Page 193 of Savior
“He could have killed me last night. He could have slit my throat before you guys showed up. But he didn’t. He didn’t want to believe me. But part of him does.” Dean’s eyes shift to me again, for a brief moment, before he addresses his brothers once more. “He’s conflicted. I saw it in his eyes. He basically threatened to finish what he started if I was lying. He intends to find out the truth. What Cherry and I have told you all tonight, is the truth. Legion is here, for me. It’s all been about revenge. His plan, in a nut-shell, was to kill me with a thousand cuts.”
“And now, you think he won’t? He’s just gonna disappear, leave us to clean up his mess in this county?” Ruger asks.
“Time will tell.” Dean sighs. “In the meantime, all we can do is watch our backs. Keep a close eye on our loved ones. Reach out to the Jokers so they’re on stand-by incase things do pop off.”
“You know we can’t play by two different sets of rules. And they’re not going to play by ours.” Ruger says. “We really are going to be forced back into some old ways.”
“We’ll do what we have to do.” Dean replies. “For now, we wait.”
“And while we do that, we vote on a new President.” Ruger mutters.
Dean simply nods, his expression unreadable now.
“Let’s sleep on it a few days.” Viper speaks up. He glances at Dean with a sympathetic look.
“Fine.” Ruger begrudgingly agrees, glaring at Dean once more. “You should have told us what you did in the desert.”
Dean shoots him another glare, before he glances around the room at his brothers once more. “Ask yourselves, why I didn’t. What fucking reason would I have to keep something from any of you?” He gives them a moment to consider his motives, and when no one speaks up, he answers for them. “There is no statute of limitations for certain things in our justice system. Telling you would have made you all accessories after the fact, which carries a sentence behind bars. That might even be per count… I wasn’t going to drag anyone down with me.” He grabs the gavel, slamming it down on the table, before dropping it with a clatter against the carved wood. “I’m taking Vanna home.”
Dean steps away from the table and walks in my direction. He gently takes my arm and escorts me out of the room, down the hall and towards the empty bar.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He grabs the steel door, ushering me through it. “I don’t know what I am.”
“Seven years, you’ve kept all this to yourself?” Vanna asks.
“I had to. And I’d do it all again. My only regret is the blowback on my club. On you. I don’t know where this ends if Legion decides to carry on.” I say, staring at her as she comes to stand before me in the living room, where I’ve sunk myself into a leather armchair.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about the statute of limitations… How you kept this all to yourself to protect everyone.” She lowers herself onto the leather ottoman in front of me.
I shrug, leaning forward to press my hands against my eye sockets, before I run my fingers through my hair. Resting my elbows on my knees, I let my head hang low, lacing my hands behind my neck as I stare down at the floor.
“Isn’t there some kind of spousal testimony protection?”
“I wouldn’t put that burden on you.” I sigh. “I didn’t respond to Ruger’s statement for the same reasons, doll. And besides, we’re not married.”
As much as it pains me to think, perhaps her reluctance to even discuss a date, let alone plan anything in the way of a wedding, is a blessing in disguise. I had feared it meant she didn’t want to chain herself to me. That in some way, as time stretched on after Jack, marriage was too much, too soon, for her. And now, maybe she’s better off without this tie to me.
“We will be.” The pitch of her voice, an octave higher now, as if she’s trying to uplift my dismal mood.
I don’t say anything… I don’t know what Legion’s end game is. If he means to kill me. If he means to hold everything he knows over my head, or threaten everyone I care about, in order to bend me to his will. Does he have evidence that could put me away for the rest of my life? Is that how he found me after all this time? Is that how he plans to get me out of the picture? It’s possible… He fucking hunted me down after seven years. I don’t think Vanna’s even considered that outcome...
Your woman and your kid will be calling me, Daddy…
It won’t be because I’m in prison. The only way that’ll ever happen, will be over my rotting corpse.
I feel her hand touch my knee, squeezing it gently.
“It’s very late, baby… You should get to bed.” I tell her. “It’s been a long, stressful night for you. The sun will be up soon. You need rest more than anyone.” I release my neck and lean back in the chair to look at her. She’s staring back at me, chewing the inside of her cheek. I dread what she’s going to ask me next.
“I’d like to know why you and Cherry have the same tattoo.” She says.
I nod, remembering the horrified look on her face, when she must have been thinking exactly what Ruger had at first. At least, for a brief moment. She did seem to rule in my favor before that outburst, however. I can give her this much.
As Vanna stares at me, waiting for an explanation, I take a deep breath and allow the past to pull me back to the desert, once more...
Seven years ago… Somewhere near the border of Arizona and New Mexico…
