Page 63 of Stitch
I grabbed his arm, dragging him a few paces away.
“Thisisn’t about side-lining you. This is about you being the only one I fucking trust to keep her safe. To keep her alive. I can’t do this, if I don’t know she’s safe.”
He rolled his eyes. “Asshole. I think we both know why you’re doing this, but fine. For you, I’ll sit in on the fucking chick talk session you know will be going on in there.”
Truthfully, yeah, I was trying to keep him away from the stress and aggression of this encounter, because of his fucking heart, but also I knew that he was the only one they’d be forced to listen to. Anyone else, and they’d be following my orders, but Reacher? The fucking Pres? It was his word, his law, and they wouldn’t be able to go over his head.
Reacher grabbed the back of my head, leaning close, almost forehead to forehead.
“Go avenge your old lady, brother. Throw in a few kidney punches for me, yeah? We brought your kit with us, but remember you don’t have all fucking night.”My kit.I took a breath. I was about to unleash the beast, and suddenly it was all I could think about. Reacher kissed my forehead, kinda like a father would.
“Get the fuck out of here, you lot, as soon as you leave your cuts with me. Make me proud.”
We removed our cuts and folded them with the reverence they deserved, piling them on Reacher’s outstretched hands, offered him a last significant nod, and then we were climbing into the van and heading for the location Ice was directing the prospect to as he drove.
In the van, as well as the prospect, Torch was waiting with Micro. They’d certainly gone for numbers, and even though both guys looked pissed that they’d come in a damn cage, instead of on their bikes, they were also hyped up at the opportunity to make some sick fucker pay for what he did.
“Just so we’re clear. The kill is mine. You guys can all take a piece of him, but I need to be the one to end him. Got it?”
“Sure thing, VP. I didn’t even bring my torch with me.” Those of us not driving looked at Torch in surprise, and probably with a shitload of relief, if I’m honest.
“What? I was told it’s the VP’s show, so I held off. I got knives though, obvs.”
By the time he’d finished speaking, the prospect was parking up the grey van, and Ice was filling us in on where we’d find the fucker.
It took five minutes to locate him, and even less time to convince him to comewith us. Oh, by convince, I mean, Torch jammed a knife in under his ribs, probably piercing the skin, as he led him out to us. We’d drawn straws to see who’d go in, and that bastard won.
Was it the best move, with him being so fucking recognisable? Yeah, actually, because he’d covered up that insane head tattoo with a beanie hat, and without that showing, he was virtually fucking average looking. Like nobody would be able to describe him. He was just some guy with a beanie hat on and dark eyes. A little stubble. That description covered about half of the male population most of the time. Maybe not in summer, but it was the best we could do.
“What the fuck’s going on?” Ross, the girlfriend-abusing asshole was fronting at us, but he was scared. Who wouldn’t be? He was dragged outside of the bar he’d been lounging in, probably eyeing up the women for his next victim, and now he was staring at five guys with murder in their eyes.
“My wife says hi,” I offered, before I slammed a fist into his smug, perfect face, and watched him crash back into Torch.
“Jesus, man. Wait until we get him somewhere else, yeah?” Ryder dragged me away from the asshole, and I watched, my fists clenched as Torch and Micro tossed the fucker in the back of the van, with Ice following. Ryder shoved me into the front seat of the van, and shot me a fierce glare.
“Trust me, man. I get it, but if you get in the back with him, he’s gonna be dead before you get what you need from this.” He was right, and I fucking hated that, because logic wasn’t what I wanted right now.
Thirty-One
Reacher stayed with us,having carried in an armload of leather cuts, and that freaked me out even more than Stitch going off on some revenge trip.
“Why did you stay? What’s going on, Reacher?”
The older guy smoothed his hand over his beard, and groaned as he lowered himself onto one of the seats in the front.
“Just keeping you ladies company. Nothing to worry about, love.”
Alicia looked concerned about him, joining him in the front, while Lissa and Tori sat on the bed with me.
“What happened, babe? You were in such a state when Stitch called.” Lissa was holding one of my hands, while I tried to keep my attention on her, instead of letting my mind whirl, wondering what Stitch was doing right now. What he and his brothers were getting into. I felt like something bad was going to happen, and I wouldn’t see him again. What if he doesn’t come back?
“He will, babe, can you try to focus please?” I said that out loud? I was so fucking out of it.
“I’m trying, Lissa. I just feel kind of… I don’t know, not in my body right now.” She nodded, squeezing my hand.
“Tori, can you grab her some water please, babe?” Tori got up and moved, and I stared down at my hand in Lissa’s.
“What if he gets hurt? I’m so scared something bad will happen to Stitch, and we won’t even get this short time together. He was so angry. So… I don’t know, but hedidn’t look like him at all.”
