Page 27 of Legacy of Smoke
He could call me anything he wanted, but I needed to send him a message. “And you don’t even know your real name. Trading on mine when you want to step out on that wife of yours?” I shook my head mentally ticking off all the ways that was wrong.
“Fuck you. You can’t prove a thing.”
“I can’t. The girl you were with last week might be able to, though.”
Andrew looked down the bar to check to see if anyone was paying attention. Finding the coast clear, he fisted my coat. “It will be my word against hers, just like before. And you’ll go down for it. Again.”
“You’re touching Destroyers’ property.” In more ways than one.
My twin glanced down to the leather in his hand. “Fucking freak.” He shoved me away, almost knocking me off the stool. And I had to take it, because one toe over any line meant I’d not only lose my place in the club, but my freedom.
Sprout strode in with three of my brothers in tow. I signaled them with a raised chin. They turned in mass and surrounded Andrew. I stood up and brushed off any wrinkles or cooties he left on my leather. “You’re late.”
“Did ya hit him yet, Smoke?” Griz breathed down Andrew’s neck.
“Nope.”
“Then we’re right on time.” Sprout laughed and ordered a beer by reaching over Andrew and snapping his finger for the bartender. He laid a fifty on the bar next to my money being certain to lean on Andrew as he did so.
Andrew knew better, but made the mistake, anyway. His elbow flew back and hit Sprout in the stomach. “Back off.”
I held up both hands so the bartender could see I had no part in this. Sprout lifted Andrew out of his chair and with Griz, Sketch, and Poke, they carried him outside. There were a few heads that turned, and quickly pretended to ignore the commotion once they saw the Destroyers’ Skulls on every coat. The bartender set the beer down. “Is that your twin?”
“Not anymore.” I chugged the beer and shoved the remaining money at her to cover the drink. “Keep the tip.”
Her eyes flew to the door and then quickly away. I waited until she swiped up the cash and then joined Sprout and the others outside.
They had Andrew against a tree.
“Her name is Lily. Lily Albert.”
“She said her name was Savage. Not Albert. I didn’t know she was that lunatic’s daughter. I swear. I swear to God. I thought she was that hooker’s daughter. You know, the one down in the flats. Please don’t kill me.”
“Let him go. He knows better now. Don’t you, Andrew?”
“Fuck you.”
Griz’s punch came hard and fast, and Andrew went down almost as quickly. I rifled through his pockets while he was out cold. I pulled out a matchbook from the local motel. “I didn’t know they still gave these out. Talk about a tell.”
Sprout found his wallet and lightened it by all of the cash and snapped photos of the credit cards. He handed the cash to me, but I handed it off to Griz. “You hit him. You earned it.”
“Thanks man, but I know you need the scratch.” He tried to pass it back, but I wouldn’t take it.
“Buy me a drink, or something.”
He shoved the cash in his pocket and agreed.
“Let’s cruise past this motel. What do you say?” Sprout led the group to the bikes.
I debated the sanity of following them. They’d already done more than enough to get me locked up for at least five years. Then again, inside it would be a lot easier for old Pinner to kill me himself, rather than wait for death to tap me on the shoulder. So, I embraced my inner Destroyers nature and said, “fuck it.”
When we got to the motel, Sprout told the crew to ask around to see if they remembered Andrew. He motioned me to the side. “Are you okay? You look a little green.”
“I’m good.”
He narrowed his eyes. “No, you’re not. You’re having second thoughts, aren’t you?”
If you can’t be honest with your best friend, who can you be honest with? Certainly not myself. “I don’t want to go back in.That means, I can’t do shit like this. And yet, part of me wants to say, fuck it and kill the motherfucker while I can.”
