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They were all too busy making bets on who would come out the fucking victor. They were enjoying this. Even the club whores were laughing, reminiscing about long-ago times when Dante and Macbeth had fought over the most ridiculous things .

This isn’t a ridiculous fucking thing, and you’re concentrating on all the wrong stuff!

All the voices were overwhelming. My mother was still yapping on about nicknames and how useless they were.

I could hear Vienna shouting upstairs. All the laughter from the room, the sounds of glasses being put down on tables, the incessant buzzing in my ears…

It was all too much. My head grew dizzy as I tried to focus on what was important, and yet I couldn’t because everything was bundled together in an over-stimulating mess.

My fingers began to tingle as anger coursed through me, building into a frustrated crescendo that made me want to rip someone’s head off.

I grew tired of scanning the room, and knew I needed to do something before I went back upstairs, grabbed the shotgun and started firing at the next cunt who made a noise.

I grabbed hold of a bar stool and hopped on top of it, using it to climb on top of the bar.

“Go on, Rachel!” shouted one of the club whores, thinking I was getting ready to put on a show.

It made me want to snap her useless fucking neck.

“Oi!” I shouted instead, as loud as I could, noticing every pair of eyes immediately turn in my direction. I took a deep breath as the noise finally quietened, and I could take a brief moment to process. “Just stay quiet. For the love of God, just shush. I need to know where Crash is?”

“He took Mama for a ride,” someone shouted, although it was impossible for me to make out who.

“Can anyone get hold of him?”

“I can,” Zach said, frowning as he pulled out his phone and waved it at me. “Is everything okay?”

“Do it, call him,” I snapped. “Tell him it’s urgent.”

“What’s happened, Rachel?” He asked, his frown deepening as he looked up at me, his thumb hovering over his phone.

“Just tell him he needs to get here immediately. Where’s Doc?”

“I’ll get him,” Hacksaw said, immediately jumping to his feet and raced out of the door.

Thank God someone had the intelligence to actually look at me and realise I wasn’t fucking around !

“Jenna?” I asked.

“I’m here, Rachel,” she said softly, walking towards me. I locked eyes with her and pulled a sympathetic face.

“You need to go upstairs. Shark’s been hurt. He’s okay but—”

“Get the fuck out of my way!” She hissed, pushing past the men in front of her, and raced up the stairs before I could finish my sentence.

And that was when the penny dropped.

The music was turned off, the pints of beers were placed on the nearest surface, and conversations dwindled down to a stop as everyone finally realised that this was not a lovers' tiff, and something was seriously wrong.

I looked out at the worried faces staring at me and swallowed deeply, knowing it was down to me to give them something, anything. They had a right to know what was happening.

Fuck, I thought, looking through the sea of faces. I had always hated public speaking.

But these people were Dante’s family. My family. And they needed someone to take control in Crash and Dante’s absence.

If I didn’t provide them with something , one of two things would happen. Either the rumour mill would fill in the blanks, or they would go upstairs to see for themselves.

Neither of those were an acceptable option. Shark didn’t need an audience.

I would give him this one gift of privacy. It was the least I could do.

“Listen up!” I yelled at the crowd, my mouth running on pure instinct.

If I over-thought this, I’d be a mess. I’d play it the best way I knew how.

“The club is on lockdown, effective immediately. Any untitled members, old ladies, children… hell, even a fucking pet hamster, I don’t care.

You all need to get to church and barricade yourselves in.

I don’t know the full details – none of us do, so please don’t waste time asking.

All we know is Macbeth has betrayed Dante and, in turn, betrayed every member here and the entire club.

Tonight, he told Dante to meet him upstairs and had an ambush waiting for him.

” There were some angry murmurs, but other than that, everyone stayed silent .

“What I can tell you is Shark was stabbed in the process, and Dante was taken. Shark managed to tell me Dante wasn’t in a good way – not that he is much better himself at the minute, either.

The second, and I mean the goddamn fucking second, Doc arrives, you make sure he’s sent straight up to Dante’s room.

I want everyone with Crash’s number to be ringing him.

I want you to ring him until his phone grows hands and bitch slaps him out of annoyance.

You ring him until the phone company puts in a complaint that we’ve crashed the system.

Ring him until your fingers are bleeding with the constant tapping on those stupid screens, you hear me?

He needs to get his ass back here immediately.

If anyone saw anything, anything at all, you report it to Zach.

” I flicked my eyes at Zach, and he nodded his agreement, his phone still at his ear.

“I’m sorry I don’t know anything more, but I want everyone working on this immediately.

Think back on conversations you’ve had with Macbeth recently.

Think of where he’s been, and who you’ve seen him with.

No detail is too small. Was anything off about him?

Did he seem different? Ring around, find out whatever you can.

No stone will be left unturned. If we all work together, then we bring Dante back where he belongs, safe and sound. ”

I paused for a moment and glared into the crowd.

“Oh, and rest assured, if any of you are involved, I will find out, and I will kill you myself. The difference between me and Crash is, I don’t give a fuck about club protocol.

I won’t wait for church to condemn you to hell.

I will gut you in your sleep, bake your intestines into a fucking pie and send it to your mother as a present.

Do I make myself clear? If anyone has anything to confess, do so now whilst I’m feeling merciful.

Don’t let me find out you kept it a secret a second longer than necessary.

You’ve no doubt heard what I did to the man in the garage, so please don’t think this is an empty threat. ”

“Rachel!” my mother admonished from my side. I glared down at her, pushing my red hair out of my face.

“You’re included in that threat, Mother.

I have zero patience for your interference today.

In fact, go and make yourself useful and go upstairs.

The first door on the left belongs to Dante’s daughter, Bee.

If she’s awake, go and comfort her. Introduce yourself and keep her safe.

And Mother,” I paused, tensing my jaw as I narrowed my eyes at her…

“Do not be yourself. You le ave that girl alone. No criticism, no insults, nothing. She should be asleep, so do not disturb her. If she wakes, you play games with her, you make her laugh, and you say nothing about what’s happened here tonight, understood? ”

“But—”

“No, no buts. You will do whatever that girl asks. If she wants you to go to a tea party with her dolls, you’ll act like it’s the best fucking tea party you’ve ever been to.

If she asks you to go on all fours so she can ride you around the room like a horse, you best whinny and neigh like the most realistic horse she’s ever seen in her entire fucking life.

Understood?” I all but growled, my voice barely recognisable as my own.

“Yes.” She nodded, and I pointed in the direction of the stairs, before turning my attention back to the bar, a sudden idea coming to mind. It was true that we wouldn’t be bringing police investigators into this, but we had our own means of investigating.

“Monster!” I yelled, looking around for the newly promoted prospect.

“S’up, Rachel?” He said, pushing through the crowd.

“You’re here, brilliant!” I said, holding my hand up to my eyes to block out the light and see him better. “You’re good with the dogs, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Can they sniff things out?”

“I—”

“Yes or no, Monster?” I hissed.

“They’re not bloodhounds.”

“Yes, or fucking, no?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe’ s good enough for me. Get the best one and get upstairs. Maybe they can help us. Now!” I barked when he remained where he was and took great satisfaction in seeing him scramble to move towards the door.

I sighed and looked down at Zach. “Any luck getting hold of Crash?”

“Not yet. We’ll let you know as soon as we do,” Zach said, holding out his hand to me to help me off the bar. “We’ve got it from here, Rachel. You go back upstairs and see what else you can find out. Believe it or not, the club prepares for stuff like this. ”

“I had a feeling you’d have some sort of plan. Isn’t that what your stupid church is all about?” I smiled, albeit a sad one, and accepted his outstretched hand. I stepped down onto the barstool, and jumped to the floor.

“Something like that,” Zach smiled back at me. “You did good,” he murmured in my ear, and my heart skipped a beat, welcoming the approval. “Dante would be proud of you.”

The mention of his name had my heart squeezing. “He’ll be okay, won’t he?” I asked, a slight tremor in my voice.

“Dante will be home before you know it. This time tomorrow, you’ll be fighting over some stupid shit and burning some more of his belongings, I guarantee it.

” He wiped away another tear that I hadn’t even realised was rolling down my cheek and smiled at me.

“Go upstairs, Rachel. Everything will be okay.”

“Thank you, Zach.”

He gave me a small nod and then turned back to face the club members, clapping his hands once. “Alright, you heard the lady. Titled members pull up a seat. Everyone else, fuck off to church and don’t move a fucking muscle until we know what’s going on here.”

“Wait… What about Bee? Does she go to church?” I asked.

“She’s meant to, aye. But if you would feel more comfortable with her here…”

“No. I’ll tell my mother to go with the other ladies to church and take Bee with her. Do you think Imogen will show her the way?” I asked, referring to the old lady of his son, Trent.

“I’ll make sure of it. We love that little girl like she was our own, Rachel. You don’t need to worry. We’ll protect her and your mother.”

“She’s not going to like staying here.”

“Your mother? She’s got no choice. The Riders—”

“Oh, you don’t need to explain to me. She won’t like it, but I’m not arguing. Hogtie her to a chair, if that’s what it takes to keep her there.”

He grinned at me. “Now there’s the Rachel we’ve come to know and love.”

“Thanks, Zach,” I breathed, my heart clenching at his words.

“It’s what the brothers are here for.” He pulled me into a quick hug, and then I turned to follow my mother and Jenna upstairs.