“You hurt her, you die,” I said calmly. Little did he know that I was going to kill him anyway, for hurting her in the first place.
“Boys, boys, we can settle this amicably,” Razuuk chimed in. “Lay down your guns and let’s go talk about this.”
“Prez?” Solomon said cautiously.
“She’s my daughter. I get to choose who has her.”
“You gave her to me!” Solomon yelled, furious that his prize was being taken away. “I found out who took her and put them to ground like you said. She’s mine now!”
Razuuk’s smile finally fell. He gripped Penny by the scruff of her neck. “This bitch is yours? That what you think? No, son, this bitch is mine. I own her, and you. Now lower your fucking gun and let’s go have a drink inside while we discuss this.” He looked between me and Solomon, neither of us willing to lower our guns. He pulled out his own gun and pressed it against Penny’s forehead, and my aim automatically moved to him. He laughed darkly. “Shall we take this meeting inside then?” he asked before turning and dragging Penny away.
I had no choice but to follow and I hesitantly lowered my weapon, knowing that at any minute I could be gunned down. Penny looked back over her shoulder, her eyes meeting mine, and I knew it was worth the risk. She was worth the risk.
I lowered my gun, slipping it into the back of my jeans as I stared at Solomon, waiting for him to put his gun away or shoot me.
“You got one minute, boys,” Razuuk called to us, and the knot in my chest loosened as Solomon finally put his gun away.
I started to walk, strutting past Solomon, who fell into step beside me.
“You’re dead, Highwayman,” he snarled. “And when you’re dead, Penny and I are going to fuck on top of your corpse. It’ll be our own personalménage á trois.” He stormed past me and headed through the door into the clubhouse, leaving his words to swirl round my head.
Inside, the clubhouse was half full of Vipers and Viper women. Razuuk was sitting down on a sofa in the middle of the room, Penny next to him looking fierce as fuck. By the way she was throwing those angry glares around, I had a feeling she wasn’t happy with us all fighting over her and ordering her around. Made my chest fill with pride that she hadn’t lost that fight. Despite her bruised face from her old man and the fact that her dad—the man who was supposed to protect her—was bargaining her off like cattle, she was still full of fight.
We were like two pebbles from the same beach.
“Sit,” Razuuk barked at me and Solomon, sliding a couple of whiskies over to us. “Now.” He glared at Solomon.
We complied and I picked up my whiskey and drank it, slamming my glass back down. “I want her,” I said, pointing at Penny. “It ain’t up for discussion. I’ve claimed her.”
“Like fuc—” Solomon started.
I turned in my seat, interrupting him. “And I want him in the ground for laying hands on my woman.”
Razuuk laughed loudly, clapping his hands together. “Looks like we’ve got a regular old stalemate then, huh?”
“Just give me the word, Prez,” Solomon growled. “I’ll make this pretty boy pay.”
“Do you know who the fuck you’re talking to?” I asked, lifting my chin.
“He’s right, Sol, you should be wary of Fighter here. From what I’ve heard over the years about him he’s even more messed up than you are. Makes the things you’ve done seem like childs play.” Razuuk smirked.
I looked over at Penny. “Go get your stuff, we’re heading out.”
“Can’t let that happen, Fighter, you know that,” Razuuk said. “I’m going to need some form of compensation, and Solomon here, he’s going to need something for the humiliation.”
“How about 50k and I let your boy Solomon live?” I replied.
“Make it 70k and Solomon gets his blood,” Razuuk countered.
I scowled at Razuuk before looking over at Penny. Her lip was busted open and her left cheek was discolored with dark bruises. Neither of us were getting out of there without blood being spilled. I thought back to everything she had told me—to her childhood, to what little she knew of her mother, to the guy she’d almost fucked before coming to me for help. Razuuk had a trademark, and it was that that he wanted to spread word of. The money was nothing to him; it was the respect he wanted. And Solomon? He could go fuck himself.
I stood up, watching the other men in the clubhouse tense at my sudden movement. Every one of them was ready to gun me down if Razuuk gave the nod. But he wanted word spread. He wanted other clubs to know his strength, his power. How far his reach was. He wanted his mark on a Highwayman as warning to us all.
“How about 40k and you get my blood?” I replied.
Razuuk let a slow smile creep up his face as he stood up and faced me off, toe to toe, his gaze going over my face. He nodded his head slowly and I was grabbed from behind. I started to fight, but then realized he was agreeing to my demand.
“On his knees.” Razuuk stared down at me with a grin as I was shoved down, my knees slamming into the ground and I grunted in pain. “Hold him still.”
