Page 79 of When Sinners Rise
The usual automatic swing of gates because the system’s recognised my plates, doesn’t happen. They stay fixed and closed. If that isn’t a sign that they don’t want me here, I don’t know what is. Anger and all kinds of hostility rise through me like nothing I’ve ever felt before. This is my goddamn home, and if they think they can just block out what they damn well caused, they can think again.
I look at the grounds through the wrought iron bars, searching for some security. None show themselves, and before long, I’m revving the engine to try getting some attention. Still nothing. I stare at the cameras up there, knowing some fucker is watching me. Could be Lexi with her smug sense of satisfaction, or Abel even with his goddamn temper.
Easing back slowly, I wait, not trying to control my rising aggravation. Maybe it’ll be useful when they finally open the goddamn gates. Still, they stay closed – barred.
Fuck off, Shaw. Leave.
No.
I reverse hard, screeching the wheels straight after to build momentum and launch the Charger forward at the gates. The impact is hard and shunts me forward as it buckles the gates inwards. I look behind me and reverse again, powering up from a distance, and drive at max until I’m smashing through the damn gates and screeching up the driveway.
Metal clanks and groans the whole way up to the house, clattering to announce my arrival if the gates being smashed in didn’t, and I’m out and storming for the door the second I park up. It’s opened for me, and Dante stands there, arms crossed and a look of death on his face, as if he’s gonna try stopping me, too.
“Where is he?” I spit, still moving at him.
“Leave, Shaw.”Yeah.
And no.
I pick up speed and drop my shoulder, sending everything I’ve got at Dante until we’re both crashing backwards, and he’s stumbling over his own feet. The wall hits me hard as I roll into it, but I’m up before him and moving along the corridor without waiting for an invite I’m not gonna get.
Head craning left and right, I search for the only one in this family that needs dealing with. “ABEL!” bellows out of me as I keep hunting him down.
Mariana comes barrelling out of a doorway, near skidding to stop by me. “What the hell are you doing?” she hisses. “Get out, Shaw. He’ll kill you.”
I keep moving through the dining room to get out back to the deck. “No. Where the fuck is he?”
She grabs my arm. “Jesus. What the hell is wrong with you? Shaw? Stop?” I shrug her hand off me and walk out onto the deck, physically ripping her grip from me when she tries again. Something catches my neck at the exact same time, pulling me backwards and dragging. I twist in the hold, using all those years’ worth of experience to get away from Dante.
Ducking, I roll away from him and send one direct hit to his face before he knows it’s coming. His chin flicks up and sends him back a step, giving me room to push another hit at his jaw again.
I’m turning while he’s still stumbling, heading for the goddamn pool. He’s not there either. “I’m fucking done!” roars from me. “You hear me, Abel!” There’s no answer, and I spin on my heel to look around, splaying my arms. “You want me, you damn well come get me instead of sending your fucking dog!”
“Shaw! Stop!” Mariana again. I sneer at her and look back at Dante on the deck out there, moving my feet to get to him again if I can’t get to the one I want. He glares and readies himself this time, no doubt about to beat my ass hard.
“That’s what you want?” I growl, approaching him. “To kill me for him? Why?” I shove at his chest, not giving a damn if it riles him further. “Because I had a fucking opinion he didn’t like? Fuck you, Dante. Bring it.” He frowns under his scowl and looks at Mariana like he doesn’t know what to do with my spite. Yeah, well, I don’t either, but I sure as shit am not backing down from this fight.
“You’re being a dick, Shaw,” he says, low and grumbled. “Go, before you can’t.”
“That’s it, yeah? I’m out. Exiled?” A crazy laugh comes out of me as I look at them both watching me. “Guess you’ve got your muscle now. Don’t need me, yeah? Big, bad Kai’s here, so Shaw’s no use no more.”
“Hey. That’s not fair,” Mariana seethes. “You did this, Shaw. You! Don’t bring Kai into this when he’s not here to defend himself.”
“There was zero fucking reason to bring Miri back to the States. None. She was free and clear of our crap. It was just Abel and his fucking asshole need for revenge.”
“You shot him, Shaw! Jesus Christ.”
“And? He’s alive, isn’t he?” I made damn sure of it when I shot somewhere that wouldn’t kill him. I look up and around again. “Not fucking man enough to face me himself, though, right? ABEL!”
“You’re fucking crazy,” Mariana spits, grabbing my arm again. “Get in the goddamn house.”
Dante moves to block me. “No. You leave now. Go.”
I snort at him, about ready to get my ass handed to me if that gets Abel from wherever he is so I can get what I need to say out of my mouth. “Whatcha gonna do, Brother? Hurt me? Cause me some pain? You’ve already done that. You all have.” I glare back at Mariana again. “Every fucking one of you. You laughed, and you dismissed me, and you treated me like nothing morethan dirt on your goddamn shoes unless you needed me. And I was still there for you. Every goddamn call. Every fucking time one of you needed backing up or looking out for, Shaw came running, didn’t he?”
I look up again, this time at Abel’s bedroom and the balcony. I’m brimming with rage and some fucking hurt that’s come from the depths of me. A bitter laugh rattles out of my throat. “It was never enough, was it? Never. I was just the kid, the weak-ass kid who couldn’t stomach your shit. And you know what, you’re right, I couldn’t – didn’t fucking want to, either. You didn't feel it like I did. None of you did. She came back here, and I felt every fucking inch of her fear and pain.”
“The hell does that mean?” Dante says. “No one even got around to touching her before-”
