Page 70 of Micro
“I know you think you’re winning somehow with all this shit, but you’re just a tool Reacher’s using to get a job done.” He grabbed the front of my Rogues cut, a spare for now, because we’d just usurped a club, and lunged forward, hitting me in the face with his forehead.Jesus fuck.
I staggered back a few steps, when he shoved me back, and then I turned to look at Ryder.
“Your turn now?”
He shrugged. “They’re the ones whose old ladies went through hell thanks to you. I’m just here to see this gets done, and we get out of here. The cameras are up, and if you touch a single one, you’re toast. You don’t hold your business away from them, and you don’t hide a thing from us. Rocket, Stag, and Grease are here to keep you honest, and they’ll tell us every little thing you get up to. You think you can keep your old lady, good luck to you, but you so much as hurt a fucking hair on her head, and we’ll retrieve her, and leave you bleeding to death. Got it?”
I guess the important point there was that they’d take care of Soph if she needed it, even if I was the one she needed to be rescued from. Despite everything, I could respect that.
“Yeah, thanks. She’s good people.”
Ryder stared at me like I’d lost my mind.
“That’s it?”
“Yeah. Nothing you fuckers said was a lie, was it? I’m the cunt, and I know it. I promise you though, that woman is going to be treated like a fucking queen, and never need to call you guys for help, but I appreciate that you’ve got her back. So thanks. Can you fuck off now?”
They left, thank fuck, and I went to the bathroom to patch myself up, my face throbbing from Ice’s fucking headbutt, that fucker.
A gun barrel, pressing against the back of my head, as I straightened up, was just the icing on the fucking cake, wasn’t it? That click, when the gun was cocked… I knew that was the last sound I’d hear.
Thirty-Eight
I’dsaymylifeflashed before my eyes, but let’s be honest, what really happened was an icy chill down my spine, and sudden peace, because if you know you’re about to die, what’s left to fear?
Clearly someone had a beef with me, and I had no idea who, since I was facing a wall where a mirror should be, and the gun was to the back of my head. Was it one of the Phoenix guys? A Rogue? Someone else? Who fucking knows?
“Do I get to know who’s planning to kill me this time?” I asked quietly, surprised at the calmness of my voice, when I knew for a fact that my heart had suddenly picked up again. The peace was gone, because who the fuck gets calm when there’s a gun at their head? For some reason, I really had to know who was holding it, and who thought they had a right to decide this was my moment to die. I’d had my fucking reprieve, and this shit was supposed to be over.
“You have this coming,” a low voice murmured, and I wasn’t clear on who it was from that, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t one of the guys who’d just picked a fight with me. I’d heard the rumble of their bikes leaving, so it had to be a Rogue, right? Did Roadkill return to get vengeance on me?
“Sorry, don’t recognise the name,” I said, mocking my would-be killer, because clearly I’m that much of a fucking psycho myself.
“The Pres and his men were worth fifty of you, you worthless cunt. You really think you’ve got the balls to take this club over?”
“Got more balls than them… or do dead balls still count, just all shrivelled up and fucking useless, a bit like they were. This club was filth, and they deserved it. You wanna kill me, go right ahead, but it won’t bring them back, and it won’t change a damn thing. Phoenix is patching this place over, and the scum like you won’t survive. They mean business, and I should know. They started by killing my dad, and taking his club from him.”
The guy behind me hesitated, backing up a step, removing that hard metal from the back of my skull. Should I turn? I should turn and face the cunt, right?
“Your dad? What club?”
I decided to just fucking risk it, turning to face the angry bearded face of Burn, the other biker I’d been warned about. For some reason I thought an attack would come from him and Roadkill together, but clearly I’d been misinformed, or misled.
“Ever hear of the Godless Warriors?”
His frown deepened and he nodded. “’Course I have. Everyone knew them. They were fucking deadly, and then they were just gone.”
I lifted my hands, which was probably a bit reckless, because I could have spooked him into shooting me. If I could just go a week without a bullet in me, I’d be pretty happy at this point.
“That’s who you’re fucking with. Phoenix MC look like pussies from the outside, but they’re not. My dad was a sick fucker, and it took learning what a real club was like, for me to be able to see it. The club that should have been mine was long gone, but what replaced it was something better. This doesn’t have to end like this for you.”
Burn shrugged, levelling the gun at my face. “Still think killing you will make me feel better. I was making something of myself with the Rogues. I was gonna take it over myself soon. I had it all planned. You fucked up everything, and for what? To bend over and take it from that fucking pussy club that killed your old man? You’re a disgrace.”
I grinned, suddenly feeling like I was on the right side of the argument for the first time in my life.
“Maybe I am, but I stand with Phoenix, and that means I stand against you.”
He smirked, and waved the gun a little. “You stand unarmed against the man whose gun is about to put a big fucking hole in your face. Any last words before I render your little lady man-less, and go pick up the pieces?”
