Page 38

V ike’s still pissed when we arrive back at the club; me and Alicia follow him as he marches through the arch into the yard.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” He gets greeted by Greaser’s fist as it lands on his jaw, and due to the fact that he wasn’t expecting it, it makes him stumble.

“Greaser!” Alicia stares at him in shock, then looks at me with an open mouth when his hands move protectively to cradle her stomach.

“Are you both okay?” he asks in a soft voice as his eyes check her over.

“We’re fine.” She stares back at him for a moment before she shrugs herself out of his hands. “Millie had something she needed to take care of. Vike was protecting us,” she explains, looking at Vike and smiling sheepishly.

“That club is owned by the fuckin’ Russians…” Greaser turns his head and seethes at Vike.

“I know that, which is why I never left her fuckin’ side,” Vike growls, gripping Greaser by his cut and slamming him into the wall.

“Hey…hey!” Wrath races over to get between them. “What's all this about?”

“Just Vike, letting the girls go to that Russian brothel on the outskirts,” Greaser explains sarcastically. “Me and Sin just got back. Dev had to abandon the job we were doing. Because this guy let the girls stray.”

“What the fuck?” Wrath looks to Vike for answers.

“I didn’t know that’s where they were heading. Alicia was driving, and I was following. But they were never in any danger. I was with ’em the whole time.”

“You let these girls go to a Russian fuckin’ whore house while we’re at war with their suppliers?” Wrath checks he’s hearing this right.

“Yeah, and you stole Grimm’s mom from a nuthouse. Sometimes we get caught up in a situation, Wrath. I told you I was taking care of it,” Vike assures him. “And what the fuck has any of this got to do with you?” He turns his attention back to Greaser and snarls.

“In case you forgot, Alicia’s carrying my little niece in there.” Greaser places his hand back on Alicia’s stomach, and when I see how uncomfortable it makes her, I quickly step in.

“This is all my fault. Please don't yell at each other.” I look between the two men who clearly care very much about her. “I had no idea the place was dangerous. I just wanted answers, and I was very insistent.” I look to Wrath. He’s Raze’s second in command, and I’d hate to think Vike got into trouble because of me.

“Come on, I’m drivin’ you home.” Greaser grabs hold of Alicia’s hand.

“The fuck you are!” Vike takes his arm and throws it away from her.

“Alicia?” Greaser looks at her, waiting for her to make a decision.

“It’s sweet that you're concerned, but really, we’re fine.” Her hand rests on her tummy. “It was my choice to go there with Millie. She was upset and needed answers. None of this is Vike’s fault; he was protecting us the whole time.” She smiles up at him before looking toward Vike guiltily.

“Saul would be expecting you to take better care of her; it’s just as well I came back.” Greaser storms past us to get on his bike, and when I hear the roar of a different engine pull into the yard, I know without checking behind me that it belongs to Dev.

Nerves start to stir in my chest as I watch him park up, and when he storms through the arch, ignoring us all on his way into the clubhouse, I can see he’s furious, and it’s all my fault.

“I better check if he’s okay,” I tell the others, rushing after him and finding him sitting at the bar. He’s gripping the edge of it and breathing himself calm while Polly pours him a drink.

“I’m sorry.” I stand directly behind him and come right out and say it. “I had no idea the place was dangerous, and I take full responsibili?—”

“Did Corey ever hurt you?” He turns around so abruptly, it makes me jump. “And I don’t mean your heart. I mean physically.” His jaw is clenched, his nostrils are flaring, and he looks much paler than usual.

“What? No. Of course, he didn’t.” I shake my head, confused.

“He never tried to force himself on ya or… lay his hands on ya?”

“Dev, why are you asking me this? You know Corey would never have hurt me, he loved me… At least, I thought he did.” My voice trails off when I’m reminded of his betrayal.

“Why did it matter enough to put yourself in danger and go there today?” His tone softens, and he looks much more hurt than angry.

“You and Corey weren’t together when he died; does it really matter now that he was screwing that whore while you were together?

” he questions, with a creased brow and stern look on his face, and I’m surprised how vulnerable he looks.

“Yeah, Dev, it matters. I never thought Corey would betray me that way. I?—”

“Yeah, well, there’s a lot about Corey you don’t fuckin’ know!” He finishes drinking what’s in his glass and storms back out the door, grabbing Sinner on his way out.

“Dev, what are you doing?” I chase after him, watching him strip off his cut, then the t-shirt he’s wearing beneath it.

“Dev?” I’m confused as hell when I see him starting to climb the ladder into the empty pool in the center of the yard.

“You down or what?” Dev looks up at Sinner, who's standing at the top of the ladder.

“Hell, yeah, I’m down.” Sinner looks excited as he crushes out his smoke, strips off his own shirt, and quickly climbs in after him.

“Pit fight!” One of the whores calls out loudly, and Wrath quickly moves to the edge of the pool.

“Dev, whatcha doin’?” he asks, looking around him for some support from the others.

“Relax, he just needs to blow off a little steam,” Sinner answers for him, cricking his neck and loosening up his shoulders.

“Dev, there are other ways.” Wrath tries to talk him down as a crowd starts to form.

“Nah, let him at it. I’m good.” Sinner’s bouncing on his toes now, while Dev starts to circle him with his guard up.

“What's happening?” I look to Vike for some answers when he moves closer to the edge..

“Sinner, don’t feel any pain; I guess whatever that whore told Dev had him needing to release some aggression. All this is part of their fucked-up friendship.”

“Dev, please don’t do this.” Sinner may look a little psychotic, but he’s nowhere near as big as Dev is, and however angry Dev is right now, I know he won’t want to hurt his friend.

“Let’s just talk,” I call out, but he ignores me, striking out and laying a blow directly on Sinner’s cheek, and instead of flinching the way I do, he laughs.

“Good shot, big man, land another right here.” Sinner taps at his chin, and when Dev goes to hit it, he ducks just in time.

“Gonna have to be faster; I let you have that first one.” Sinner tries to make a hit himself, but Dev manages to swerve it.

“They’re gonna hurt each other,” I tell Vike, waiting for one of the brothers to step in and make them stop.

“Nah, they’ll be fine.” Ruck steps up behind us. “I got fifty on Dev sparking him,” he whispers to Vike.

“This is stupid.” I push my way past everyone and start climbing into the pool myself, and when Dev notices me coming, he immediately drops his guard, giving Sinner an opportunity.

I feel the blow his fist makes into the side of Dev’s head, but Dev doesn’t flinch, just turns his head and stares at him blankly.

“Dev, this is pathetic. We’re going home and we’re gonna talk about what happened,” I tell him, trying to forget that the whole club is watching.

“I don’t wanna talk,” he tells me.

“Well, fighting sure isn’t gonna help.”

“That’s not true.” Dev shakes his head in disagreement. “I don’t wanna talk, I wanna feel something different to what I’m feeling right now. Go inside the clubhouse so you don’t have to watch.”

“What did that girl say to you?” I shake my head, sensing that I’m missing something.

“It ain’t just what she said, Mill; it’s me.

It’s how I’m feeling. Right now, I’m jealous of a fuckin’ dead man.

” He lowers his tone so those above us can’t hear, and I see the shame on his face.

“I see how sad you are about him betraying you, and it’s hurtin’ me in a way I don’t fuckin’ like and I can’t fuckin’ handle.

Get outta the pit and go inside,” he warns me, his hand trembling as he points his finger toward the club.

I look up and see Alicia and the rest of the girls staring down at me; all of them have pity on their faces, and eventually, I turn my back on Dev and climb out, leaving him to do what he has to do to take his pain away.