Page 30 of Knot Without My Permission
“I got her,” Storm promises. “I’ll download movies for us to watch in our cabin and have her try to sleep some of this off.”
There are little houses spread over several miles behind the clubhouse. Devon bought it on a whim when he was just starting out since Lore told him to keep their father’s inheritance, which also included the club’s assets. It was a good investment, up until a rival MC club decided to move in down the road from them.
The Reaping Marauders have been causing some of the issues that Lore was trying to help him with.
“Why are we wasting our time when that club already handled their shit?” Toad asks. He’s one of Callous’ men, and whenever I’m here, I struggle not to put him down permanently.
Toad has a big fucking mouth, and it irritates the fuck out of me.
“The club that killed my brother?” Devon asks, almost tripping in shock as he turns to face him.
Ah, fuck. Lore has warned his brother multiple times that he needs to handle his club through force. One day, Toad is going to get the old guard to rebel against Devon, and he’s going to have a bloody mess on his hands.
My hand sits on my gun as I watch Toad continue to yell at him. Devon eyes flick behind the man, but Toad doesn’t notice. That’s the only hint of the attack as a man I recognize as Martyr stabs him in his lower thigh.
“Fuck!” he yells.
“Maybe you need to learn how to speak to your president,” Martyr growls.
“Thanks for keeping me from shooting the asshole,” I grunt.
“Anytime,” Martyr murmurs. “I’m sorry I missed the funeral. Someone had to stay behind.”
“I get it,” I say. He’s been giving me remorseful glances all week. I’m not one to give someone shit for doing what they have to do. It also didn’t affect me. The funeral felt like a three ring circus, and a part of me is glad it’s over. “That being said, is he coming with us, or are we finally throwing him off property.”
“You’re running this place into the ground,” Toad complains, hissing as Martyr takes back his knife and cleans it off on Toad’s jeans. “You go ahead and do your fool’s errand. I need a break from you assholes.”
“Who the fuck do you know that’s not at this compound?” I ask, watching as he limps to his motorcycle.
“I don’t have to tell you shit!” Toad yells. Ugh, I fucking hate shitheads. He’s also Devon’s second in command, and seems to think he can do whatever the fuck he wants.
“If you leave, you’ll be unable to return until I’m back,” Devon warns, turning to watch as Toad grumbles and leaves anyway.
Walking over to Devon, I shake my head in disgust. “You know he’s a problem,” I mutter.
“I do, but if I kill him, it’ll cause issues. I just need a little time to figure this out. I’m working with someone to help,” he says cryptically.
“Like who?” I ask, confused. “We don’t trust people with things outside of the club.”
“Sometimes, it’s best to do things outside of the norm,” he says, shrugging. “Look, I got it handled. Let him go.”
I don’t like his decision, but this isn’t my fight. If he’s trying to avoid a shoot out since there are so many innocents here,some of them children, then I can understand his reasoning. Marie was surprised when we first arrived that some of the club members have children who live in the houses behind the clubhouse.
Devon didn’t have a very safe childhood, and Lore told me this is his legacy. This is why he insists on doing things differently, and I need to respect that.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I run inside with Ransom and Storm to talk to Marie. I find her pale and withdrawn sitting outside in a porch swing, and I squat beside her in worry.
“I’m not pregnant,” she says almost sadly. “I thought maybe my meds aren’t working well, and for a second…”
“Kitty,” Storm whispers.
“It’s so dumb,” she says, tears sliding down her cheeks. Marie curls her body up tighter in the swing, sadness practically swirling around her. “One of the girls suggested I take a pregnancy test, and I hoped for three whole minutes that I could be pregnant with Lore’s baby. The timelines just don’t match up either way because of my birth control, but…”
“It’s a normal reaction,” I say gently. My eyes hurt as my body threatens to react to her tears. I’ve cried so much in private, I don’t know if I have any more tears inside of me to give. “It’s not up to you to carry on his legacy, especially not by having his baby. Don’t put that on yourself.”
“You have to go, don’t you?” Marie asks, changing the subject abruptly.
Fuck, shit, motherfucker in a bathtub with a goddamned toaster!
