Page 37 of Claymore
“We’re gonna catch the fuckers that hurt her, and we’re gonna make ’em pay. Right now, we’re playing the waiting game, but when it comes time to strike, you better believe we’re gonna come down hard. Until then, who’s to say we can’t have a little fun?”
He inched closer to me, caressing my cheek as the cool freezer air wafted over to us. He leaned in, pressing his lips up against mine and I melted right there in his arms. Every time my world felt like it was crashing down around me, he was there to pick up the pieces. He was always there to build me back up.
I grabbed an ice cream scoop, reading the labels on each box until I found a chocolate mousse flavor. Claymore put the work in scooping it out for me, slipping it into the pink paper cup. I took one bite, savoring every last bit of it.
“Which other flavor do you want?”
“I’m good with one,” I said, spooning more into my mouth.
“No way. You’ve gotta have at least two. That’s how you get the full ice cream experience,” he said.
I giggled. “Fine, you pick. Choose your favorite.”
He walked up to me, lifting my chin, kissing me softly.
“My favorite’s right here.”
His words set my entire body on fire. I knew if given the chance, the way I felt right now would melt every bit of ice cream in the entire store. He kissed me hard, sharing his mint chocolate chip and coffee-flavored choices. The cool air on my skin was refreshing, the feeling of the cold creamy texture on my tongue relaxed me entirely.
We were just about to leave when we heard a car pull up out front. Claymore grabbed my hand, rushing me out the back door, but before he joined me, he left a sizable wad of cash on the counter. We made a run for it, taking the back alleyways until we were right back where Claymore had parked his bike.
“That was—”
“Amazing?”
“Exactly what I needed,” I said, panting, trying to catch my breath.
“Now can I take you home?”
“Absolutely.”
He handed me my helmet, and I slipped it on, wrapping my arms around him tightly while we sped off into the afternoon sun.
Chapter Nine
Claymore
Ella curled up on the couch, wrapping the blanket over her, reaching for the television remote. Her breathing was slow, her glances soft, like she wasn’t riddled with worry and guilt anymore. I tried real damn hard to take those feelings away, to give her a little slice of peace every once in a while, because I knew a goddamn storm was brewing.
I arrived at the clubhouse to find everyone funneling in through the front door, gathering for the meeting. I made my way inside, taking a seat on one of the torn couches in the corner. There was real tension in the air now. I saw the looks on everyone’s faces, the way their eyes darted around the room, the tilted heads and puffed chests. They were gearing up for a fight and I was doing the same damn thing.
I wanted to get my hands dirty again, to get rid of the threat at hand so Ella could return to a life that felt normal. Part of me wondered if we’d ever really achieve that, but I had to at least try.
Tank stood at the front of the room with his arms crossed and everyone quieted down the moment he cleared his throat.
“Thank you all for coming out. We’ve been in this weird limbo ever since our last run-in with the Kings. As much as we’d all like that shit to be over with, it’s not. The Lions are the new giants in town. They’re gearing up for some real trouble, I can feel it. Word on the street is that Ray’s hiding out with them. I need everyone focused on tracking those fuckers down.”
“What’s the plan, Tank?” asked Ripper.
“The plan is to find one of those sorry sons of bitches and find out what’s really going on. I’m tired of being in the dark. I’m tired of not knowing if we’re prepared enough to deal with this threat. We can’t afford another loss. The Lions are already stealing our business, our weapons, they’re hitting our suppliers. It needs to end. I don’t fucking care if it gets ugly,” he spat.
We all nodded and I listened closely while Tank barked orders at everyone to make sure they were all working on this.
“If one thing’s clear, they’re a lot better at avoiding detection than those Freeway Fucks,” said Vegas.
“Yeah, but that don’t mean they’re invisible. If they’re in town, we need to find ’em. I don’t care where, and I don’t care how. Vegas, you take Claymore with you. Find a Lion and deliver him to me.”
Vegas glanced over at me, giving me a slight nod. I was surprised to see how high-strung Tank was, how he was really on the verge of losing his shit this time. I knew the hits to the suppliers hurt, probably worse than any other shut he had to deal with before. He adjourned the meeting, barreling into his office, slamming the door behind him.
