Page 61 of Redemption

“Tate said there was only one with a gun out of fifteen or so, and Lex said the same. And only one shot was taken. The target was my daughter, and he saved her fucking life,” Diesel says. “So, no, they aren’t helping us. They’re attacking our fucking women and children.”

“Motherfucker,” Chicago shouts as the rest of the Black Valley club erupts in a slew of curse words.

Colt’s stomach drops. That makes Lex a target. The Slasher she saw might’ve seen her and... “Shit.”

“What?” Psycho asks.

“No fucking way.”

“What?” Ky shouts, his hand hitting the table.

His eyes look up and lock with Psycho. “Lex saw the shooter. Said he had a red handlebar mustache with a beer belly. They were driving west, so she only saw the left side of his face.”

“Jesus Christ, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” he says. “Are you sure she saw him correctly?”

“No fucking way,” Chicago shouts through the phone. “We fucking killed O’Malley!”

“Lex couldn’t pick these guys out in a lineup outside of their leather. Damn it, I didn’t even think about it when she told me because we thought we killed him.”

Psycho shakes his head. “She wouldn’t know if we did or didn’t. But they’re Irish. He can’t be the only fat dude with a red handlebar mustache.”

Josh Hood looks around the room. “I mean, you all look alike to me,” he says with a shrug.

“Same,” Ash Arnold, the first African American member of the club, says with a smirk.

“The real question, here,” Jennings interrupts, finding their joke unamusing, “is whether or not you truly killed O’Malley.”

“We shot him in the fucking face!” Ian shouts. “Yeah, we fucking killed him.”

Diesel tilts his head. “In the middle of the face?”

“What does it matter?”

“Humor me.”

“Right side,” Psycho says. “Jesus, fuck, it could be him.”

Colt looks around. “Talk to Tate and see if he remembers the asshole having scars on his face. Besides, she wouldn’t have forgotten a detail like scars on his face. He can’t look pretty.”

“You honestly believe he survived a gunshot to the face?” Chicago asks. “Psycho shot him. We were there, Colt.”

“But we didn’t bury him,” Psycho says.

TK looks around. “What did you do? Just leave him?”

Chicago sighs. “He was a message. We let them clean up their dead President and VP in their own goddamned clubhouse.”

“For fuck’s sake,” VP growls. “Are you new to this?”

“I told you we should’ve taken him and cut him up into small pieces. But no… that was too much,” Psycho says and waves his hands in the air mockingly.

They did this. They didn’t take the right precautions, and instead of doing what he knows should have been done, he blindly followed Chicago’s orders. Their message isn’t clear if they didn’tactuallykill their charter President.

“We didn’t think he had a chance at survival. We shot him in the fucking face!” Ian shouts. “Who would’ve thought he wouldn’t die?”

“I don’t know,” TK growls. “Maybe the dead guy who isn’t actually fucking dead. He clearly had a stronger will to live than you anticipated. A hell of a lot stronger than the bullet you put in his face.”

Psycho growls. “I’m going back to Black Valley and bringing Lacey with me. If that motherfucker’s still alive, I’m finding out.”

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