Page 11 of Tye (Rage MC: The Prospects #8)

Demi

I flew out of the car and headed straight for Pops’s arms. He hugged me tightly as he glared over my shoulder at Ice and Hawthorne.

“We gotta leave, Pops,” I whispered.

“What?”

“We’re not safe. They don’t trust us and never will. They blame our family for everything Fury does. We need to go now,” I stated a little louder.

Drake was standing talking to Ice while Dylan and his friend Davies joined them, and they all seemed to be arguing. Ice was waving his hands around, and Davies was pointing at him. Then someone said something that made Ice stiffen, and this time, his words reached us.

“You can all go fuck yourselves! I claimed Demi, and if that’s not good enough for you, then take my cut and shove it up your ass!” Ice shouted.

“I’m laying money. Fury was behind that bombing!” Drake roared.

“You don’t know that!” Ice shouted.

Uncle Deke approached and watched for a few minutes as the verbal fight worsened.

“Go pack,” he ordered.

“No!” Ice yelled, looking wild. He moved away from the huddle as Drake reached for him.

“You’ve got no say in this, boy,” Pops said aggressively.

“I claimed her! Demi is mine!” Ice boomed.

“You can’t own a woman like my grandbaby. Fuckin’ rich kids, always thinking people are possessions,” Pops retorted angrily.

“Where Demi goes, I go, and you know what a claiming is in Rage, Spike. Don’t act otherwise,” Ice shouted back.

“You’re going nowhere!” Drake ordered, and Ice turned to him with a scowl.

“How do you not get it? Demi is mine. I will lose everything for her, follow her to the ends of the earth. There ain’t no way I’m letting her go,” Ice argued.

“You’ll do as I order, prospect,” Drake snapped.

“The fuck I will. I’ll step down, give up my cut,” Ice challenged.

“Enough!” Phoe bellowed over the arguing men.

Pops was shouting at Dylan. Uncle Deke was in Davies’s face, and clearly, Drake and Ice were going at it, too.

Everyone fell silent and turned to Phoe, who was gazing at them all in disgust.

“Who are you? All of you? Is this what we’re becoming?” Phoe hissed, and Drake opened his mouth.

“Shut it!” Phoe snapped, pointing a finger. “I’ll start with you, Drake. This is Calamity all over again. Telling people who they can and can’t love. I suggest you go to your study and calm the fuck down before we lose our son. Bloody asshole, man, you are. Get out of my sight.”

My jaw dropped as Phoe’s words hit Drake, and the fight left him. He sent Phoe a baleful stare but did as she ordered.

“Dylan and Davies. Shut your damn mouths. I get you’re both hurting because of McKenna, we all are, but not as much as you two. But these people here did not hurt her, and since when did either of you judge anyone for their birth? The only ones responsible for what happened to McKenna is Fury and those who attacked her. Deke didn’t.

“And before you throw accusations around, remember, the Moores have been giving us information hand over fist. We know far more than we did a month ago, and that’s thanks to them risking themselves for us. They’ve lost their home, their freedom, they live in fear of Fury discovering their existence, and you treat them like shit. I know you’re beyond angry at what happened, but these people don’t deserve it.”

“He was there,” Dylan roared, tilting his head at Uncle Deke.

“Deke was in the building but not in that office. When McKenna was raped, he had already left with Grunt. Deke left his bike there to make it seem like he remained and stayed on the radio, but he’d gone. You both want to punish somebody, but these are innocent and not your culprits. Usually, you’d both have sympathy and understanding for someone in their position. Think about that! Now go to the drawing room.”

Phoe turned to my family. “The suspicion ends today. No more guards. And you are not going anywhere. Demi, you and your family are welcome here. I know how hard it is to go against family and fight fear. But you can’t keep running, and you are running, Spike, and I don’t blame you. But you’re not alone. Despite their asshole attitudes, these men will support you, and I know you’ll have their backs in return.

“Fury has done far too much damage to everyone. His family, our family, our friends, and RC itself. But that is no excuse to turn on his victims and make them as bad as he is. No more talk of running. Demi, I am sorry, but you’ll always be judged, so will your family. But lean on those around you and let them bolster you when people are assholes. Even if you yourself put a bullet in his head, you’d still have idiots whispering behind their hands. That’s their problems. Not yours,” Phoe said.

She turned to Ice and sent him a dark glare, and Ice ducked his chin.

“And you. Don’t you ever spit on your cut like that. Wearing a Rage MC cut is a privilege, and not everyone understands that. But knowing who your parents are, you spat in our faces. For how cavalier you just were, I’d bust you back to candidate. No cut should be given up easily, and you clearly lacked respect, son. You ever treat your role and colours with disrespect again, I’ll put you in the ring and beat you senseless,” Phoe hissed at him.

Ice had the grace to seem ashamed. “Mom…”

“No! I get Demi’s it for you. And you’d do anything. Tye, I can admire the depth of your feelings for her. But never use your cut to threaten your father! Now go help Eddie in the stables!”

Ice glowered but stomped away.

I turned to Phoe in awe. “Wow.”

“Nando will be here soon. The bombing isn’t Fury, which is what everyone is thinking. I’ve just spoken to him, and he’ll explain when he gets here,” Phoe said. “Go inside and get a hot drink, all of you. And remember, you are guests here, and I won’t tolerate rudeness or ignorance on both sides.”

“I now see why Hellfire took a sister,” Pops muttered to Uncle Deke, who nodded.

“Yup.”

Ice

I was calmer when I entered the house. I hadn’t helped Eddie in the stables but had stomped to the ice rink and back again. Mom was right, as much as I hated to admit it. I’d disrespected my cut and role. Dad should be ripping me a new one. Shame flooded me. Dad had given me Legacy, even though we weren’t blood, and I had shit on that. I owed him a massive apology.

As I headed in, I saw Nando pull up with Bobby Lucas. Neither of them looked amused.

“Bobby, Nando,” I greeted.

Nando nodded while Bobby offered a chin lift.

“You okay? Heard you were present at the blast,” Nando asked as we entered the Hall together.

“I’m fine, Demi was blown backwards. I think she’s got a concussion. Mom was calling Doc Gibbons out to check her,” I replied.

Neither man said anything, but their lips pursed. I silently dared them to say a word, but they didn’t as they followed me to the Drawing Room.

Everyone was there: Pops, Demi, Deke, Carter, and Gid. Dad, Hawthorne, Davies, and Mom.

“Would you like a drink?” Mom offered and began pouring from a coffee pot before they replied. She handed them coffees and sat back down.

“Any news?” Dad asked as I walked over and sat my ass by Demi.

“Kieran West, I believe you know him,” Nando said as he sat down.

I stiffened.

“West? He attacked me on the ice, and the last I heard, he was being charged and possibly banned from the NHL,” I replied, looking confused.

“Our counterparts in Chicago reached out to us today. West has been charged but is out on bail. He has also been kicked from the NHL and has a lifelong ban forbidding him playing, coaching, or taking any role in ice hockey,” Nando informed everyone.

“Okay. What’s that got to do with me?”

“West blames you. He was heard in a bar three nights ago, making threats and promising to get even with you,” Bobby said.

I jumped to my feet and motioned to my arm. “He fuckin’ attacked me. I’m out of the game for months while everything heals. And he puts the blame on me?” I hissed.

“Yeah. Chicago PD went to arrest him but found he’s not been seen for five days. They discovered some disturbing notes, all hate-filled and aimed at you and Carmine. Carmine and Molly are on their way home right now,” Nando said.

Mom turned to Liz, who nodded and sent a message on her phone. I knew that Carmine and Molly would have security on them within hours. They’d been away for a few weeks after the world series, and Carmine had taken Molly to Hawaii to look at volcanoes. Don’t ask me, it was Molly’s thing.

“West made a threat against Carmine?” I asked.

“Yeah. He blames, and I quote, ‘Michaelson’s faggot brother fucked up my career’. There was more writing with similar beliefs and thoughts,” Nando said.

“He is fuckin’ unbelievable. West was the one spewing insult and making slurs. How the hell did Carmine mess up his life?” I demanded, feeling shocked.

“The idiot’s insane,” Phoe stated.

“He’s something. He attacked me. What’s happening to him is justice,” I insisted.

“The Chicago PD discovered a laptop and checked his search history. What they found was disturbing. West had researched how to make bombs and how to kill from afar. We think the bomb today was one of West’s. Not being a bomb-maker, he would have done shoddy work, and that’s why it detonated before you got in the car,” Nando said, and Demi and I both paled.

“You’re saying there is an amateur wanna-be bomb maker running around, and I am his target?” I demanded.

“Thinking worse,” Bobby mused as his eyes landed on me. “If West had stayed and watched, he’d have seen you with Demi and your reaction when you thought she was hurt. He won’t have a clue who she is, but I bet she’s in danger, too.”

“Are you telling me there’s another insane asshole after my grandbaby?” Spike demanded.

“Yes,” Nando replied.

“Pack your shit. You’re going to join your aunts. We don’t need your gun arm that badly,” Carter snapped.

“The hell I am!” Demi retorted.

She was still pale, but there was a fire in her eyes.

“Ain’t arguing. Two assholes after you is more than enough,” Deke interjected.

“No. Simple as that. No. You can’t force me,” Demi refused.

“Demi, I need you safe…” I said and broke off at the look she offered me. I recognised that expression from Mom. No way was I going to argue now.

“Your needs do not supersede mine. Ice, you cannot pressure me leave, and should you throw me out of your home, I’ll book a hotel. Just because I have tits and a pussy and not a dick doesn’t make me weaker than any of you. And I don’t see anyone urging Ice to hide,” Demi snapped, and I kept my mouth shut.

Yup, I definitely was familiar with that mood.

“She has a point. Would you call Irish or Artemis weak? Give Demi her due,” Mom said, and Demi sent Mom a grateful look.

“What are you doing about this threat?” Dad asked.

“First of all, we’re trying to track West. We’ve only just got this information. If he is here and this was him, every cop in the city will be looking for him. Ramirez and Ben found parts of the bomb, so they’re rushing them to the lab for DNA analysis. It might not be West; we may have a bomber on our hands.”

“That’s a disturbing thought. I don’t know which is worst,” Mom replied.

“Do you have a plan?” I asked Nando.

“Yes. The threats West left behind on paper and had spoken to people were enough to get a warrant for his arrest. If we find his DNA on the components of the bomb, the FBI might take over. Willow has already been in contact with Ramirez and is working with him. West is being hunted. We need you and Carmine to keep local. Don’t go out unless you need to; stay away from public places.

“The more he gets frustrated, the more innocent people are likely to be hurt. I’d prefer you to stay at the Hall where West would have a hard time getting through security. If you won’t do it for yourself, Ice, think of your woman. This may be conjecture, but I’ve got no doubt West will target her, too. Especially if he can’t get to you. He’ll take whatever he can to make you suffer,” Bobby stated.

“The little kids?” I leapt to my feet.

“There’ll be heavy security escorting the bus to and from the school. Liz is already on that,” Mom said as she held my eyes.

“Maybe I ought to leave or draw him out?” I suggested.

“No!” Mom, Dad, and Demi all cried.

“I’m not going to endanger my family.”

“Shut up, son,” Dad ordered, and I did as I was told. “I’ll call Willow, see if she can put pressure on the lab to get the results quicker.”

“The lab will prioritise this anyway because it is a bomb. Rage needs to be alert. It’s not a secret that Ice is a prospect. He’s been photographed wearing his cut. Which means West might strike at the clubhouse,” Bobby suggested.

“Let him. He won’t get past our walls or our security. If West comes at us, he will not walk away,” Dad promised.

Spike stiffened at Dad’s words and sent a suspicious look towards the two detectives. Neither seemed bothered by what Dad had said, and they didn’t move towards their cuffs. Spike frowned.

“You dirty?” he demanded, looking confused.

“Nope. Just can’t be assed with assholes. West goes for Rage, more fool him. We’ll bring the body bag and the cleaning solutions,” Bobby replied.

Spike pursed his lips and nodded.

“Rage has a different relationship with the cops nowadays. I can see where you thought we might be working together against a common enemy. But shit’s changed, our goals merge because we want RC to stay clean and safe for our families. Rage and RCPD have a real relationship now.”

“I see,” Spike replied, but I didn’t think he actually realised how deep our ties were.

“Get me a picture, I’ll put Leila on to it. She can use facial recognition,” Dylan ordered, and Nando nodded.

“If we hear anything else, we’ll let you know. But keep close to home and stay armed. You’ve got your concealed licence, Ice, use it,” Nando said as he and Bobby got to their feet.

Dad saw them out as I held Demi’s gaze.

“We gotta talk,” I stated as Demi looked weary. I hauled her to her feet and, without a word, led her into Mom’s morning room. We sat down opposite each other, and I took a breath.

“You need to know some shit,” I stated.

Inside, I was shaking. This would make or break us. How Demi handled this information would make all the difference. But she had to be told the truth and the choices I had made. Demi deserved to decide her future.

“What?”

“I was a kid born to two drunks. By five, I’d learned to look after myself, and I was safer on the streets by seven. I met Carmine, and then Serenity and Harley came along. Carmine and I were older, so we looked out for them. Carmine’s story is all over the media, I don’t need to tell you his. Mine isn’t out there, although there’s plenty of speculation.

“I was raped at eleven by a fifty-year-old homeless man. We all knew he was dangerous, and he caught me off guard one night. He nearly fucked me up, but some older men who protected Carmine and me rescued me. I spent the next year getting over the trauma before being attacked again. This time, I demanded payment and got it. Sixty bucks from some asshole in a suit. The good news was he was careful with me.”

Demi drew in a breath.

“The next two I sold my ass to were also gentle. I ain’t gay, but Serenity and Harley needed food and medication. If we couldn’t steal shit, then we had to earn money somehow. The last time I was raped was bad. Some men came out of a bar and caught me going down a dumpster. They dragged me into a park and pinned me down before taking turns. They took me raw and unprepared and fucked me up.

“I was found by a woman jogging the next day and rushed to hospital. I endured surgery for what they had done to me. As soon as I was well enough, I was moved to a foster home, which lasted two days before I escaped to my siblings. I’d been missing for two weeks, and they had feared I was dead, but I returned. After that, nobody went anywhere alone or unarmed.”

Demi gasped.

“Just after my fourteenth birthday, I was walking back to where we slept when I recognised one of the men. He was drunk and staggering down the road. I couldn’t believe it when I saw him. I followed him, and when he was in a dark area, I confronted him. The fucker did not even remember me. He’d raped, beaten, and left me for dead and didn’t remember me. It made me question how many street kids this asshole had attacked. That type of evil shouldn’t be allowed to walk the earth. I stabbed him in the throat and left him to bleed out, just like he left me.”

“Ice,” Demi whispered as she scooted off her chair and sat in front of me, grasping my hand.

“I managed to get where the other two lived before tracking them down and killing them, too. They remembered me, and one tried to rape me again. I cut his cock off and shoved it up his ass as he screamed. Then I nicked his carotid artery and let him bleed out slowly. The other one I stabbed in the throat like the first. I’ve killed, Demi, four times in my life, I murdered a man.

“You need to know this side of me. Because I would kill to protect you. I ain’t got shame for selling my ass. It was something I did for us to survive. And we did until Mom found us. I took revenge for my innocence being stolen. This is who I am, take away the trappings of money, and I’m a street kid with attitude and the will to live.”

“You murdered the first man, didn’t you?” Demi whispered, holding my gaze.

“Yup. Cut his cock off like the other asshole and shoved that up his ass with a rebar,” I stated.

“That made my eyes tear, but it’s nothing he didn’t deserve,” Demi said.

“I’ve killed, and I’d kill again to protect my family,” I warned Demi.

“Good. Because I’ve taken a man's life too. He was a predator who preyed on old ladies in our town. He’d stolen thousands of them, making them poor. Someone else and I tracked him down, beat him, stole the cash, and then shot him dead. We parcelled the money back out amongst his victims. So, I have got blood on my hands too, Ice, and I don’t give a fuck,” Demi announced.

My eyes grew wide as she made her own confession. I’d not seen that coming.

“Hope you made him hurt,” I said.

“Oh, he squealed like a pig,” Demi replied.

We sat there and stared at each other, and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. Demi hadn’t rejected me and even had trusted me with one of her secrets. She wasn’t going to leave me.

“Tell me you’re mine,” I whispered.

“I’m yours. Who do you belong to, Tye?” Demi asked, using my name.

“You own me heart, body, and soul. Whatever you want, whenever you want it, I’ll break my back to get you it,” I admitted.

“Then take me to bed and prove it.”

Holy fuck. I didn’t wait but dragged her to her feet as I got to mine and left the room at a swift stride. Heading for my bedroom, we avoided everyone, and once I got her there, I locked the door and turned to her.

I was going to claim her right now.