“Do you think he’s done this before?” Apache asked.
“No. Definitely not. When he went after Drake last time, Judas made a foolish mistake and used everything he had to attack. That allowed me to slap him back hard. Judas won’t leave his bed for a few days because of the headache I gave him. Instead, he’ll be stewing that a mere female opposed his wishes. He won’t believe I’m stronger because I’m female. Judas’ll come for Drake again, and then we’ll spring the trap.”
“He’s overconfident and arrogant. A bad mix. He’ll fall; it’s just a matter of when,” Stitch added.
“Can he harm Drake?” Ace asked.
“No. Not while we’re here. There’s no doubt he’ll attack. Judas wants Drake to suffer,” I replied.
“Then we best be on guard,” Apache said slowly.
While I appreciated the sentiment, there was nothing they could do to help. This was for me and my sisters to resolve. We’d be doing the heavy lifting, and that was that.
Drake
“Yeah, make it a mandatory one. Old ladies and Hellions,” I ordered down the phone. Ace grunted, and I guess that was his reply before he cut the line. Four days had trickled past, and I was aware the Royal Harlots had their own businesses to run. We’d expected an attack yesterday, but nothing had happened. Belladonna sensed we were being watched; Judas was probably trying to figure us out. So, I’d decided to give the asshole a nudge. We were having a get-together at the clubhouse, a family party. Let Judas see us having a blowout.
If I guessed right, and my gut told me I had, it would piss him off. Judas would react and make a mistake, and then we’d nail his ass to the ground. It went against the grain to let someone fight my battles for me. But this I couldn’t win; how the hell did somebody as normal as me battle an invisible guy? That was a joke in itself, me… normal. Not likely.
I gazed out of my study window at the four Royal Harlots. Phoe had insisted they stay with us, which had made me uncomfortable. I didn’t know them well, and this was my home. But I understood how she felt. Thanks to their efforts, I was alive. Stitch had explained that Judas had tried to fry my brain. Motherfucker. Who was he? Who had he lost in the war? Was it someone on our side of a Venomous Fang? Maybe one who’d been forced to fight or lose his family. It transpired there’d been a lot of those.
It turned my stomach when Phoe and the others described how I’d been acting. A lot of it was foggy in my mind. Judas had twisted and shrouded everything, and I’d been his obedient little lapdog. Fury raced through me. My wife and children had been forced to watch me decline and had felt helpless and useless. They’d not been able to reach me and hadn’t known why. Judas had attacked them as well as me.
Let him come for me; now that I was aware of him. Judas wouldn’t take me so easily this time.
I got to my feet and paced to the window. Waiting around was killing me. I was an action kind of guy. Kicking my heels and waiting for an attack wasn’t something I did. Even while waiting for Fury, plans had been in constant motion. This—idleness—was a killer. That was why I was forcing Judas’s hand. Let him come for me. If he thought I was enjoying life, it would tip Judas over the edge, which was what I wanted.
I was the President of Rage MC. I’d survived a lot of things, but I was unsure if I’d survive this. Still, I’d end it one way or another.
Stitch
“Those kids are fuckin lunatics,” I hissed as we watched Eddie take Dante down and tie him up. She buried him under a pile of snow, stuck a straw in his mouth to breathe, and walked away.Holy crap. These children were lethal.
“Yeah. Makes me feel all warm and tingly.” Poker grinned.
“Should we rescue the kid?” Belladonna asked, and Nun shook her head.
“I get the feeling if we get involved, we’ll be on the receiving end.”
“Dante might freeze,” I argued.
“It’s okay, we’ve got you, you can heal him,” Nun retorted.
“Dante!” Phoe shrieked. “You little shit!”
“Oh, maybe we ought to leave him there, Phoe sounds murderous,” Belladonna said.
Phoe stormed out, and we gaped. Her skin was glowing an orangey colour, like a cheese puff. Holy crap! She wore a scowl that promised murder.
“Have you seen Dante?” she hissed.
“What happened?” I asked, deciding to learn the facts first, although Poker was having a hard time not laughing.
“The little bastard swapped Eddie’s shower gel out for fake tan, and I borrowed it! Look at me!”
“Wow,” Belladonna muttered.
“I’m going to kick his damn ass,” Phoe threatened. The pile of snow that had been moving suddenly stilled.
