Page 23 of All's Fair in Love & Wrath

Well, that cleared up a few unanswered questions I was making assumptions about. Rage simmers right below the surface at the mention of his sister. So, Cain doesn’t view her as a one-and-done victim, then. Fuck. She’s not just scared of running into her abuser, she’s terrified of him taking her back and keeping her as his fucking pet. His death is going to be slow and painful, and I’m going to enjoy every moment of watching the life leave his eyes.

I don’t owe anyone anything, and I know we could take Garrett back with us and be done with the Kingsnakes MC and move on. But he’s right, Cain is Rolo’s brother, and he wanted him dead. He put out that hit. Which makes this our club’s problem. But if Chaos chooses to look the other way, I’m now in too deep. I can’t look away from this knowing what I know.

“I get it. I’ll make it a priority. Keep the phone close,” I tell him.

“My sister has it. I can’t take the chance. But she knows how to get word to me, so relay everything through her. She’s grown up in this life. She’ll be discreet.” My heart stumbles over itself, and I don’t know if it’s because I get to talk to her again, or because I’m pissed she’s going to be involved in things she shouldn’t have to be. Maybe it’s both.

“Alright, then. We’ll be in touch,” Malice says, ending the conversation.

Now to get this asshole back to the compound and make a plan for how to convince Chaos that we need to team up with some rogue Kingsnake club members to take down their club.

Or I’ll be doing it myself.

Chapter Nine

AXEL

The last thing I expected when going out to meet Saint was coming back with Garrett hog-tied in the back of our van. Chaos meets us outside, with Saige, Sin, and Rogue next to him. I get out of the truck, just as Malice dives out of the backseat, jogging over to his bike and revving it up.

“Where’s he heading?” Rogue asks. He’s standing shoulder to shoulder with Sin, roughly about the same size. I’m not a small guy, but these two gnarly fuckers look like beasts. I walk up to the group, pulling Rogue into a hug.

“Good to see you, brother. Welcome home.”

“Anyone gonna tell me where Mal is running off to?” he asks again. Chaos throws his hands in the air in frustration. He hates that he’s losing control of all of us. Lucky for him, I’m about to make his night a whole lot better.

“He’s stalking some poor, unsuspecting woman he met. They’ll be fine.”

“For fuck’s sake. Chaos, what kinda shit show are you runnin’ while I’m gone?” he asks our president.

“Fuck off. Maybe if you were here, I’d have more help. Sin is preoccupied with Bristol, the shelter, and whatever the fuck else he’s doing. Malice is off stalking or murdering, the prospects have all lost their fucking minds, we were infiltrated by another club, and I’ve got my own shit to worry about now.”

“You mean Saige? That woman doesn’t need you to worry about anything. She can handle herself,” I tell him as I walk back over to the van.

“Glad I came home when I did.”

“Glad to see you callin’ it home, you dumb fucker. Aspen Ridge doesn’t need you. We do,” I tell him.

“That’s why I’m here, aren’t I? Kinsey is on summer break and doesn’t have to go back to get her classroom ready for about a month. We’ll be here for a bit.”

“Good,” Chaos snaps. These two are ridiculous.

“Now if you two are done bitching at each other like tweenage boys, I’ve got a gift. Well, Saint gave us a gift, so I technically can’t take credit. But I did do the driving.”

I take a step back after opening the van doors, pulling out a smoke and lighting it up, the cherry glowing bright, nicotine flooding my veins. Chaos and Rogue walk up to the van and look inside, finding Garrett still passed out, gagged, and tied up.

“Who is that?” Rogue asks.

“Garrett. He’s the one who shot Rolo. Is he dead?” Chaos asks.

“Nah. I don’t know what the fuck Saint gave him, but he is out cold. I want to see his face when he wakes up and realizes he’s back in Heathen territory.”

“What the fuck did he want in return, Wrath?” Chaos barks, turning and squinting his eyes at me.

“This was an olive branch to hear him out. He doesn’texpect anything in return, but it was a show of good faith. He wants the Hell’s Heathens to help get his club back. Rolo’s blood brother, Cain, took it over, and everything’s gone to shit. He wants it back.”

“For fuck’s sake. We can’t handle another war, Wrath.”

“We might not have a choice. Men like Cain are diseases, and diseases spread. It’s only a matter of time before it reaches us more than it already has.”