“Discord’s not wrong.” I glance at the midday sun blazing in the cloudless sky as I wipe the sweat off my brow. “It’s like ninety degrees. It’s Saturday, and Main Street is pumping. Care to explain how we’re going to transport a dead body off the premises without inciting a riot?”
Discord backs away, his upper lip curled in a snarl. “No way am I dealing with the sheriff over this.”
“Fuck Warren,” Havoc growls. “Why do you think Alan called Crow and not the law? He doesn’t want Tate’s closed for the weekend any more than we want anyone to know onyx killed someone in Mayhem.”
Good point, and I see where this is going. My stomach heaves at the task ahead of us. “Cancel your plans, Discord, because we’re going to be here a while.”
I already have my phone palmed, with my fingers moving over the keyboard to text Faith.
Me: Going 2 b a long day. Tell u about it later
Discord’s groan is loud enough to wake poor Jordy. “But I cut one up last week.”
My phone pings as Havoc chastises his brother for being, well, typical creepy Discord.
Faith: Same. Be careful. Xoxo
It’s the little kisses and hugs that level me. I shove my phone back in my pocket and interrupt my friends’ sibling… whatever it is they’re doing. “Children, let’s get Jordy dismembered and into neat plastic bags. So we can dissolve him and pulverize the bones. Thanks. Some of us have a woman waiting for us at home, unlike you, Havoc, who has a hand. Or you, Discord, who has… I don’t even want to know.”
“Hey now, I have women.” Discord’s expression is oddly maniacal set against his deceivingly boyish face. I feel sorry for those women. “They’ll wait.”
“Discord,” Havoc snaps. “Go inside and make sure Alan knows we’re going to be out here a while. I don’t give a rat’s ass what he tells his staff. Just make sure everyone knows not to come back here.”
All business now, Discord nods. “I’m on it, big bro.”
After he disappears inside the tavern, I blow out a loud sigh. “This is going to get disgusting.”
Havoc pinches the bridge of his nose. “No shit.”
“We’ve suffered through worse,” I remark with a forced laugh, because seriously, of all the things we do as Unholy, this is literally the absolute worst.
He scrubs a hand over his already sweaty face. “I’m about ready to kill every motherfucker in Brighton.”
“Even Faith’s friend, Kerri?”
His dark eyes narrow on me. “Shut the fuck up.”
I throw my hands up. “Dude, I’m just saying.”
“How about, for once, you don’t say a goddamn word.”
“Fine.” I surrender. For now. But I’m going to pick at that wound until I make it bleed because it’s fun when Havoc squirms. It doesn’t happen often. “But for real.” I point at Jordy. “I’d say this is the boiling point.”
“Crow is at a whole other level of fury.”
I stab a hand through my hair and glance out over the small yard with its dumpster and dilapidated patio table surrounded by four filthy green lawn chairs. What a shitty place to die. What a shittywayto die. Not that Jordy didn’t choose his death. He sure as hell did. It was only a matter of time before the poison he injected into himself caught up to him. Same as the rest of us. One day, we’ll all get bitten in the ass by our choices.
Question that keeps me up at night is how sharp the teeth will be and how deep the bite.
“Do you blame the man, Havoc?” I glance at Jordy, then focus on my tormented friend. “He’s losing control over this town.”
Havoc clenches his jaw. His eyes are dangerously dark, and I swear it’s like he’s staring straight into the devil’s soul. “I’ll fucking burn Mayhem to the ground before I let it go to shit.”
“So you’ve said. Often.” I’m quiet for a second as I stare down at Jordy, and I see a terrible future if we don’t get a handle on this. “Just so you know, I concur.”
I’m sure some of the Unholy would disagree with taking such a drastic measure, but Havoc, Discord, Wraith, Malice, and me? We’d rather watch this town get reduced to ash than see it turn into another Hawley. That’s Berserker territory, and it’s saturated in drugs, and its people live in fear of the gang who rule it. So, yep, I’ll light the fire myself and let Mayhem burn rather than allow it to become another casualty of the aftereffects of war.
Havoc slaps his thighs as he blows out a long, resigned breath. “I’ll get the tools out of my truck.”
