Page 83 of The Burnt Heart

“God, it feels good to live up to my nickname. I gotta tell you.” He grinned.

Alessandro lifted his head, scratched and bruised with an animalistic growl. Jonah was panting on his back while Jesse and Logan surrounded him. There was a slight wail of a siren, soft but urgent. The attack had not escaped notice from the authorities.

“You’re a traitor to your name,” Alessandro growled. “How could you—” Logan slammed his boot into the back of his skull. When he peeled his head off the ground Jesse spat in his furious face.

“That’s for my brother.” The glob of liquid seeped into his glare.

“Get him up,” I ordered coldly and waited until Jonah wrenched Alessandro, his face still mocking in defeat. “Fast or slow Briar?” I asked, soft and sweet like spun sugar, motioning to Alessandro.

I didn’t look away from Briar, letting him see ravenous thirst and rage that peeked from behind a stoic mask. I wanted it slow. I wanted to peel the fingernails off this monster one by one. Not for me, but for what he did to Briar. As long as he was dead, I was happy. Briar’s eyes widened, haunted by the choice, or his history, I couldn’t tell.

“Sweet Briar Rose, he isn’t bloodthirsty like you and I,” Alessandro laughed and something in Briar snapped.

“Blow his fucking brains out,” he choked, a steel undercurrent threading through his gaze.

I pressed the barrel to the man’s head. Wanting it to bruise before I stole his life.

“Are you sure?” I pushed down the simmering need to mark this man in every way he had marked us both. To make him scream for mercy. But looking at Briar’s pallor, I knew the only thing that would help him heal was to have this man dead. He nodded, and I could only acquiesce.

“Don’t look boys,” I ordered and waited until they averted their eyes.

“Enjoy hell.” I smiled, my measured threat carrying a bleakness. My finger squeezed the trigger and Alessandro slumped on the ground, his mouth still pulled in an expression of shock. My ears rung from the shot, and I staggered over to the waiting embrace of Jesse, Logan, and Briar.

“All bow to the queen,” Ray joked, not realizing how true his words were. He frowned at Jonah, streaked with blood and dirt. “Are you okay, brother boyfriend?”

“What the fuck, don’t call me that,” Jonah spat to the side with a grimace.

“Well, you’re my girlfriend’s boyfriend, right? We need a name. What about Brother Beaus?” Jonah’s expression darkened and Ray held out his hands placatingly. “We’ll workshop it.”

“What about Lover Lads?” My head whipped up to see Lara strolling down the drive, her eyes anxiously cataloging the marks and bruises on her men. But my shocked exhale was in reaction to whose arm she had threaded through hers. Chief Goldman.

“What do you think?” she added.

“No comment,” Beck Goldman grunted, gaze narrowed at the pooling blood beneath Alessandro’s head. He drew his phone to his ear with a sigh. “It’s me. Call off the patrol to the Orazios. Nothing to see here.”

Lara patted his chest and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Excuse me?” I stuttered, unable to process what I was seeing.

Lara gave me a sheepish look, hurrying to throw her arms around Jonah and Ray.

Jesse put his fingers under my chin, distracting me with a kiss. I sank into their hold, for now. This wasn’t the end, but at least we could breathe for the moment. We had time to unravel and heal the broken parts of us.

37

Adelaide

One Month Later

I wiped the crumbs of the apple muffin I’d been eating and crossed out Threads in my notebook. The scent of flowers filled the office and I sucked in the fragrance of them. The list was half done now. All the dates Jesse had promised to take me on, and I’d held him too when I thought we might end up dead.

I still couldn’t believe it was over. My skin crawled as if someone was watching me, the sensation difficult to shake off.

“If in doubt, just shoot.” I grinned at Kinsley’s exasperated sigh. She was far too tenderhearted to run a biker club. “Don’t knock it until you try it. A good flesh wound is always an excellent deterrent.”

“This pack of wolves are already violent enough,” she complained. “But I’ll try it.”

“You wanted boss bitch advice, you got it. Having a group of violent men at your back isn’t a bad thing.”

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