Cantrell looks at his son, then back to Nero. Whatever he sees on my President’s face makes his shoulders drop. “I don’t want to fuck up the deal.”
“Then deal with that,” he points at his son. “I don’t want to see his face in my city.”
“You can’t…” He trails off.
He is standing in a dark room with four of the most dangerous men in the city and he knows trying anything with us is only going to end with him getting hurt, shunned or worse, losing money.
“I’ll send him to California tomorrow, to work with my brother.”
“Do it tonight,” Nero says. “Take him out the back.”
Cantrell makes a call and two men come in to help carry the fucker out of the room. When it’s done, he focuses on Nero again.
“Things can go ahead as discussed?”
“If you hold up your end,” Nero tells him and Cantrell leaves without another word. “Fucking hell.”
“You know I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t necessary.”
“I’m not pissed at you,” Nero says. “I’m sick and tired of filth like that wandering this city. If I could have got away with it, he’d be at the farm.”
Beast glances at me and Fury grins. Shame we can’t.
“Someone check on the girl, make sure she gets home okay.”
“I’ll do it,” I say before Beast can. All eyes turn to me. “What?”
“You’re getting close to her.”
“I’m looking out for her. And she is probably shaken the fuck up so I’m gonna go do it now.”
Before Beast says anything else, Nero tells me to go sort it out. I’m assuming he just wants to get back to the club but knowing Nero, he’s seen right through me and I’ll be hearing from him.
Charley is in the dressing room, fully clothed and promising everyone in there that she is okay. Her eyes meet mine when I open the door and she glances at my fist, which is swollen and will bruise after how hard I hit that dickhead in the face.
“Come on,” I say to her. Ellie watches her walk to me but I don’t spare anyone a glance, just hold the door for Charley. “You have the keys to the beamer?” She hands them to me. My bike will be fine here overnight.
“What’s going to happen to him?” she asks as we drive out of the gate. “Has it wrecked everything?”
“No, don’t worry about that. Nero knows what he is doing. And forget about that asshole, he’s leaving the city tonight.”
“You have that kind of power?” she asks.
“Yeah.” There is no point in lying. “Are you okay?”
“He didn’t touch me.”
“That’s not the point, he cornered you and threatened you.”
“It was bad, but I had my shoes.”
“Your shoes,” I look over at her.
She takes one out of her bag and shows me. “One of those to the eyeball and he’s out of commission.”
“Jesus Charley,” I laugh. “And here I was thinking I’d upset you my smashing his face into the floor.”
“He deserved it.”
