Page 76 of The Fates We Tame

I glance over to Sophia outside the room. She’s facing me, biting the side of her thumb, something I know she does when she’s nervous.

“I’ve got your back,” Halo says. “Without question.”

“So do I,” Niro says.

“We vote when I say we’re fucking ready,” King says. “There are real consequences. The five families might hate each other,but they hate the rest of us even more. We don’t need even more heat.”

Vex stands. “I’m going to stand with Switch too. Brothers first, before all things. Plus, it’s really gonna piss the Sicilians off. I feel like that’s a bonus.”

Saint stands and looks at King. “Brother,” he says. “We know a thing or two about finding love where you shouldn’t.”

“Don’t fucking start with that shit,” King says.

Saint smiles softly. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”

“Spark?” King says.

“As a brother, I get it. Switch has stitched me up a fair few times and came on the raid to get Iris back. But as sergeant at arms, I can’t justify us getting into it with the Sicilians over pussy.”

I stare at Spark for a moment, wanting to hate him for what he just said. But the truth is, I get it. “You call my wife ‘pussy’ again and there won’t be enough men is this room to stop me from getting to you.”

He holds his hands up in the sign of surrender. “Poor choice of words, but you get the idea.”

“Let me go out and talk with them,” Niro says. “They’re gonna ask if we saw her. We say no. They’re likely going to demand to search the property, and we’ll tell them to go fuck themselves with barbwire.”

“I’m gonna take a vote, just so this can go down in history as the most collectively dumbass decision we ever made.”

“Wait,” I say. “Can we do a vote before that?”

King rolls his eyes. “What the fuck can you possibly want more than the club agreeing to stand with you on this?”

“I want you to do it because she’s my old lady.”

Clutch shakes his head. “Dude. You’ve known the bitch for like, half a heartbeat. You’ve married her, let it be enough.”

A memory comes, but it’s sharp around the edges. I wince at the ache that comes with it. “You were sneaking in and out of Camelot’s room whenyourbitch was in there. You thought I didn’t see you, but I put two and two together and kept it to myself. Did you let it be enough?”

“Fuck you talking about Gwen like that.”

“So, you can refer to Sophia as a bitch, but you can’t take it when I call Gwen one? Fuck you.”

An arm comes around me. Halo’s.

I hadn’t realized I’d leaned across the table to Clutch.

I shake Halo off and stand up straight.

For the first time, I look out of the window into the bar and see all the old ladies and prospects watching us.

“Sophia already hurts because of her injuries. Don’t make her hurt even more because you don’t want her.”

“Brother,” Bates says. He’s been quiet this whole time. “It’s not that we don’t want her. She’s a lovely woman. But we don’t know what she’s done. Fuck, she could even be a plant for all you know. Bit convenient you overheard her brothers plotting some nasty shit and then you end up married to her. You gotta give us time to believe it.”

“You know what, given her father is outside, clearly trying to track her down, even though she has told her family repeatedly that she is okay, I don’t got fucking time, Bates. I already feel like I was on the outside because of the shit going on with my head. You know, because I got my brains knocked halfway across Jersey trying to protect someone else’s old lady and kid. So, fuck you all. Fuck you all for not knowing me well enough to have my back fully.” I look to King. “Your dad is one of the last real things…I remember. Camelot…would …” Words are escaping me again. I’m too wound up to manage my reactions. “He’d be fucking pissed…we’re even…debating this. I’ll go. Talk to herfather alone. And then I’ll be out of here after dark. I’ll send you pictures of my…club ink removed within six months.”

I walk toward the door, but Spark and Bates beat me to it. “Cool your heels, brother,” Spark says.

Of course, the sergeant at arms and his enforcer would try to stop me.