“You guessed correctly,” Harry spoke up from somewhere.
“Interesting.”
“What do you want, Cortez?” I glared at him as my fingers pumped back and forth into the center of my palms.
Turning his mouth down, he rocked his head from sideto side, taking his time to answer or even look like he really gave a shit about any of this. “I dunno, Tucker. I dunno. It’s been such a long time. Where do we start? You being on the inside, no visitation, no one knowing whether or not you were still alive or still spitting blood over what happened. Our guy still behind bars while you’re out now, walking free… Doesn’t seem right after everything that went down, you know what I’m saying?” Chester’s eyes dropped all their humor as his face snapped into the same expression as mine and his anger rolled off him like fucking fire.
“I paid my dues.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, I paid my dues,” I repeated.
“To who? Not to me. I’m still a man down,” he snapped.
“So am I,” I hit back much more calmly than I felt inside, my foot automatically taking a step forward, about ready to go for him. My mind was suddenly becoming a blur. All I could see was red and all I could hear was Pete’s voice as he struggled to hold onto those last few breaths he took in his dying seconds. “So am I.”
Jedd’s hand reached up to my shoulder and gripped it tight as all hell. He was using all the muscle he had to keep me in place and it wasn’t long before Slater had done the same on the other side and both my brothers had me in their grip. “Not today, Drew,” Slater whispered. “Not like this.”
Chester took a step closer, lifting one foot to rest on the bottom step as he threw his arms over his knee and leaned forward. “Not like this, baby Drew.” His smile broke free again and all I could think about doing was ripping his damn head from his shoulders. “But soon, yes? We’ll be in touch soon.”
“Get. Out,” I snarled.
He threw his head back with laughter, straightening up almost instantly to turn back around to look at his men. “I think our invitation has officially been revoked.” Cortez rolled his eyes, shook his head and started to take a few steps away from us. “Okay, Mr. Tucker. We won’t ruin release week for you, but we’ll be in touch, as always.”
I couldn’t remember ever feeling as much rage as I felt in that moment. Not since the night that changed all our lives, all that time ago. It started in the soles of my feet and I swear, I could feel those fucking flames licking up my legs, back, neck and into my eyeballs. Every time I blinked, I saw a flash of Pete before he disappeared and The Emperors came back into sight. Their patch. Pete. Rafael Ramirez. Pete. Their patch. Pete. Chester Cortez. Pete. Ramirez. Pete. Ramirez. Pete. That final moment. Ramirez's fist. Pete's face.
Pete.
His body in my arms…
Blood.
Jedd and Slater gripped me tighter, their hands struggling to stop the trembling of my body that was now causing my shoulders to shake like crazy.
I couldn’t look away from Chester as he got back on his bike, pushed his glasses onto his face and shouted over to me, “Stay safe, Hounds of Babylon. We wouldn’t want any accidents happening while you were out on your own now, would we? Or to your, what is she now? Housemaid?”
My frown sank deeper into my face as I tried to figure out what the fuck he was talking about. It was only when he glanced to the side of me and his brows popped up over his glasses that I found myself turning over my shoulder to seewhat he was looking at.
Ayda was standing in the doorway, her face as white as a ghost and her eyes wide with either surprise or fear, I had no damn idea. But I knew I couldn’t look away from her as the reality of his threat began to sink in.
The anger I thought I felt at the MC before was nothing compared to what was going on in my body now, and I had no control over myself as I shrugged both Jedd and Slater off of me, yanked my arms away and started to bounce down those steps with only murder in mind.
Cries of my name filled the air, along with a few other chants telling me to stop, but before I could get anywhere close to a single one of The Emperors’ men, Cortez held his hand up with a laugh and they all sped away. It didn’t matter that I knew they were gone. I still charged towards the gates of the yard as though I had a hope in hell of catching up.
Only I didn’t stand a chance, and as I stood there panting for breath, my body still shaking with fury while they turned to dust in the distance, I felt the old me resurrect from deep down inside. I felt that old determination for revenge kick in. I felt out of control all over again.
Turning back around on my heels, I kicked the earth with my foot and threw my right fist through the air to try and release some of the anger that was already threatening to bring me to my knees, or worse, send me back inside.
“FUCK!” I yelled out to every single man in front of me, my neck strained and all my veins struggling to contain the fury in my blood. “Fuck.”
I moved forward without any thought for anyone else. My eyes were on the ground as I charged back through the yard, ignoring all the noises my family made around me, allthe words of wisdom and advice, all the offerings of help. All I could think about was one thing.
I needed a fucking drink.
And I needed it quick.
Before I did something we’d all regret.
