“It seems you made another one of those mistakes.” I glared at him.
“I’m going to fucking kill Hunter.”
“She didn’t tell me. I saw the way you and Kadence interacted. I knew it would happen. Besides, if you didn’t want people to know, you shouldn’t have had your fingers buried in her cunt in front of God and everybody.”
“I am five seconds away from putting my dagger into your penis, Hawke. I fucked up. It won’t be happening again. Pussy is a distraction. Kadence is a distraction. I want her gone.”
“Kadence is a sweet kid, runnin’ from her past. I don’t think she’s worried ‘bout destroying you.”
I rolled my eyes. “If you’d tell me why she left New York and came here, maybe we wouldn’t have this goddamn issue.”
“Not my place to go talkin’ ‘bout other people's issues.”
This man was six foot seven, covered in tattoos, but I was ready to deck his fucking jaw for being an annoying sack of shit and defying me. However, he was one of the only people I trusted, especially right now when everything was balancing on cracking eggshells. He was testing me, and it was getting on my nerves.
I couldn’t help but think back to five years ago. Everything that was happening screamed what I did to Elijah before the bastard captured me for sport. The lost drug shipment, the torched prostitution ring. It was an echo of what I did before I killed him.
My nerves were shot, and I didn’t think any amount of booze or meaningless sex would stop it. I wasn’t scared for myself. I’d made my bed and I was ready to lie in it. I was concerned for my girls and the men in my motorcycle club. I didn’t think Hell’s Reapers could survive if I was dead. Westhaven would drown in fire from retaliation.
“This is the ghost of Elijah coming back to haunt me.”
He accepted the topic change. “This is some punk trying to rile you up. It’s a fear tactic, but little does this fucker know, Blaize Matthews isn’t scared of anyone, not even the good Lord.”
“I don’t want to deal with your jokes, Hawke. I watched life leave his eyes just like I did with Olivia. He is dead. Even if by some miracle that bullet missed, the fired that engulfed his body finished the fucking job.”
That night was a blur in general sense. I was unhinged, fueled on rage and grief with a bleeding wound I didn’t even feel until the adrenaline died. I killed fifteen men with Hawke’s help, andwhile he dealt with the fallout of that, I found Elijah waiting for me with a smug look on his face. The look in his eyes was soulless and unremorseful.
I should have drawn out his torture. Made him beg for mercy before finally killing him, but I wanted him dead. I wanted every part of Elijah West out of this town, his memory only remembered by the fiery blaze that destroyed the Vandals. A bullet to the skull sufficed, while his body burned with his sick operations. He couldn’t have survived. His brains were splattered across the wall, and I made sure his body was covered in flames before leaving him to burn.
Once I took total control, I made it clear that anyone practicing Elijah West’s ways in my territories would meet the same fate, and no one has had an issue since. If I found out it was one of these smaller gangs trying to pull a fast one on me, they would die. Just like Santiago died when he sent those two punks to my town to rape Kadence.
“I know, boss. We will figure this out.”
“I want you at Hades every night until we catch this bastard. I don’t know if they will go after any of the girls, but I don’t need them getting hurt.” He nodded. “When is the next shipment supposed to be in?”
Hawke pulled out his phone, scrolling before he looked back at me. “Four days.”
“Make sure we have extra manpower when that shipment is due. I’m going to have to deal with some pissed off gang leaders with a limited supply of drugs. I need to call Cinder and see if she can supply me with anything to help.”
“I’ll inform the boys in the morning. Y’know we do anything for them girls, boss.”
I left him with the remnants of the destroyed shipment as I walked back to my motorcycle. I wanted to find this person and show him exactly what happened when you tried to bring a deadman back from the grave. Whoever this fucker was wanted to be Elijah West, so he could suffer the same fiery death he did.
I needed to let out this rage before it bubbled over the edge, and I did something rash. Olivia always said I never had the best instincts when my mind wasn’t clear, and she was right.
CHAPTER 54
KADENCE
After our one night together, I didn’t expect Blaize to completely ignore me like I was the worst person on the planet. She wouldn’t make eye contact or speak to me during her rounds—it was like I didn’t exist to her. Almost two weeks passed, and she wanted to act like it never happened.
I spun the crystal glass with pretty liquid dancing inside it, bringing it to my lips. Tequila invaded my senses, and I cringed. It was my least favorite liquor, so I didn’t understand why I opted for a tequila sunrise. Maybe I’d get drunk enough to hook up with someone and drown out her memory. Offer my body to someone else like I did with her. She said she didn’t love. She obviously showed emotions, at least ones where she hated me, but I couldn’t help this stupid thing beating under my rib cage. I always choose the wrong people to fall in love with. I shouldn’t want her. I shouldn't crave her lips on my pussy or question how she tastes. I was only setting myself up for even more heartache.
This club belonged to Blaize. She had rules, and here I was, about to break all of those rules tonight. I needed to focus on working, but I couldn’t focus on work when I was dedicated to making Blaize wither and regret her choices. Was I bitter? Maybe. Did I care? Not one bit. Blaize said she didn’t want me,but I knew that was a lie. If she didn’t want me, she wouldn’t have fucked me like that.
Sex was one thing. Sex didn’t need to have a meaning or feelings involved, but Blaize focused on my pleasure, on my body, and made me do things I never did before. Someone who wanted a quick fuck wouldn’t have cherished my body like I was holy.
I scanned the area. It wasn’t busy, and I had plans. My eyes found Hunter as she walked toward the bar. She was a curiosity, and I wanted to unwrap all her secrets. I saw why she and Blaize were friends. They both wore masks to conceal their pain, but Hunter was better at not letting hers slip. Blaize should take some pointers.