Page 142 of I Will Revel in Glory (Death by Daybreak MC 3)
“And I did it all while pregnant.” I keep smiling. I’m sure it’s hideous. I’m sure I look like a demon from the Old Testament, something wicked and carnal and sinful and violent. “But hey, maybe I should’ve been born with a dick, and you’d patch me into your club?”
I turn and head over to Beast’s bike, accepting his jacket as he puts it over my shoulders and slipping my arms into the sleeves. I climb up behind my old man—I know it’s a weird thing to call your husband, but that’s how we do it in DBD—and he kickstarts the engine.
Told ya that between Giulia and me, I wasn’t going to be the one who broke.
I am Gidget Kesselring, and I am un-fucking-breakable.
I gasp as I pull my helmet off, chucking it aside and letting my head fall back so that I can look up at a sky that’s disturbingly bereft of stars. Can’t see a fucking one of them due to the smoke. It makes me wonder if we aren’t all trapped in hell, cut off from the rest of the world, with nothing but a dome of grit and ash over this dark bubble we’re all living in.
In that moment, however, I don’t care.
My veins run hot with violence, and my entire body is sticky with blood. I hate how much I like that, how disturbed I am. Two of the people responsible for the deaths of my sisters have joined them in the grave. Good riddance.
The only part of this night that’s upsetting to me is the fact that we missed the other four members of the tactical team.
“You alright, wife?” Beast asks, glancing over his shoulder at me as I close my eyes and let the small, cool droplets of rainwater spatter on my overheated skin. I’m surprised that they’re not sizzling and steaming, evaporating as they make contact with the savagery in my aching flesh.
“I’m fine,” I say, dropping my chin back down and opening my eyes. I throw my leg over the side of the bike and turn to find Grainger standing far too close to me.
“Bullshit. You just beheaded the don’s wife. No part of me believes you’re unaffected by that.” Cade puts his hands on my hips and sighs. “Maybe we shouldn’t have let you do that? It’s a lot, Gidge. You’re putting yourself through a lot.”
I give him a look, reaching up to swipe at some of the blood on my face. Much of it dried during the ride, but the rain is bringing it back to life again. That, and I’m not sure if my hip is still bleeding. Oh, or the slices across the backs of my calves. I can feel the sting, but it’s a distant, unremarkable thing.
“Let me do it?” I clarify, and Grainger gives a low growl of frustration.
“You know what I mean,” he says as Beast climbs off his bike to stand beside me, and Crown and Sin join us. I look over at the pair of them, their faces illuminated by the distant flicker of the porch light. I’m curious to see what their reactions are, considering they had to remain stoic in front of Cat and his men.
“You need to get your ass inside and get cleaned up,” Sin tells me, barking orders like he thinks he’s Crown or something. “You might think this isn’t going to affect you, but it will. When you least expect it, probably.”
“Don’t fuss,” I warn him as my eyes sweep past Crown’s and he exhales.
“You impressed Cat tonight,” he offers, putting his hands on his hips. “But you know what?” He looks up at me. “From now on, I am your commanding officer. You should never have chased after Giulia and Cosimo.”
“We can’t risk defying Cat right now,” I return, but we all know that isn’t why I did that.
I was proving myself. To the boys. To Cat. To the club. To the mafia.
Mostly, to myself.
I might not have been able to shoot Grey in cold-blood, but I cut his mother’s head off.
People who fuck with my family don’t deserve empathy or kindness, just a quick ticket to the underworld.
“Regardless, you defer to me from now on. If Cat has a problem with it, I’ll work it out with him.”
That’s the way it’s supposed to be done with old ladies anyway. The thing is, Crown’s really sticking his neck out for me yet again. He’s claiming me—even if he knows Cat won’t like it.
I study Crown for a minute and then nod, turning away from him to head toward the porch steps. First thing I need to do is check on Reba. Leaving her here alone freaked me out, I won’t lie, but I’m hoping tonight gives me the leverage I need to convince Cat to leave her alone.
