I step forward, bracing my arms on the table and leaning in real close to his nasty face. “You ever speak to me like that again, and I’ll cut your tongue out and flush it down the toilet.”
“You need to calm your ass down, Xan, or we’ll have to call the cops.” Davis has the nerve to even speak to me with such a tone. He’s half my size in strength and half my weight in anger. He has no idea who the fuck he’s messing with. He’s been gone from this town too long to know who holds the power here, but he’s about to find out.
“Go right ahead.” I smirk. “I’d love for you to get the cops here. That would make my fucking day. And while you’ve got them on the line, tell the Sheriff that Rogue says hi. I’m sure he’ll be on his way to make sure you’re not causing any trouble for us men.”
I hear Dagger chuckle in the background. It’s a wicked rumble void of humor for the assholes who still think they’re thefucking model of a family. They don’t even know the definition of the wordloyalty.
I look toward the head of that family, ignoring the glare Davis is trying to cut me with. If he wants to take things outside, I’ll gladly finish the job this time.
“Got a call from the fire chief,” I seethe, watching his eyes flare while those cheeks of his turn even redder. Looks like he wasn’t expecting us to find out about his plan. “He had an interesting story to share with us. Said you tried to bribe your way into gettin’ him to do you a favor. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve always been a snake. But this little stunt is going to cost you now. We tried to play nice, but it looks like you’re a dumb shit. Now, you’re going to find out what happens to those who cross us.”
Gasps break through the strained silence of the room while everyone listens with rapt fear. Let this be a lesson to them all. We don’t take kindly to anyone who tries to stab us in the back, even if we share the same DNA.
“You better watch your back, Pops. You’ll be getting what’s owed. And if I were you, I’d be kissing ass from now on.”
I’m not sure when we’ll strike, but I’m going to make him feel every ounce of my hatred. I’ve got thirty-six years of it heading his way.
“Xander.” My mother’s whisper has me dropping my eyes to her. I no longer feel an ounce of warmth for the woman. The day she told me that Davis was better suited for Kara and defended their affair, is the day I lost all respect for the woman who brought me into this world.
“It’s pathetic that you’re still defending these assholes.”
Even when I stormed into her house broken over what I’d witnessed, devastated by the betrayal, she sat there and told me I should have played football if I wanted to keep my wife. Hearingthat shit from my own mother’s mouth almost cut as deep as my brother’s betrayal. She’s no better than the rest of them.
I rise to my full height, shaking my head at the four people who I can’t even stand to look at. When Davis opens his mouth again, spewing more shit—“You aren’t going to get away with this”—I turn my hatred on him.
“It’s not just Dad who’s going to feel my wrath. You will also get what’s owed. Whatever you cherish most in this world, I’m going to take it from you and make you watch me destroy it.”
Kara lets out a nervous squeak at his side, and my eyes cut to the cheating whore, shaking my head.
“It’s not you, bitch. I can tell you that.”
His love for her is as shallow as his evil heart. No. I think it’s his reputation in the medical world that he values most. His job and his wealth. The respect he gets from everyone in his life, thinking he’s an incredible man—that’s what matters most to his callous soul. The only reason he jumped into bed with Kara was because she was mine.
My entire life I’ve had to deal with his jealousy. He didn’t like the fact that I brought pride to our family. Or that I had the size and respect from the football coach. I was loved by everyone at our school for being the football star. But the way I saw it, he was the brains of our family, and I was the brawn. The way Davis viewed it, I was stealing his limelight, getting the accolades and the girls, all of which, he wanted.
“But don’t worry, Kara. You’ll pay too.” Because once I destroy his career, she’ll be the wife of a nobody, with no means to provide for all those fancy things she loves so much. I’m not sure what I ever saw in the woman. Honestly, I feel like he unveiled her true colors and saved me from a life of misery. But I’ll go to my grave with that secret before I ever do the honors of thanking the man.
Another chuckle rumbles from behind me, this one full of amusement. I see what Dagger finds so funny. The bitch looks shocked, like she actually thought I’d never do anything to hurt her. Up until this moment, I think she believed I was still in love with her. Now, I think she’s finally realizing that my hate runs deeper than my love ever did.
I cut each of them one last look before I tip my cheeks up in a smile. “Enjoy your lunch, Zegman family. And don’t forget to order yourself a slice of cherry pie. It’s the best in town.”
I turn and walk straight to the counter, acting as though the last five minutes never happened. Once I have King’s pie and donuts, having left a few hundred in tip for causing a scene in Magda’s diner, we’re out the door.
“Shit, man,” Dagger calls to Bones upon our exit. “You missed one hell of a showdown in there. Fuck. Did you see the looks on their faces?” He turns to me, chuckling. “They all wanted to piss themselves.”
“What the fuck happened?” Bones grunts in that deep timbre that always sounds like he’s pissed about something.
“Just ran into the folks,” I state. “Killed two birds with one stone. Told my dad we’re coming for him and got Rory’s donuts and pie.” I hook the bag to the back of my bike.
“So that was your brother?” Dagger asks, strapping on his helmet.
I cut him a glare. “No. You and the Knights are my brothers. That bastard is the scum who stole my wife and made sure she raked me over the coals in the divorce.”
The courts treated me as if I’d been the one to have the affair. She got the house and most of my savings, along with half of my military retirement. Not sure what the fuck she did to earn any of that, but after I joined with the Savage Knights, King tracked down her divorce attorney, and now I’m the one getting monthly payments, double of what the bitch got. And that house that I’dbought with my hard-earned money was burned to the ground, along with the haunting nightmare of what I’d witnessed within those walls.
“You want me to kill the bastard?” Bones asks as though he’s asking whether I want cream in my coffee.
“Nah.” I shake my head. “That’s too easy. I’m going to rip it all away from him and make Davis feel every ounce of pain.”
