Page 47 of Clover

“You’re welcome, ma’am.” She answers sweetly with a smile before returning to her desk and the phones. Opening the bottle, I take a large swig before recapping it and setting it on the table to the side of the chair.

For a moment, we sit in silence. I don’t really know what to say. I haven’t spent much time with Delila on my own. Just the interaction at the family bar-be-que. Which I had the rest of the girls around me at the time to act as a buffer. Delila, although friendly and nice, was also a very intimidating woman. Tall tattooed and dressed to kill, literally. I’m pretty sure there’s a tiny gun strapped to her thigh under that leather skirt.

While I look like a child playing dress-up in her daddy's clothes since I’m still wearing Nix’s sweater. This time with jeans and my doc’s, though. So I look a little more put together. I rub Sloan’s head nervously, unsure if I should talk or wait for her to. Should I talk about the weather, sports? Doesn’t seem appropriate. Thankfully she chooses for me.

“When I first met Nix’s father, we didn’t exactly get along either. As a matter of fact, our families hated each other. His was made up of criminals and gangsters. Mine were members at the local country club and wore sweater vests.”

“Wait,what?”

“I know I don’t look like it now. Trust me, when I was younger, I wore pastels and khakis. I even used to like it.” Delila chuckles while scrunching her nose as if she smelled rotten fish. I could not picture this badass bitch wearing khakis or pastel sweater vests. Apparently, my astonished face conveyed that for me because she only laughed more when she caught sight of it.

“It’s ok. I don’t wear them anymore. Faust helped me to find my true self. I wasn’t really the country club golfing type. No matter how much my family wanted, me to be. When I first met Faust, I was disgusted with his muscles, smoking, and tattoos. He hated my clean and polished life. But it seemed wherever I went, there he was, lurking about in the shadows. It wasn’t until way later that I realized he was dealing with all the country club members. Don’t let people’s shiny polished lives deceive you. They do more drugs and party harder than they’d like the public to know. They just know how to hide it better. Anyways, we went back and forth a lot for a while. Me threatening to call the cops and him checking out my ass every chance he got. Then things got a little complicated and messy,reallymessy. We almost lost each other. Almost giving up thinking it would just be best for everyone if we went our separate ways. That we weren’t right together. Turns out we were apparently exactly what the other needed. He was the man that taught me to think for myself and make my own choices and that I liked a little violence in my life. I was the woman that taught him a few manners and to have a little more structure in his … businesses. On the surface, it didn’t seem we were meant for each other, while underneath, we were perfect together.”

She stops her reminiscing to let a heartfelt smile slip across her lips as she stares off, lost in her memories. Watching her, I can see the pure love and affection for Faust there in her bright golden eyes, just like her son’s. Is that how Nix looks when he thinks of me? One can only hope. Once again, I’m taken aback by this family. Their ability to love so deeply but still do what they do without qualms.

“How did you know he truly loved you?” My question breaks her daydream, and she turns to face me again, still smiling.

“Men in the Colton family don’t always know how to convey it easily. But they show it in less traditional ways. What Nix did for you, hunting you down and taking out the men in his way getting to you, that’s his way of showing it—plus, Faust told me. Colton mendo nottell anyone they love them unless they mean it. Well, except maybe Arrow. That boy falls in love with every girl that smiles at him.” We both get a good chuckle, and the tightness in my chest eases.

Nix had told me he loved me and I him. Knowing he’s not just saying it to make me feel better ironically makes me feel better. You can’t blame me for being a little unsure. He was a man-whore, after all. Fucking his way through all the women in North Carolina.

“Don’t worry yourself, Clover. Even I can tell how he feels about you. He’s never done anything even slightly like this for any woman before. You’re special, believe that.”

And I do.

Chapter 25

Phoenix

At the end of our little conversation in Griffon’s office, I was informed that there would be a council meeting held in two days to discuss everything. Including our encounter with Braxton, and Clover and I are to be there along with everyone involved with her discovery and retrieval. Meaning Magnus, Beau, Arrow, Zander, Rosie, Lily, and Raven. No matter how I argued against Raven attending, they were insistent that everyone who knew or took part be in attendance. No one mentioned Blake’s involvement. That was an unspoken truth between us. We would not drag him into this, no matter what. After what he did for Clover and me, I owe him that much.

Today is that day. Clover is dressing in silence. I know she doesn’t want to go, and she doesn’t want to talk about what happened. Thankfully she’s told Rosie and Beau enough, and they’ve conveyed it. Her little outburst before was more than enough confirmation of what Braxton did. Pops has assured me that they will only ask yes, or no questions, and he’s conveyed everything we’ve told him to the rest of the council. This is just a formality to allow the Shaw’s their moment in the sun to speak their piece. Which means they just want to yell at me and deny that Braxton did anything wrong.

Braxton, of course, can’t attend; he’s incapacitated at the moment. Probably in a private hospital somewhere licking his wounds. That’s the only reason I’m even allowing Clover to go to this meeting. If he were going to be there, I wouldn’t let her anywhere near it. She doesn’t need to see him and be reminded of what he did and listen to whatever he had to say. Maybe someday, she’ll be able to face him without fear and confront him properly. For now, I’m glad for his absence. Protecting my girl is my top priority, and if any of the other Shaw’s try anything, I’ll do to them what I did to Braxton. Possibly worse.

We arrive at the meeting with Beau, the others making their own way to the meeting. Which is taking place in one of the many offices owned and operated by members of the Syndicate. To keep everything balanced, the meetings are rotated between different family’s properties and businesses. This helps keep the peace so no one family can gain the upper hand because the discussions are always held in their space. Because of that, today, we are assembling for this little pow-wow in the McKinney’s offices behind their furniture store.

A furniture store that sells unique one-of-a-kind pieces made by the McKinney’s and their employees. Since most of them are potheads, they’re pretty chill and like making things with their hands. There’s a lot of unique carved pieces and woven wicker chairs. Funky upholstered refurbished pieces and even some metalwork sculptures. They make it all out on their compound outside of town and sell it here. Sometimes they take it to festivals and carnivals when it suits them or lines up with other revenues of business and works as a logical cover.

They decided to have this meeting on a day the shop would be closed, which is probably for the best. Considering there will most likely be a lot of yelling going on. Anytime we get in a room with the Shaw’s, there tends to be tension. Now that the main topic of discussion is about a Shaw messing with the Colton’s, there’s bound to be a few explosive words. Specifically, from me to them, and how I’m going to kill each and every one of them if they ever so much as look at Clover again.

The office space is in the very back of the shop and large enough to fit one of those long fancy conference tables that I’m sure my father has in one of his offices for CCS. Allowing the entire council Griffon, Clover, and I, plus Jaxon and Loretta Shaw, who used to be on the Council but has since been replaced by her psychotic daughter Oxana, to be able to sit comfortably. However, since they wanted everyone involved present, Beau, Rosie, Raven, Magnus, Arrow, Lily, and Zander all have to stand along the wall behind us.

The large number of us versus them makes it appear that we’re trying to intimidate the Shaws. We aren’t intentionally, but it’s an added bonus to the situation. Showing them how many people we have backing us and how few they have really puts things into perspective. If they’re smart, which they claim to be smarter than us all, they’ll agree to whatever the Council says and back the fuck off. Or I’ll hunt them down and slaughter them.

Clover and I are seated directly across from the she-devil herself, Oxana and Jaxon, the eldest Shaw spawn. I don’t know why Oxana is on the Council and not Jaxon. He always seems to sit on the sidelines and let Braxton and Oxana run the show. I don’t really know much about him. He keeps his nose out of our personal business, and we rarely see him for much. I know from Griff that he is involved in business, but other than that, the man’s kind of a mystery to me. Oxana, on the other hand, we all know way too much about. Her sociopathic tendencies, her love of the sick and twisted, her innate ability to be hated by every single person she ever meets and yet still desired by men. I really wish they hadn’t allowed her to fill a Council position. Unfortunately, the Council has no say over who is on the Council. Each family chooses their own representatives and appoints their replacements. Considering Braxton won’t be able to ever have children, and I don’t even know if Jaxon likes women, that leaves bearing children to Oxana. Those kids are going to be seriously fucked up in the head. I pity the poor bastard she convinces to father her demon spawn.

The meeting starts civilly and quietly. Neither the Shaw’s nor we want to start the yelling first. The only ones talking are the other Council members until they get to the part where they begin divulging their decisions. Since we’re in the McKinney’s house, they lead the meeting today. Flynn McKinney, a man around Pop’s age with a full greying beard and long hippie hair tied neatly at the base of his neck, commands the room's attention with his strong, steady voice. He’s not a large man, but he’s got a large personality and voice. Flynn’s been summarizing the events that have led us here today and is just about to get to the good part. Why we’re all waiting patiently and quietly.

“That is why the Council will not be taking action against Braxton Shaw, nor will we take action against Phoenix Colton.” A chorus of expletives and arguments arise from all the Shaw’s and half the Colton’s behind me.

“Since no one is dead,” Flynn continues booming over the ruckus to effectively shut everyone up. “and none of the accords have been broken, there’s no reason for us to take action against either.”

“No reason? They mutilated my brother. He can’t even sit right. They should be punished.” Oxana stands across from us, slamming her hands flat on the table. The lapels of her black fitted blazer shift open as she leans in. The woman thinks it’s fashionable to wear a blazer without a shirt or bra underneath, and I get a glimpse of way too much of her skin. Oxana may be horrifically beautiful but seeing so much of her exposed skin makes me want to vomit.

“Punished? For what? He got what was coming to him. We only did to him what he did to Clover. He deserves to be at the bottom of a lake. He’s lucky we let him live.” Beau steps forward from behind us and places his hands on the table, mocking her stance, staring her down. My cousin may seem like a soft-hearted pushover, and he is sometimes, but this is not one of those times. Beau can be just as hardcore and vicious as the rest of us when needed. He just chooses not to be as often as some of us like to be.

“Not to mention he tried to have us assassinated, byMarcoof all people. Perhaps he should have hired someone better. It’s so hard to find good help these days.” I add. No way in hell am I letting them forget that little detail. If they won’t do anything about what he did to Clover, taking out a hit on another head family is against the accords and a punishable offense.

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