Page 40 of Crow
Tank turned to me. “What is it then? And why’s this bitch with you, didn’t I see her at the Freeways’ hideout? This had better be good, Crow.”
“She came to warn us,” I said grimly, pulling Jade behind me slightly as I narrowed my eyes warningly at Tank. “It’s the fucking Freeways,” I continued. Around me, everyone stood a little straighter and started paying more attention. I could feel Jade trembling against my side, and I pulled her closer to me, allowing her to hide in my chest as I continued. “They know about the wedding, and they’re coming for blood.”
“Shit,” Archer swore loudly, swinging his arms through the air. “Fuck, balls, dammit. I’m not tellin’ Rose, one of you bastards do it.”
“What’re we gonna do, Tank?” Ink asked quietly. I could feel eyes on me, but I was paying more attention to Jade. Then Evelyn was stepping forward, smiling reassuringly at me before directing her attention to Jade.
“Come along with me, honey,” she said gently, reaching out to hold Jade’s arm and smiling softly when she looked up at her. “We’ll get you settled in with the other girls and get some hot food in you while the boys work out this nasty crap.”
Jade glanced up at me, and I nodded gently. “Ev’s gonna take great care of you,” I promised her, tucking her hair behind her ear. She hesitated a moment longer, biting her lip, then allowed Evelyn to tow her toward the spare room. As she closed the door behind them, I sent Evelyn a grateful look, and she narrowed her eyes in a promise that we would be talking about this later.
Only a few moments after Jade and Evelyn disappeared inside the room, Rose came storming out. She was a furious vision with her hair in jeweled ringlets and her many lacy white skirts held up out of the way as she stomped up to her husband-to-be.
“Archer!” she shouted, and Archer flinched before turning to her with a sheepish grin on his face.
“You look gorgeous, Rosie,” he said, and she scowled at him, lips pursed.
“What is happening?” she demanded. Archer’s shoulders slumped, and he pulled her closer. Their heads bent together and I could hear the soft hiss of him quickly filling her in. When he was done, she rounded on us. Around me, the entire club watched, braced for Rose’s temper to flare. Even Tank crossed his arms to create a barrier between her and himself.
“Well?” she demanded. “What are you all waiting around for? We don’t know when the Freeways are going to get here, we need to tell everyone the wedding’s been postponed and get them out of the way!”
We blinked at her, and she clapped her hands together.
“Boys!” she said sharply, hands on her hips. “Move!”
Everyone jolted into action, rushing downstairs to begin evacuating the wedding guests, ushering them and the club whores out to their cars so they could drive to wherever they were staying. Archer and Ripper managed to convince those with cars to give lifts to those who didn’t, making sure that the Tavern was as empty of innocent bystanders as possible. The minister and the girls from the catering company were paid and asked to leave out the back, and Rose was sent to the relative safety of upstairs with the other women. Soon, there was only one guest left, one of Archer’s aunts who was being stubborn and asking a lot of questions. Archer was guiding her to her car, a pained look on his face.
“No, Auntie, Rose and I have not broken up. Yes, Auntie, the wedding is still going to happen, just not today. No, Auntie, there is no time to explain. Please, Auntie,just get in your car.” The last bit was said through gritted teeth as he practically lifted the woman into her SUV. He slammed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief as she finally pulled out of the parking lot.
“Christ, that woman can talk,” he muttered as I came up to stand beside him. I clapped him on the shoulder in commiseration then turned to go back into the Tavern with everyone else.
“What now, Tank?” I asked.
“Now,” he said, hefting a safe onto the bar. “We get the weapons. Time to defend our turf, lads.”
He tossed a key at Vegas, sending him and Maverick to unlock the back room. They came back with their arms full of guns while Tank pulled an assortment of knives and pistols from the safe, and began handing them out. There was something almost comical in watching a group of men trussed up in monkey suits inspecting weapons before tucking them into their pockets and waistbands. I tugged my tie loose and pulled off my jacket, stretching out my arms and tilting my neck from side to side.
Archer and Ink began rearranging the furniture we had spent hours setting up for the wedding, overturning tables and stacking chairs to use as barricades.
“Do you think Rose is okay?” Archer was asking. Next to me, Ripper scoffed.
“She’s probably sitting in her wedding dress chugging wine,” he said.
“Yeah, or planning her revenge,” I smirked, helping heave one of the tables on top of the bar. Archer shuddered.
“Good luck to the bastards,” he said. “Rose is creative when she’s mad.”
“I can’t wait to get my hands on these fuckers,” Claymore said, cracking his knuckles. Tank frowned at him.
“We want to take them down, but we want to do it with as many of us still alive as possible,” he said firmly. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“That’ll be hard,” Maverick joked. “Clay’s never been a think first kinda guy.”
“Fuck you.” Claymore huffed, shoving his arm. Maverick stumbled, and Tank’s frown deepened.
“No infighting!” he snapped. “The Freeways are almost on our doorstep. You need to shape the fuck up and get serious about this shit, ’coz they aren’t coming for a bite of the wedding cake. They will be aiming to kill, and we have to do the same, you hear me?”
“Yes Tank,” we all muttered, exchanging looks. I noticed that Vegas was pale, his jaw tense, and realized that he hadn’t been joining in with Maverick’s jokes like he usually did. I slid over to him as everyone else was busy and placed my hand on his shoulder.
