“We’re nothing alike. I did what I had to do to make a better life for myself. You’re running away like a spoiled brat who didn’t get enough toys on his birthday. You want everything handed to you, and when that doesn’t happen, you play the victim. You couldn’t handle a fucking second in my shoes. You’re not a real man, and everyone can see it.”
I was rewarded with a hard backhand, the force of which almost knocked me back to the floor. My head spun, and I couldn’t help the dark laugh that came out of me. The warmth of blood dripping out of my nostrils and down my face fed my manic energy, the rage erupting as I slowly processed Crow’s idiotic ideas.
Somehow, I felt more alive than ever, more determined to get through it and see him pay. Taking my time, using the wall to help me, I slowly stood up. Stepping toward Crow, I gathered all the blood and spit that had filled my mouth, and in a very unlady-like fashion, hocked a loogie at him.
Hitting him square in the eye, I watched with joy as he jumped from the vile mix of bloody snot and saliva dripping down his face. Making sure I had his attention back on me, I delivered my final blow.
“Maybe you’re Reaper’s kid, maybe you’re not. It doesn’t really matter because the one truth that remains is that he madethe right decision,” I hissed at Crow. “He saw you for the petty little boy you really are, and knew that you were too weak, too selfish, to rule this club. You don’t have what it takes to be President. You’re pathetic, and you won’t ever know what it means to be respected.”
The look he gave me was one of disbelief, rage, and pure loathing mixed into one. In an instant, his hands were around my throat, my back up against the wall once again. Grabbing at his hands, I tried to pry his fingers from my neck, refusing to give in to the panic creeping in.
Our gazes locked as I channeled all of my energy into not flinching. I wasn’t going to give Crow the satisfaction of seeing my fear or hearing me beg. A look of anger washed over his face before it was quickly replaced with determination. His hands tightened around my throat just a bit harder, and everything went black.
Chapter 25
Crow
Fuck.
Motherfuck.
How could this mousy bitch wreak so much havoc? How did she dismantle years of work in a few months?As Fiona’s body went limp under my grip, I continued to curse her existence. Everything had gotten out of control.Ifelt out of control. With what semblance of reason I had left, I gently lowered her body to the floor until she was leaning against the wall.
Fucking Trish.She had her handy moments, but I had underestimated how invested in Bash she was. When I took over as manager of the club, I quickly caught on to Trish’s scam, but let her get away with it until she accrued enough money for it to count as grand larceny if I took it to the cops. We had an agreement; Trish deposited the funds into the account belonging to the overseas shell corp we had set up.
From there, I had my own account in Switzerland that I funneled the money into. That way, I had an extra layer of protection, and made sure Trish couldn’t access it. I hadn’t reached the number I originally had in mind, but I had definitely stashed away a good amount of money. It would do the trick, distracting the Reaper’s Guard long enough for me to get set up somewhere new. Where I could be the real me.
Crow. No one ever asked how I got the name. Everyone assumed it was because of my dark hair and comfort with death. The truth was that Reaper had called me that when I was a kid, said I was always distracted by something shiny. The insinuation was clear: I wasn’t good enough. I was greedy and unfocused. The name was a constant reminder of what my so-called father thought of me.
Memories of the day Reaper gave Bash the title of VP floated through my head. The anger at being passed over still burned through me. I had walked into Reaper’s office, where he sat behind his desk, as if expecting me. Slamming the door behind me, I looked at the man I was supposed to call my father.
“Why? What did I do wrong? Why Bash and not me?”
“You’re not ready,” he replied simply. “As VP, or President, you have to put everyone else’s needs before your own. You always have to think about what’s best for the whole, not just the individual. You’re not able to do that yet. The potential is in you, but right now, you’re not there. Until you learn how to put others before yourself, this is where you’ll stay in the club.”
Mom always played the peacemaker between Reaper and me, begging me to understand his role not just as my father, but as the club president. I was always expected to back down, defer to Reaper. How was I supposed to prove myself when I was never given an opportunity to act of my own accord?
I wasn’t ready in his eyes, but the truth was that it was his fault. Their insistence throughout my childhood that I roll over and take whatever Reaper said as gospel resulted in my inability to establish any authority among the Brothers. They set me up for failure.
Pacing, I tried to sort my thoughts. There had to be a way out of it. I could figure it out. I hadn’t gotten that far to get taken down by a nobody who didn’t know when to give up. She had no idea, had no right to pass judgment on me. I needed to hideFiona, get her somewhere she couldn’t reach Bash and wouldn’t be found right away.
Looking around the room, a plan started to form in my mind. I’d had a threesome with Kandi and her friend the night before, but kicked them out as soon as I heard about Ginger. They must have sensed my fury because they both scrambled to get out of there. In their rush to leave, they left part of their costumes behind. A variety of items were strewn across the floor.
After making sure that the little bitch was still passed out, I calmly went back to packing. Once my duffle contained all my important documents, including the bit of cash I kept there and access to the account I made Trish set up. I figured that I had maybe two or three hours to get my shit sorted and out of town before the guys came looking for her, and then after me.
Her hair was straight and stood out too much with its loud color. Grabbing the long blonde wig Kandi had left, I managed to stuff Fiona’s hair under it. I pulled the poofy skirt over her leggings, then wrangled her arms into the sparkly jacket. It was awkward, trying to get the items on her limp form, but I made it work.
With tall boots to top it off, it made for a very different appearance for Fiona. I just needed to get past the cameras for the moment, buy myself some time. It would do the trick. Grabbing my duffle, I dragged Fiona upright and pulled one of her arms across my shoulders. I was glad she was so small because it was easy to maneuver her out of the room.
Keeping her face turned toward my chest, obscured by the blonde wig, I made sure it would appear as if I was helping a drunk girl out of the clubhouse on any cameras. I knew Keys was monitoring everything, but I was hoping his focus was on the guys who went out in search of Trish.
When I made it to the back of the clubhouse without anyone looking at us twice, I took the first deep breath since Gingerwas brought in that morning. Once I had started taking money from the club, I had done my best to shield myself. I knew I had covered my ass. Ginger had no idea that I was involved.
However, there was a chance Ginger knew where Trish was. I hadn’t yet been able to find her.What if Ginger knows something I don’t? How much time will that leave me with to get my shit together? I tried to plan for any way she could derail my plans. As soon as we started questioning her, though, it was clear she had no concrete address for Trish.
There was still a chance we could find her, but at least I had a bit of breathing room. I didn’t have any time to waste, though. I had to get out while I still could. From the back of the clubhouse, I dragged Fiona into the attached garage, grateful to find it empty. I placed her on the ground, leaning her against the doorway, just out of view of cameras or anyone walking by.
From there, grabbing a broom, I made my way around the garage. Knowing where all the cameras were, I stayed out of focus as I used the handle of the broom to nudge the cameras, adjusting their angles so they couldn’t get a clear shot of my car or the doors that led downstairs. It wasn’t the best fix, but it would do for the moment, I only had so much time before Keys noticed. Going back for Fiona, I took in the space. There were three entry points to the garage; the bay door for a car to enter or exit, then there was the door I had just come through that led to the main floor of the clubhouse.
