Page 19 of Vengeful Pawn

“She led me on!” he screeches. “For a year, she made me believe we’d be together forever. I only want what I was promised.” His sniveling annoys me.

“So, you thought the way to get what you wanted was to threaten her? Make her feel unsafe in her home, her work, her own fucking car?” I slam him back again for emphasis, when what I want is to throw him out the fucking window. “You entered her home while she was sleeping and touched what’s mine. Do you know how dangerous that is?” My snarled words have him blubbering further, and the smell of urine permeates the air. Glancing down, I see he’s soaked himself. “I don’t know what the fuck she saw in you, but I swear to god if you ever come near her again, I’ll rip your arms off your body and beat you to death with them. Are we fucking clear?”

Shaking him some more, he stutters, “Y-y-yes. Crystal.” And with one last smack against the shelf, likely breaking a rib from how he cries out, I release him. He sobs as his body crumbles to the floor.

“Don’t make me come back for you, Jeff. I won’t be as nice.” He nods his head, wheezing as Bishop opens the door and slams it shut behind us.

Four security guards approach, and we exchange a look. I’m jonesing for a fight, but not with people who’ve done nothing to me. Doesn’t mean I won’t clean their clocks if need be.

Bishop raises his hands with a smile on his face. “We’re leaving, boys. Nothing to worry about. I’d have a word with dear old Jeff’s boss about his stalking tendencies, and let's not forget breaking and entering and threatening my friend’s pregnant wife with the killing of their child.” That sets off a ton of murmurs, and a few people glance back at the office we’ve left with disapproving looks.

“She’s not my wife,” I tell Bishop, the grumble in my tone expressing my displeasure over that fact.

“Yet.” He grins as we step onto the elevator.

We find Saint lounging in the lobby with everyone giving him a wide berth. The man is larger than life with a deadly scowl on his face.

I ask, “You good, man?” He seems more intense than when we went up.

“Lake.” He hisses her name like a prayer and a curse.

Neither of us asks for more because he likely won’t tell us anything, but on the off chance he wants to talk, it’ll be on his own time. Saint is a different breed. He’s possessive, obsessive, and more caveman than modern-day man. He grunts and growls to communicate, only enjoys the company of Lake, and when he does spend time with someone else, it’s his sister, Scotlyn, and her kids up in Baltimore.

That’s when he’s not burying bodies, of course. Because he’s taken to doing what Holden has been for years. Something none of us knew about until Holden found a life with his woman, Noelle. Vigilante killers in the dark of night.

“You know she’s going to trust you eventually, right?” I say. He grunts and shakes his head as we leave the building, and without a goodbye, Saint is gone.

Bishop and I jump into his truck, heading to the Deviant Sinners clubhouse so I can have this conversation with Castle in person. He’s been grumpy that Mia is spending so much time with me when I haven’t committed to her or the baby. Not to his knowledge, at least. Mia knows exactly where I stand with the two of them.

“You ready for this? Big brother isn’t going to be a happy camper with all that’s been hidden from him,” Bishop warns as we pull into the parking lot. Prince, Cross, and Joker are outside working on a bike.

“You forget who my father is?” I snort.

There are few men scarier than Castiel Adair. If you don’t count Carver and Saint, that is. I don’t frighten easily, and while being damaged, there’s nothing I won’t face for Mia, including her brother.

“Look who the cat dragged in.” Cross stands, squaring up his body. The intimidation won’t work on me.

“Castle around?”

He eyes me up and down before Joker nods towards the door.

“She okay?” Cross asks, and all three men stand and wait for my answer. It’s then that I realize she isn’t just Castle’s little sister, she’s theirs, too. They all raised her together after her parents died, and they’re every bit as protective and invested in her well-being as Castle is.

“She is. She’s with my mom today; they’re shopping and doing girl shit.” I wouldn’t be surprised if Hadley and Aria were with them as well.

“Good. She deserves it.”

I agree and head inside. Bishop hangs back. The clubhouse is mostly empty for this early in the afternoon, so it isn’t hard to find Castle in the back office.

“About fucking time,” he growls, shoving back from his desk to approach me.

“Things have been happening,” I reply as we square off.

“Like what?” He’s entered big brother mode. I would do the same for Hadley.

“You should sit down.”

He cocks an eyebrow but realizes I won’t budge until he does. A few seconds pass before he makes the first move. I follow suit, sitting in a chair in front of his desk.

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