I scarfed it down in five bites.
“Do you like it?” She unscrewed a water bottle for me and I took a sip. “I tried a new recipe.”
“It’s delicious. You did a great job.” I patted my abs, satisfied, and kissed her. “Gracias, querida.”
Ella beamed with joy. I was learning her language and she loved it. “De nada, querido.”
I got on my motorcycle after placing a helmet on Ella. Usually, we rode alongside each other in separate vehicles. Hot summer nights, cruising down the street, side by side, was one of our favourite things.
Tonight was a special occasion, though. We were breaking many rules and needed to ride together for a fast, secure escape.
Arms wrapped around my waist, she plastered her body behind mine. The note of anarchy swirling in the air shifted to include a hint of dark excitement.
“You ready, princess?” I revved the engine.
Without seeing her face, I imagined the corrupt smile blooming on her face. “Ready, princepin.”
The secret lair in question was an abandoned warehouse off the highway. A common spot for our associates to conduct business.
Tonight’s culprit was Kian Wilsom, one of our dealers.
He started working for us as a bartender in one of our joints and was eventually offered a job with a better ranking. The few times I dealt with Kian, he came off as a strait-laced dude with the ability to use his fists as required. Both important qualities when working in our line of business.
Then Kian made the fucking mistake of touching Ella last weekend at Jared Roy’s party on the East Side, where we were celebrating graduating from St. Victoria.
She was tipsy and dancing with her friends when Kian had the audacity to grope her on the dance floor. He whispered his plans to her in explicit details. Meaning he wanted to fuck her. Without consent. In front of everyone. Ella slapped his hands away and threatened to kill him.
By the time my girlfriend found me and told me what happened, Kian had skedaddled out of the party like a fucking rat. I regretted leaving her for the two minutes it took me to get our drinks.
Otherwise, I’d have shot him on the spot.
Nobody touched Ella without permission.
Nobody threatened to assault her.
And no-fucking-body walked away without suffering the consequences.
Without a doubt, he had no idea who she was or her connection to me. If he’d known, Kian wouldn’t have touched my girl with a ten-foot pole.
Every man under Vance Remington’s reign knew you did not bite the hand that fed you.
That’s exactly what Kian did. And for that, the vermin had to be terminated.
Revenge was a dish best served cold. I took my time digging into the stupid fucker to learn his habits and vices. Imagine my surprise when I found out he not only put his hands on my girl but had a record for being pushy with other women, too.
Oh, and I learned that he’d been stealing from us. For months. Amateurly covering his tracks and filling his pockets with the extra cash.
It was dirty, bloody, drug money. But Remington money regardless.
Thievery was high on our shit list. No one robbed us and lived to speak about it. Any soldier who dared to mess with the boss and his sons would have a bullet lodged between his eyes faster than you could sayplease.
Kian Wilson walked around like a pathetic male peacock desperate to mate. Soon, I would pluck the fucker’s feathers and teach him an unforgettable lesson: don’t touch my girl and don’t touch my money.
By the end of the night, he’d know why they called me a fixer.
Uncle Vance gave me the greenlight to slaughter Kian like a pig. Josh offered to help with the cleanup job. And Aunt Julia said she’d leave my favourite slice of cake on the kitchen counter for when I got back home. My family was insane, but I loved them.
I also loved the girl sitting behind me, who decided she wanted in on the action.
