Page 108 of Sling’s Awakening

“You in the area?”

I can hear Widower breathing through the phone as he says nothing. “I might be.”

So he is.

“You still open this late?”

“What time?”

“Give me about two hours.”

The line disconnects.

I pull my phone away from my ear and stare at my home screen. I can’t help but snicker. He’s such a friendly guy.

Tucking my phone into my back pocket, I head inside. All my brothers are sitting around the bar, waiting for the go-ahead.

“Let’s roll.” I snap my fingers as I prowl through the clubhouse and out the back door, heading straight toward the shed with my brothers in tow.

I bang my fist on the door of the shed three times, letting the prospects know it’s me. The door opens after the third bang, revealing Barbie’s face. He moves to the side, letting me enter. Mountain, Professor, and Scar follow me inside while Vamp, X, Val, Botch, and Bomber wait outside.

Russ is tied to a chair in the middle of the shed. Rope is wrapped around his stomach and each of his legs, holding him in place. His hands are bound behind his back, and his mouth is duct-taped shut.

Beads of sweat are dripping down his forehead and into his swollen eyes as his frantic breathing can be heard throughout the shed.

Looks like Mountain already had some fun.

I turn toward him, giving him a knowing smirk.

Mountain shrugs. “I needed him to be a little more agreeable.”

I snicker. Right.

I grab an extra chair from the corner and pull it up in front of him and sit down. My legs are spread as I lean forward, looking Russ dead in the eyes. “Didn’t think you’d see me again like this, did ya?”

Russ’s nostrils flare as he mumbles against the tape.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m sure you didn’t. You probably wouldn’t be here right now if you would have listened to me and got some sleep. I bet you wouldn’t have set up my girl if you thought things through.”

Russ’s eyes frantically dart around the room, looking at my brothers behind me.

“Look at me,” I demand, my tone hard.

His eyes fly back to mine.

“Did you not know Blake is mine?” I ask, demanding to know.

Russ stays silent as he hyperventilates, the sweat coming down his face in streams as his body shakes.

“Answer me!” I yell, making him jump.

He frantically shakes his head as he mumbles against the tape. My hand darts out, grabbing the corner of the tape and ripping it off his mouth in one quick swoop.

I turn my head toward him and raise my brow. “What was that?”

“I—I didn’t know she was yours,” Russ stammers, his voice shaky. “I swear I didn’t.”

“Well, you should have, considering you think you know everything about the club,” I growl.