Page 98 of Ridin' Free
“Light on details, but it seems Phoenix killed a man a few years back and Scorpion was there to witness it. Helped her clean up the mess.”
“No shit?”
“Damn.”
Wrangler and Shep both spoke at the same time. Before anyone could say more, Twister was storming into the room, Maverick on his heels, shutting the door behind them.
Twister still had his bandana wrapped around his face, covering his beard and his mouth, but he didn’t need to say a thing for Bull to see the man was wild with rage. His eyes spoke louder than words—and when he yanked at his bandana, the first thing out of his mouth was more like an echo.
“I’m gonna fuckin’ kill him.”
“Back up. That’s the conclusion—what’s the rest?” asked Mustang.
“Take a beat, Twist. You’re amped up and road high,” Bull added calmly.
“I’m more than amped, Bull. And I mean it. I want him gone. Her secrets die with him.”
“Hey—I get that she’s your woman, but you’re not the only one to give a fuck about her,” barked Mustang, his impatience undeniable. “Tell us what we need to know.”
Twister shifted his attention toward Mustang and replied, “Eight years ago, she stabbed a man to death behind a bar in Cheyenne. Abusive motherfucker who got less than he deserved. Scorpion witnessed it. Helped her get rid of the body—then fuckin’ exploited her. Made her take his dick as payment for his silence until shit went down up here and he got locked up two years later.
“He’s not backtwo days, lays eyes on her, catches her in a parking lot all by herself, and he thinks their deal is still on. Not much scares my woman, but he sent her runnin’. It comes as no surprise that he’s still a fuckin’ asshole piece of shit.” He shifted his gaze, looking to each of his brothers as he continued, “Every man in this room had a hand in our civil war and our effort to strip him of his title. And you,” he paused, jerking his chin at Bull. “You wanted to take the moral high ground. But I’ve got not an ounce of morality to spare for that fucker. He isnotone of us. I don’t care if he founded this club or not—he doesn’t deserve the kutte on his back any more than the air in his lungs.
“Either I kill him, or I walk.”
He stared unwaveringly into Bull’s eyes as he issued his ultimatum. Bull stared right back and knew Twister meant it. The jab his brother took at him was justified, even though Bull thought he made the right call when it all went down. He’dknown Scorpion since the beginning. Twenty-nine years now they’d been brothers.
Yet, his eyes still locked on his VP, Bull saw something he understood in a way not every man did. He hadn’t said the words outright, but Twister was a man in love—and it wasn’t the easy kind, either. It was redemption love.
Loving a woman through pain so deep and knotted took more work and patience than an average man possessed. While Bull had never considered Twister average, he didn’t see this coming. Now that it was right in front of him, he was amazed by the beauty of it.
“Gotta say, I’m with Twister on this one,” Wrangler began. “Respected the call made years ago, knowin’ the history you’ve got with the man—but there’s not a single one among us who would pull that shit. It goes against who we are; what we stand for.”
“Agreed. She might not have been one of ours back then, but she sure as hell is now,” added Mustang.
“Not much of a choice if you ask me,” piped in Slick, glancing toward Bull. “He’s not worth losin’ Twist.”
“Don’t mistake my silence for contemplation,” muttered Bull, his eyes still locked with Twister’s. “Don’t have any daughters—but if I did, I’d want them to be as fierce and beautiful as she is. Wouldn’t mind a man like you havin’ her back, either. You want him gone, permission granted. But it’s not goin’ down tonight.
“Take a beat. Calm yourself. We can’t be sloppy about it. We’ll reconvene tomorrow and come up with a plan. Understood?”
For the first time since he walked into the room, Twister took a deep breath. He blew it out slowly then dipped his chin in a silent reply.
“Did she say when she’s comin’ back?” asked Mustang, earning the VP’s attention once more.
Twister hesitated, and Bull thought he saw something flicker across his face. It was there and gone again before he could make sense of it.
“Still workin’ on that part.”
“Work fast. I gotta go,” replied Mustang, turning for the door. “See y’all tomorrow.”
TWO DAYS LATER
‘Baby—you’re not amonster,you’re a fuckin’ warrior.’
I hadn’t moved in so long I wondered if the old mattress beneath me would be forever marred with my imprint. I was like a corpse—consisting of hardly more than the dead weight of my bones. I’d never felt so hollow in all my life. I knew neither hunger nor thirst. All I could feel was the enormity of my pain.
It would have been easy to blame my profound sense of emptiness on the absence of Benson, but the answer to life’s most challenging questions had never been so easy to define.
