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“So, my love, I need you to rest up and focus on birthing those little pawns. I’ve heard quadruplets are born early, so at least we won’t have to wait long. Perhaps we can even start trying for children of our own once these ones have served their purpose.” He kisses me on the nose and I simper approvingly.

“But first, you need to shower, you smell like shit,” he says, shoving me away from him.

His mood swings are nothing new. He used to make me feel as if it was my fault, that I was doing something to make him be that way. Now I see it for the manipulation that it is. I say nothing, allowing him to take the lead, just as I always did. Only now I’m not the one being played.

He guides me to the bathroom and instructs me to wash myself. He stands watching, making cruel comments the whole time about things I need to change. But mercifully, he doesn’t touch me. My mind goes blank as I just focus on getting through it. The whole time, one word is rattling around my brain. Babies.

My baby is still alive, no, my babies. I’m having quadruplets.

I’ve made a huge mistake coming here. I’ve put them in danger. Tony might agree to let me keep them now, but he could change his mind on a dime. He’s so unpredictable. I need to find a way to let the guys know. I have to protect these children and get the hell out of here. Whatever it takes.

Chapter 27

Knox

Every eye is on us as we walk into the shithole the Hellhounds call a bar. We’ve not been foolish enough to wear our Steel Vipers cuts, but we stick out like sore thumbs anyway. Even if they don’t know who we are, everyone in here can tell that we don’t belong.

With the baby gone and Leah having betrayed us, nothing is holding me back from getting my revenge on the Hellhounds. Axel might be here to try to negotiate or do his little Sherlock Holmes act, but I’m here to fight. I don’t give a shit if we’re out numbered, they’ve got to pay for what they’ve done. Axel can get his answers. Once we’ve confirmed what I already know—that Leah betrayed us and there’s no hope left, I’ll start my revenge by burning this place to the ground. An eye for an eye.

I’m dealing with the pain and hurt I feel over losing the baby and Leah, by getting angry. Destroying the Hellhounds is all I have now.

We saunter up to the bar, unintimidated and unafraid.

“Four beers,” Axel says to the bartender.

The man looks at us through piggy eyes and sniffs, folding his tree-trunk arms across a barrel chest. He’s taken his loyalty to the Hellhounds rather literally, choosing to embellish his skin with a motif of a three-headed hellhound with a large, mean-looking devil holding its leash. “Why are you here?”

“Didn’t you hear? Our bar exploded. We need a place to drink,” Jace quips, sitting down on a barstool as if he has every right to be there.

“We don’t want no trouble,” the man says.

Didn’t peg him to be chickenshit.

“Shoulda thought of that before you killed our Prez and blew up our clubhouse,” I snarl.

Axel shoots me a warning glare. This is a recon mission. We aren’t here to fight. Not when we’re outnumbered and unarmed in the middle of enemy territory. As is customary, we had to prove we were unarmed or hand over our weapons on entry. We have the same rule for visitors at the Vipers clubhouse. Not that I need a gun to kill every fucker in here. The Hellhounds are a bunch of pussies.

“There won’t be any trouble. We just want to have a beer and speak to your Prez,’ Axel says calmly.

“Lucifer isn’t here, he’s away on business,” the man declares haughtily.

I can’t help but snort at his name. It gets me every time. The man doesn’t come close to earning the title of the king of hell. Like I said. Posers.

“Where?”

The man fixes him with a stern gaze. “That’s none of your business, Viper. Now, I think you boys best be on your way. You ain’t welcome here.”

“Here’s me thinking dogs were meant to be friendly.” My voice is light, but my body language is anything but. Anyone with eyes can see the barely controlled violence, shifting under the surface, waiting to break free.

The guys can immediately sense that I’m barely holding it together. Rider places a firm hand on my shoulder, a warning.

Axel inclines his head. “You let Lucifer know we need a little chat. You know as well as I do that we can’t let his actions go unpunished. I’d hate for things to escalate further than they already have.”

The man lets out a snort of laughter. “The way I see it, your club’s the only ones suffering. You ain’t done shit to us.”

I’m dying to wipe the smirk from his ugly face, but I can’t give our plan away by revealing what we’ve got in store for them.

“Just be sure to let Lucifer know he has until the end of the day to get in touch else he’ll regret it,” Axel says before turning his back and motioning for us to leave.