Page 69 of Slaughter
Monk’s jaw tightened, and for a moment I thought he might argue. Instead, he closed his fist around the ring and shoved it back into his cut. “Then you’re a dead man walking, Golden boy. Hope you know that.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly. “I know.”
He shook his head, stepping back out of the cell. “Let’s go. Reaper’s waiting, and that man doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
I pushed myself to my feet, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. My ribs felt like they were grinding against each other with each breath, and my vision blurred through my swollen left eye. But I forced myself upright, forced myself to move. If I was going to face judgment, I would do it standing on my own two feet.
The stairs were narrow and steep, each step sending fresh waves of pain through my torso. I gripped the railing with my good hand, my knuckles white, and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Behind me, Monk’s heavy footsteps echoed in the stairwell.
At the top of the stairs, I could hear voices—low and tense and angry. Reaper’s voice, deep and commanding. Ghost’s voice, quieter but no less dangerous. Kansas’ voice, trying to mediate. And Shadow’s voice, raw with fury.
They were deciding my fate.
Monk reached past me and pushed open the door. The sudden brightness made me squint, and I had to blink several times before my vision adjusted. The room beyond was packedwith bodies, Diamondback brothers lining the walls, Golden Skulls’ officers standing in a tight cluster near the center.
I barely had time to register the scene before Shadow was on me.
He moved fast. Faster than I expected, and his hand closed around my throat as he slammed me back against the wall. The impact drove the air from my lungs and sent white-hot pain exploding through my broken ribs.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Shadow seethed, his hand tightening around my throat.
I didn’t fight back. Didn’t try to break his grip. Just met his eyes and let him see that I understood his rage, that I accepted it.
Reaper, Ghost, and Sandman all grabbed for Shadow, trying to pull him off me.
“Come on, Zeke,” Ghost groaned, his hands locked around Shadow’s shoulders. “Let Reaper handle this.”
From across the room, I heard another voice, deep and irritated, shout, “Control your boy, Max! I can’t hear the fucking attorney!”
Through my narrowing vision, I saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with the hard look of someone who had seen too much violence and survived it all. His cut saidSoulless Sinners MC. President patch. Montana Stone.
Reaper snarled, looking at the son of a bitch. “How about you put a fucking cork in the jailbird and get your lazy ass over here and help me?”
Montana grumbled as he stormed over, pushing his way through the brothers. Without warning, he punched Shadow square in the face, then pointed his finger at him and roared, “ENOUGH! I can only handle one asshole at a time. Behave!”
Shadow’s grip on my throat loosened as he staggered back, blood trickling from his split lip. “I’m not a fucking dog, you sonof a bitch,” he snarled, shrugging off Ghost and Sandman before lunging for Montana.
Kansas jumped in front of him, his hands up. “Go walk it off, brother,” he ordered, pointing at Monk and Angel to go with him.
“He goes near my sister, I’ll kill him!” Shadow snapped as the two Diamondbacks shoved him toward the door.
I watched him go, my throat burning where his fingers had been, my ribs screaming with every shallow breath. The room fell into tense silence as the door slammed shut behind them.
Reaper turned to face me, and I saw retribution in his eyes. He stepped close—so close I could see the fury etched into every line of his face. Pointing a finger at me, he seethed, “Just what in the ever-loving fuck were you thinking?”
Montana chuckled. “I know the answer.”
Kansas groaned, slapping his brother upside the back of his head. “Not the time, dipshit.”
Reaper glared at Montana, who eventually held up his hands and walked back over to a man in a suit who stood looking shocked and a little uneasy. The second Reaper turned to look back at me, I quickly said, “I know this looks bad, Reaper. You know me. Julie was my world. Ain’t no one ever gonna replace her. I don’t know how it happened. One minute we were talking; the next... well, shit happened.”
“He caught you fucking his sister!” Reaper roared as several of the Diamondback brothers chuckled, and Ghost growled.
His words hit me like a physical blow, but I didn’t flinch. Didn’t look away. “Yeah, that’s a problem,” I admitted.
Reaper growled, stepping so close I swore I could see the Devil in his eyes. Pointing a finger in my face, he sneered, “Stay the fuck away from Hope.”
My heart stopped. His words were a command, an order from my president. The man I had sworn to follow, to obey without question. But I couldn’t. Not this time.
