Because I fucking sent him,” Buckley barked. He turned his acidic gaze on Nic and glared.

Nic wasn’t intimidated in the least and raised an eyebrow in return. “Did I miss a vote?” Nic asked, sarcastically. “Since when are you giving out orders to spy on a rival without a vote?”

Buckley squared his shoulders and turned fully on Nic, clearly ready to fight. “I’m the president of this club. I did what I thought was best!” Buckley growled.

“By sending a brother on a fucking suicide mission without backup?” Stone snapped back.

Grumbles of agreement went around the room.

“You should have at least had a conversation with me,” Marcos spoke up. “I’m the fucking VP of this club.”

Buckley rounded on him, fire in his eyes.

Marcos could see the mania in those angry gray eyes, the glint of something unhinged and not right staring back at him.

Buckley had always been a little over-the-top when it came to taking risks. He lived by the seat of his pants most days, but he could usually be made to see reason when something wasn’t safe for a brother or good for the club.

Sending a lone man to spy on the Ravager Knights?

They’re lucky Nickle was even breathing. He might not be for much longer either, unless they got him to a hospital or called a doctor. “He needs a hospital,” Marcos stated and stared down Buckley.

“Call the doc, Griff,” Buckley snapped.

Marcos shook his head. “He needs a fucking hospital or he’s going to die on the fucking floor.”

“Then it’s his own damn fault for getting caught.” Buckley growled.

Disbelief rolled over Marcos.

“You motherfucker,” Stone snapped, stepping forward. “He’s our goddamned brother, and you sent him to his death, for what?”

Buckley ignored him and turned away, heading for the door.

Marcos growled with anger, but Nico got in his way, putting his hands on Marcos’s chest.

“Let him go,” Nico muttered, face close to Marcos’s. He looked serious, and there was a knowing glint in his eye.

Marcos glared at his friend, too angry to see reason.

Nico shook his head, subtly. There was more at play here.

Marcos took the hint, but anger boiled through his veins. He couldn’t sit back and do nothing while their president walked away from a dying brother.

Marcos ripped out of Nico’s grip and pushed past him. “I’ll bring the truck around. We’re taking him to Mourningside General,” Marcos snapped and headed for the door.

WhenKaraandKevingot back from Chicago, she went straight to work on the case. She set up shop in the dining room of Johnny’s house and dug in hard. The new information from both Stephanie and Jack had her able to build a solid case for the district attorney.

The DA was a friend of hers, of sorts, someone she had worked with many times over the years. Kara might not have been a criminal defense attorney, but every now and then her corporate clients needed things handled delicately, so to speak.

She dug into the flash drive that Stephanie had handed over and pored over file after file. She grabbed a fresh legal pad and started her notes, logging every single thing she could find to present to the DA with the evidence to back it up.

She needed to build an airtight case to not only lock up her father for all his lies over the years but to also get Mac out of Mourningside County Jail and back home with his son.

Kara was so lost in work she didn’t notice when the sky grew dark or the guys started cooking dinner in the kitchen. She didn’t even see Johnny and Derrick until they were standing right in front of—and behind—her, pulling her away from the table.

“Shit.” She jumped, startled when lips landed on her neck and hands slid around her waist.

Derrick pulled her back against his firm body. His beard tickled her neck as he sucked on her sweet spot, further bruising her already marked skin.

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