Hangman looks like he’s about to turn me into dog meat. But then his face goes slack. “Why the fuck would I do something like that?”
I rub the back of my neck. None of the brothers get too worked up over what Hangman says or does even though sometimes he comes perilously close to the line separating brotherhood and murderous intent. Even so, I’m not gonna back down. “Because sometimes you don’t give a shit about who you use to get what you want.”
“Keep talkin’, fucker.”
“You almost got Red’s girl and sister killed last year because you wanted those feds so bad you didn’t care who you used.” As far as I know, it’s why Red left the Jury. Hangman used Stella and unintentionally, Sorcha, as bait.
He sits back in his chair, his face blank, but his eyes full of regret. “Everybody fucks up.”
That’s as close as Hangman will ever get to admitting he misjudged a situation. “That was a pretty big fuck up.”
“You don’t fuckin’ know the full story.”
Which is also true. I had a sense that there was something more because Red beat the shit out of Hangman before Hangman threw Stella under the bus. Of course, it might have had to do with the fact that Red’s mom was shot and killed while she was with Hangman, but it seemed like it was more than that. “Yeah. Don’t matter though. Something happened. Made me think it could happen again.”
He leans on his desk and rubs his mouth. A minute passes, then two.
I push myself off the wall to leave, but then he says, “I did a lot for you, fucker. And I didn’t ask for anything. I did it because it needed doing.”
I can’t deny that he got me through the worst time of my life and stuck around when it was over. It gives us a special bond that he doesn’t have with anyone else in the club. Not even Joker.
My mouth dries up at the look of betrayal on his face. “Yeah, you did and I owe you my life. At the same time, the past don’t factor into the present. Maybe I misjudged, maybe I didn’t. You tell me.”
The seconds hang between us, then he nods. “Yeah. Okay. I’m gonna tell you. But only because I trust you to keep your mouth shut. I asked Kozlov to track down Marissa. He’s got better connections across the country than I do. Into Canada and Mexico too.”
“Your sister?” I knew he had an older sister. That’s no secret. But as far as I know Hangman hasn’t spoken to her in years. I wanna ask why he wants to connect with her now, but it’s none of my business.
“Did he find her?”
“None of your fuckin’ business.”
“And what did he want in return?”
“Also, none of your fuckin’ business. But it wasn’t what you were thinkin’, you paranoid bastard.”
I nod. Inside though, I feel a sense of dread. The prez owes Kozlov a favor but he ain’t talkin’ about it and clearly, he hasn’t shared with Joker or the VP wouldn’t have gone with us without Hangman knowing about it.
“Now fuck off.”
I pass Joker on my way to the clubroom. We acknowledge each other, all animosity gone. He doesn’t hold grudges, which is good because someone has to keep Hangman under control.
Selkie is sitting on a barstool, a coffee cup in front of her, talking with X, Haley, and Verity. I don’t wanna approach, not because of her, but because I don’t want to engage. The day isn’t nearly over and I’m tired. I can usually handle stress proactively, but I’m wound up tight. It’s been a while since I fucked a woman, and when I look at Selkie, it’s all I wanna do.
Haley spies me and tilts her head my way. All eyes turn towards me. Selkie must see something in my face because she immediately hops off the stool. “Thanks for the coffee and convo,” she says over her shoulder as she approaches. She grabs my arm possessively. “Ready to go?”
Her touch raises the hair on my arms and her body warmth as she leans into me, makes my balls tighten. “Yeah,” I say flatly.
When we’re outside, she says, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I say again as I open the passenger door to my truck and motion towards her.
She hops in. “Where?”
“My house. We gotta sort out how we’re gonna get our kids back to school.”
“You got beer there?”
“Yeah.”
