The other guys' fists connected my face, the pain radiating across. I buck him off of me, feeling a twinge of warm blood dripping down my face. In return, I land a few punches to his face, before standing up and swinging my leg to his body. He twitches from the impact.
Memphis drags Xander to his feet, the guy limping from exhaustion and lack of stamina. Memphis reaches for his back pocket for his signature brass knuckles landing a left hook, finishing him off with a right uppercut.
Xander’s body swivels around before he falls on the ground next to his friend. For good measure, I fire a round into leg, as he howls out a cry.
Before we could ask questions, we high tail it out. We leave them the same way they approached us, knowing they had a death wish and they messed with the wrong wolves.
We get a few miles down the round and I see a few missed text messages from Charlotte, a couple of them were rambles, early morning thoughts about Cedric and her what if scenarios. Then her last text surprised me.
Charlotte:Please be careful. Would hate to see any body part harmed.
A soft smile appears on my face. She’s showing she cares about me or at least my safety. Something warm spreads through me at the thought of her, and it’s not the blood dripping from my head.
The urge to go see her is strong, but if D.R takes one look at us and we don’t get checked out by him, we won’t hear the end of it.
I message back.
Me:All safe, angel, we’re heading back home.
I know she knows alot about the club and what we do, but limited knowledge right now about the brawl is better than facing her fury.
We dial Rawlings, also hoping that the prospects were closer to the compound than us as we race through the highways.
“Tell me we got the container and there weren’t any screw ups,” he barks out, then whispers, “No Topaz hunny, I don’t need a drink.”
“Container should be on the way,” Memphis responds to him. Then we hear Topaz butt through the call, attempting to reassure Prez.
“Xavier said they were less than 30 miles out, and no chasers,” Topaz answers.She may not be a member but she’s proving to be a great asset to the club.
“You and I are gonna have a conversation later about butting into the business, this ain’t for you,” Rawlings growls out.
“Remind me to remind you why I’m still around therePrez,” she sasses and then her voice is silenced. I don’t know what’s more scary, Rawlings or Topaz reminding us that she’s initially one of us and has done more than her fair share.
“The plan was fine, we just ran into an attempted ambush,” I say.
“Falcons?” Rawlings questions.
“Yes sir,” Memphis acknowledges.
“Where are they now?” Rawlings furthers questioning us.
“On the ground wishing they were buried beneath it,” I answer.
We continue to engage in this territorial warfare, but we keep defending. It may have been a generational thing, but they keep coming back to take back what isn’t theirs. The worst of it includes the connection with the foundation. Why now? We will never know. The shadiness of it all, those in power take from those without it and reign even more terror.
As instructed we got to the compound as the container had already been unloaded, and placed on the ground.
Jackson, Coda, and D.R were surrounding it by the time we arrived. D.R takes one look at us and shakes his head.
“You couldn’t just leave the pretty faces alone,” he jokes as he yanks our chin examining some of the swollenness. I swat his hand away, telling him I’m fine. There’s one person I would rather be touching me. Jackson looks at me, the sly grin on his face.
“You know I went by Teresa's when I had a tumble with a run,” he laughs reliving the memory, “And I think it broke a barrier or part of her wall.” It’s his way of giving me advice on my woman.
“Brother, I’m not stopping by her house with dried up blood to go see her. I’m not that deranged unlike you,” I spit back at him as D.R comes back with his med bag, inching closer to my face with a cotton pad. I jerk back away from him.
“Don’t touch me, man. I said I’m fine,” I growl out.
He smacks my chest, “Either hold still and let me clean it up or you can take this deranged man’s advice and go see Lottie. Christ knows you come back happier than you are now,” He turns his attention to Memphis who’s sitting on the driver side still watching the whole thing unfold.
