Page 35 of Renascence

“Let’s roll.”

We run into Gage on our way out. “Where are you fuckers going?” he asks.

“Got something to handle, thought the guys might want to have some fun.”

“Fuck.” He shakes his head, then jerks it at Crow. “It’sthatserious?”

Crow is our cleanup guy. Let’s just say he makes sure there are no literal skeletons in our closet.

“Nah. We good.”

“Okay. Let’s keep it that way. I could use some fucking peace and quiet around here.”

“No problem, Prez.”

We ride out, my brothers at my back, my mind focused on our destination. I can’t wait to see who this asshole is. How in the world could he have a woman like Emily, only to mistreat and abuse her the way he did? She may never tell me all the things she endured, but the way she talks, walks, behaves… I know the hurt runs deep.

Twisting the throttle, the bike shoots forward. By the end of the day, I’ll erase the fucker from her life. Physically at least. One way or the other.

After a two-hour ride, we pull up to the first address on the note. It’s a garage with at least three guys, their heads buried under the hoods of various cars. We park alongside each other and I remove the envelope from my saddlebag, along with the small black pouch that I hid there while Emily was getting dressed. As we walk in, I stick the pouch in the back pocket of my jeans.

“What can I do for you boys?” the man closest to us asks.

“Looking for James.”

“He’s back there.” He nods in the general direction. “Working on an Avenger.”

I jerk my head at Razor, a signal for him to clear the place out. While he handles that, Crow and I make our way toward the target.

“You James?” I ask.

The man looks up from the engine, tugging a rag from his pocket and wiping his hands as he faces us.

“Yeah. Who wants to know?” His gaze flicks between me and Crow.

I observe him, trying to figure out what Emily ever saw in him. I figured he’d at least be good-looking since his personality is shit. He’s okay, I guess, but his eyes are too close together, and his beard is scraggly like he can’t grow a proper one.Pussy.

“I’m a friend of Emily’s.”

“Is that so?” He smirks. “What does that bitch want now?”

My fingers flex, wanting to knock his teeth down his throat. Instead, I smack his chest with the envelope. He instinctively raises his hand, holding it there.

“You’re gonna sign this and then we’ll be on our way.”

He pulls out the stack of papers, letting it slide back down when he sees what they are.

“I ain’t signing shit until I get what’s due to me,” he sneers.

Razor joins us, nodding to confirm he’s handled his end of things. That means the other men are gone, and they never saw us. James’s eyes widen at the sight of the big man. I step closer to the fucker, bringing his attention back to me.

“Yeah, she told me you think you have some claim to what’shers. I don’t know the whole story, but from what I’ve heard, you should be fucking happy the only thing she’s doing is divorcing your filthy ass.”

“Me? Filthy? She’s the one slumming it with a bunch of dirty bikers.”

I figured he wasn’t too smart, but now I see he’s a stupid motherfucker. I’m two seconds away from ending him.

“I know I broke her heart, but she’s really stooped low. Then again, Emily has always been a frigid bitch—”