I froze. My eyes drifting to the blood again. I was thinking about Chelsea’s soft lips when her father’s blood was still fresh on the floor. I was that sick in the head. That decrepit.
“Someone needs to clean this shit up,” I said it again louder this time. I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore.
“I’ve phoned a company.”
Ruins voice took me by surprise. I hadn’t realised he had come up behind me. Which was surprising. Usually, I was good at watching my back. Especially against angry bikers And that’s exactly what Ruin was. He was literally vibrating with the need to cause someone pain.
The only other time I had seen him so worked up was when Avery had been taken by her psychotic ex husband. The husband had died bloody. Whoever had done this to Fender would die as well. It was just a matter of time.
“You did huh?”
“I won’t ask anyone from the club to clean this up.” He sounded distracted and one look at his face told me he was. Emotions warred across his face. Grief, anger, guilt.
What was he feeling guilty for?
I didn’t ask him though.
“What can I do?” I knew what needed doing. We needed to hunt down the person who had done this and put a bullet in their head. And personally, I wanted to get started on that immediately. Just like I knew Ruin did.
“I need to go to the station and….” his eyes drifted back to the blood he had been staunchly ignoring. “Make a formal statement.”
Slowly I nodded. “You want me to call everyone in?” Even as I spoke I was recalling the names of every single nomad I knew. All of them would be called home. The Black Aces would need every soldier for what was to come.
I was expecting Ruin to agree with me so his next words took me totally by surprise.
“I want you with Chelsea. With Avery and Cali.” He held his hand up to silence me before I had even opened my mouth to speak. “I know there is someone with them but I don’t know who the hell I can trust. I need YOU with them until I get there. I won’t risk losing another family member. Not tonight. Chelsea will need someone she knows there as well. Until I can get there.” Blinking once he turned on his heel, stalking back down the hall. I had a moment to stare at his back and then I followed him. “If that’s what you need brother.”
“Yes, that’s what I need.” He gave a mirthless laugh as he headed straight towards the bar. Sliding behind it like he owned the place. Reaching for a bottle of scotch on a high shelf.
“Are they ok staying….”
“They are all welcome to stay at mine and Truths for as long as they need. Parker as well.”
Not bothering with a glass, he tipped the mouth of the bottle against his lips and took a deep swallow. “When I am back, I will get everyone settled in the clubhouse. Until this is all over that’s the safest place for everyone.”
That wasn’t his decision to make but I wasn’t about to argue with him. It was the only way to keep them safe.
“Let’s do this.” He wiped the back of his hand against his lips. “And Wicked? You look after my sister and my old lady ok?”
“Always brother.” I clapped him on the back. In a manly hug that I hoped showed him that I always had his back.
***
It was a strange thing. Being afraid to go into my own house. But I was. Not because I feared any danger there. No, it was something more raw than that.
Inside those four walls, people were grieving. Women would be crying. And I had never been good with those things. Give me violence over tears any day.
I just wasn’t that kind of man. The kind that women or children turned to for comfort. I physically didn’t know how anyway.
Still, I wasn’t a coward either. Ruin had asked me to make sure they were all safe. So that’s what I would do.
Crossing the uneven grass, I let myself in quietly. The house was dark. Dark and as silent as the grave. I had been half-expecting wailing and sobbing and somehow the quiet was worse.
Not bothering to kick off my boots I headed towards the low flickering light of the tv in the lounge.
“Hey.” The prospect was sat by the window. Looking out in to the dark street. Mentally I put a tick by his name. If he had been kicking back and watching tv I would have made sure he never patched in.
“Hey.” We were almost whispering and I wasn’t sure why. My eyes swept around the room. The reason why soon became apparent.,