Chapter 60
King
“What the hell happened to you?” Gray asks, staring at the healing mouth–sized hickeys I left on Niko’s neck the other night.
Niko’s face reddens, and he rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, had a wild night with some chick I met at a bar,” he lies smoothly, his eyes flickering to
the.
My lips twitch at how easily he covers our tracks, how we keep this tangled web of ours tightly wound. These are the secrets that we protect, not only for our own safety, but Alyssa’s as well. Shit is getting more intense between us every day, and we don’t need Gray finding out and fucking everything up.
ice cream, but after watching Alyssa wrap her naughty tongue
Earlier, we all went to the park again and got ice cream after. I’m not even a fan of ice cr around the spoon over and over again, I couldn’t resist sharing with her.
Once we got back, Gray dropped the news that Bones finally agreed to meet with us. There was no hiding the tension that immediately filled the air. The Iron Serpents are unpredictable motherfuckers, and there’s a chance they could cause trouble tonight.
“Is it just me or have we had one too many enemies lately? Niko mutters, loading a magazine into his gun
“That’s because we’ve been too fucking lenient,” I snarl, double–checking my own weapon. Bones isn’t someone we can afford to take lightly. He’ll kill us all without hesitation, and I’ll be damned if I die before I set my girls free from Isaac and put my own ring on Alyssa’s finger.
Gray scoffs. Just because I don’t let you go around blowing up every damn clubhouse doesn’t mean we’ve lenient.” His voice is calm, but there’s an edge I don’t miss. He’s nervous about this too.
“Bet if you
did, we wouldn’t have these problems. I mutter under my breath.
But the talking stops the moment Bones strides into the clubhouse with two of his men, their guns visible on their hips. It almost feels as if there’s a goddamn chill in the air. The hair raises on the back of my neck, my senses on high alert.
Bones is tall and built, his sharp features and hollow cheeks gave him a predators appearance, like a wolf that’s been starved too long. His hair is slicked back, with just a hint of gray at the temples. He’s wearing a leather jacket with the Iron Serpents patch, black and gray tattoos pecking our from his collar and sleeves. His grey eyes sweep the room, assessing, measuring, calculating–like he’s trying to figure out the quickest way to wipe us out if necessary
“Ah, President Gray, It’s nice to finally meet you in person,” he says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. His voice is smooth, too calm to be in his enemy’s territory where we could gun him down at any moment. He’s a cocky fucker.
“You could’ve done that a long t
g time ago insirad of sending your spies onto my fucking property, Gray retorts, his voice dripping with ice.
“My apologies, Bones says with a lazy shrug. “But as a president yourself, you must understand the importance of checking out before making, house calls”
your neighbors
“I wouldn’t send my men into a neighbor’s territory knowing they’d get killed Gray shoots back, not bothering to hide i
e his disdain…
Bones raises an eyebrow, “Oh, Colin‘ He was a prospect that wasn’t going to make the cut anyway. Too much of a pussy. I figured you’d be doing me a favor.
A slow burn of anger spreads through me. Gray can be an asshole at times, but he’d never purposely send his own prospect to his death without batting an eye. That is some fucked up shit right there.
Bones eyes drift to me, his smile stretching wider. “King Sterling, I’ve heard a lot about you. The most feared man in Oregon. Fin truly envious of your reputation.”
I grunt, barely holding back the urge to rip him apart. The way he looks at me, like he knows me, rubs me the wrong way. I deal with people like him every day–men who think they’re untouchable, that they can control everything and everyone around them. But I’m not someone you can control. I do whatever the fuck I want, when I want–unless, of course, I see that my actions will hurt the people I care about.
Gray’s voice slices through the tension as Bones and I have a stare off. “What do you want?”
Bones leans back in his chair, that smug smirk never leaving his face. “Me? You’re the one who asked for this meeting
“Your spy said you were after our client list. Why?”
Bones shrugs nonchalantly. “Like I said, it’s important to get to know my neighbors. I believe Moonshadow Creek can be big enough for both of our clubs to thrive.”
Chapter 601
Bullshit. There’s no doubt in my mind that his goal is to get rid of us. They’re called the Iron Serpents for a reason. They’re just a bunch of goddamn snakes slithering around in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
But the saying, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, does ring true. If there’s a way to play nice with these motherfuckers for now, we should consider it
“I agree,” Gray responds, his tone hardening. “But I also believe that you should stay on your side, and we’ll stay on ours. It’ll keep the tension between our two clubs down”
“Oh, so you want a treaty! Bones asks, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Gray doesn’t answer, just watches with that cold, calculating stare of his
“I’ll consider it.” Bones tilts his head, his voice dropping an octave. “But first, I do have a favor to ask. My lawyer’s gone missing. Vanished, really. Just when I need him for something..pressing
Gray raises a brow. “And what the fuck do we have to do with your lawyer?”
Bones doesn’t answer directly. Instead, he pulls out a photo and slides it across the table. “His pretty line wife…I believe you know her.
My heart fucking stops beating.
Alyssa
The tension grows in the room, Gray stiffens beside me, his jaw clenching, but he doesn’t say a word. Niko tenses, his hand inching towards his gun. The instinct to protect her surges in both of us, but we hold back–for now.
A glimmer of malicious delight reflects in Bones’s eyes. “It’s funny, isn’t it? She looks just like you. And her last name used to be Bennett, right? As in Jax Bennett’s little girl”
“What the fuck do you want with her?” Niko growls, barely containing the rage radiating off him.
My vision blurs with red. If that piece of shit even thinks about laying a hand on my kitten, I’ll burn his entire goddamn clubhouse down. With him and all of his men still inside.
“Relax.” Bones drawls. “I don’t want to hurt her. I just need her help”
“Help! Gray’s voler is low and dangerous now
“In a week from now. I’ll need her to play a little role. Pretend I’ve taken her for ransom. Lure her husband out so we can have a little…chat.
Gray’s eyes narrow, “She has nothing to do with him anymore.
Bones chuckles darkly, the sound raising the hairs on the back of my neck. This motherfucker sure is creepy “Oh, I heard. He told me how she tried to hit him with a car…and then kidnapped their infant daughter
Wait, what?
She tried to kill him? My lips witch slightly.
lightly. That’s my good fucking girl.
“If anyone wants to hurt her, it’s definitely him. He wants her dead. Even when I offered to do it for him, for a hefty price, he turned me down. Seems to me he wants to steal the light from those pretty hazel eyes himself”
Did he just casually admit that he offered to kill her!
think he fucking did.
Yeah, I’m gonna have to kill him.
e a damn. I bet
My blood boils, and I crack my knuckles slowly, deliberately. His men notice, their hands reaching towards their guns, but I don’t give I can kill them all before they fire a single shot.
Niko gives me a warning look, reminding me to stand down
Bones quickly motions for his men to stand down, flashing me a condescending smile. “Easy there, King. Men like us know how to world works. Money talks, after all. And I know the Crimson Reapers were also once willing to do whatever it took for the right price.”
ad to take o
Gray grits his teeth. “And that’s why I had to
cover. I don’t condone anyone acting like a monster like my father did.
Bones hur thoughtfully “Ah, I figured you had something to do with that He looks up at me, his eyes shining brighter. “Or was it him? I’m sure
2/3
Chapter 60
with an
enforcer with King’s skill set, you could do anything you weird”
My jaw clenches tighter. He’s talking about me like I’m some fucking secret weapon or something. Nomething he could use for mass destruction. I don’t know what the fuck his goal is, but my loyalty lies here. It always will.
He could never make me betray my brother
Or my girl.
He continues, laughing at my expression. “As much as I’d like to see a live demonstration of your work, King Sterling, perhaps your energy is bette aimed towards our conunon enemy, Isaac Carter
1 cock a brow, not buying into his game, but curious nonetheless. “You’d let me kill him?”
A predatory grin spreads across Bones’s face. “As long as he’s dead, I don’t give a
e a fuck who kills him
Gray glances between us, assessing the situation carefully, before finally speaking in a calm, collected tone. “Let me discuss it with my men and my saster first. I’ll get back to your before the week is over,“
Bones clicks his tongue in mock impatience as he rises from his seat. “Better hurry. Time’s ticking
The tension doesn’t dissipate il we watch their bikes disappear on the cameras at the front entrance. Only then do we exhale, releasing the pressure that had built in the mom
Gray pulls a pill from his pocket, swallowing it with a shot of whiskey. “Fuck. We need to talk to
to Alyssa. Now!
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