“Let me go.” He screams above the din of people milling around, helpless as to what to do as the flames eat up the dry wood.
“It’s too late.” Angel says soothing trying to soothe him, still holding him tight so he won’t charge into the flames.
“Let me go, motherfucker.” He bucks and swings. Catching him on the side of his face. Angel takes it all, never flinching. “She’s gone.” He says just as another side of the building collapses in burning timber and ash.
“No,” he sounds so broken.
A bloodcurdling scream has us jerking around. Two figures obscured by black smoke are at the barn window.
We scramble up, racing to that side. Nikki thrusts Joi out the window and then hurls herself out just as the back part of the barn collapses much like the first.
Mimi pushes through just as the ambulance arrives. Still, we all watch helplessly as two of our own are carted away.
I feel the soft brush of her against me. Realizing then that she saw it all. Looking down into the hollowness of her gaze as she watches the ambulance speed away, I can’t help but worry how this will manifest later in her dreams.
chapter twenty
THE CRUCIBLE
SABAN
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be here? I’m pretty sure people still are mad at me,” Asking Padre as I fill the line of the tattoo I’m working on.
“Even if they ain’t — they are.” Giving the room a once over he looks around the room at large. Coming back to rest his gaze on me, he studies me for a long moment. “How’ve you been holding up since all that went down with Nikki?”
“I’m fine. Everyone is worried about Joi in the town. It’s wild that she’d been going through all that and taking heat when she was being preyed upon by Natalie.” Leaning in, I take my time making sure the art is right.
“Yeah, so many things aren’t always what they seem.” He seems to ponder that thought deep letting it drop between us like a fallen oak.
“Why did you call me all the way out here when I could’ve just done this at the shop? Are you hiding?” Quirking a brow, I don’t add from whom. In the weeks since I saw them together in the field we were planting, I could tell something was up between Crimson and him.
“Nah, I just can’t be two places at once, and everyone else is tide up.” He doesn’t supply with what and I don’t ask. El Diablo business isn’t for me to know anymore. Nor are the where abouts of Snake, it seems. He’s been a wraith in my life since everything went down with Nikki almost dying.
The distance between us may as well be the Grand Canyon. He’s colder and more aloof than ever before. Grim and surly seem to embody his entire being.
That night after the incident, he sent me home with el Diablo riders guarding me and took over the security for Nikki at Angel’s and Mathias’s behest. Natalie’s accident happened soon after the revelation from Nikki came that she was the one behind all the sabotage in the campaign.
Folks around here are being respectful of her parents, saying ‘accident,’ but the way her car decimated that tree, it was clear she did it on purpose.
“It’s been wild times in Shelby-Love for real.” I murmur, rising. “I’ll be back in a sec. Let me go refresh the antibacterial soap.” Moving past him, I walk through the MC, catching a few nods on the way. As I pass the bar, where I would normally get the soap, I notice the stony expression of Ellie and keep it moving. She’s not reached out to me since I’ve been back, and every time I mention her to Snake, he shuts the conversation down.
She’s angry with me. After learning the truth, I can’t really blame her. Hadrián is her brother, for whom she’s sacrificed so much. To have me almost ruin the life he fought so hard for over a misunderstanding I could have — no, should have come to either Angel or him about has to be galling. I’d want to kick my ass too. That ain’t never happening though.
Guilty as I may feel about what happened between Easy and Angel, with him having to miss out on the experience of being a father and witnessing her pregnancy journey, calling the Fedswhen I saw those kids and young women was an easy decision. I only wish I’d stayed to confront them, like Kandie did. Then Easy would’ve had Angel by her side the whole time. I could tell she missed him every day. Oz and I feared she would have the strength and will to deliver, but my girl was far stronger than either of us. She’s forgiven me for my part. Knowing I need to square things with Angel sits heavily on my heart. Hadrián and I are a work in progress, and whatever we need to deal with is for us — not his big sister.
I’m back with my bowl of antibacterial soap and a towel floating in a bowl when I’m almost knocked clean off my feet.
“What the —” the words spill from me just like the hard jostle knocking the soap and towel to the floor as hot water sloshes onto the floor and my clothes.
Turn I meet the hard gaze of Ellie. My shirt is clinging to me, the heat of the water fast cooling. The water is all over the floor at my feet. “Real childish.” Pulling the empty bowl closer, a screw her a look.
“Yeah, like that bullshit you pulled on my brother. He took care of your ungrateful ass for years. Clothed, fed, protected you. Killed anyone who dared even look at you. How did you repay him? Called them folks on him. Lie and tell everyone he was some kind of puto trafficker.” Voice raising with every word she hurls at me, Ellie leans in, the tall, lithe frame vibrating with rage. I cast a dismissive glance at her fist curling into tight balls at her side.
Around me, I hear the hisses and murmurs of agreement. I’m not surprised, though no one said anything when I arrived. All they need is a little encouragement. She’s giving them that with her outburst.
“If you want to have it out with me, fine. Snake has already exacted his punishment and that archaic ass Reckoning, whichyou were here to witness. What more is required for you, Ellie?” Keeping my tone bored infuriates her more.
A nasty smirk pulls at the corner of her mouth. “You’re pathetic, you know that?”
