Chapter Nineteen
Eric
“It’s not fucking enough!”
I winced as my father banged his fist on the table, pitching yet another fit over the inability to draw Grant Travis out into a war. After the failure to set the salon on fire, the Brotherhood had moved on, setting fires to a few outposts that the Horsemen used for storage.
But it had just destroyed the property. No one had been guarding it, and I imagined nothing of value had been left to be destroyed in the first place.
“Calm down, Barnes,” Richard sighed, leaning back in his chair. “You’re making my head fucking hurt with all your ranting.”
My father fell into his chair, a glower on his face.
“Why is he not retaliating? I am ready to kill that son of a bitch!”
“In due time,” Richard promised.
“In due time?” he shot back. “I’m done waiting. I’m ready to take my rightful place.”
Richard looked over at me, as to say control your father, but I did nothing, watching as his face got redder and redder. I was still pissed at what they had done to me last night, with Jenny.
Though I doubted that they could have anticipated Amy showing up. Richard had just laughed at his daughter, who was sporting two black eyes from Amy’s punch, and told her to buck up and practice her fighting.
Despite what Jenny had done to me and my potential future, I had felt sorry for her. Not enough to comfort her, but still… I would have expected him to be pissed at what had happened to her.
Still, Amy was hating my guts right now. I didn’t know how to make this up to her, to make her understand without revealing everything to her. My life had effectively ended last night, and I knew her threats weren’t empty ones.
She would really shoot my ass if need be.
But she was carrying my kid, and for that I was willing to fight. I loved her. Amy was the woman I had been destined for, and I doubted my father or this asshole sitting next to him could understand that. They had never loved a woman for the sake of loving her and not because it would give them something in return.
I didn’t care that Amy was the daughter of Grant Travis. That wasn’t why I had fallen in love with her. I had fallen in love with her because of her, her independence, the way she made me laugh, made me feel. I had fallen in love with her because she surprised me at every turn, and I wanted her in my damn bed night after night.
And now I wanted her to be the one that gave me more kids, that gave me that family I had always been searching for.
Too bad she wanted to shoot my cock off.
I shook myself back into the reality of the moment, attempting to find a reason to get myself out of the situation and back to Amy. She had to listen to me. I was willing to put all the shit out there on the table and hoped that she would make a decision based on the person she knew.
And not because of my name.
“Tomorrow,” Grayson was saying. “I want to kill him tomorrow.”
Richard chuckled.
“How do you anticipate doing that? You gonna just show up at his fucking door and blow his head off? I would take bets against you on that plan.”
“I’m not fucking stupid,” Grayson growled, running a hand over his face. “No, I’m gonna do what I should have done in the beginning, when I had Hayley in my grasp. I’m going to make him come to me with some bait.”
My ears perked up, and I swallowed.
“What kind of bait?”
His grin had me concerned.
“You know what kind of bait I’m talking about, son. It’s the same one that has your panties in a wad.”
My blood froze in my veins.
“I told you, she’s off limits.”
Richard laughed.
“So, my daughter has told me. Got her knocked up, did you? What do you think Grant is gonna do to you once he learns that little bit of information? You think he’s gonna let a traitor into his tight knit circle?”
“I’m no fucking traitor,” Grayson spat onto the floor, his eyes growing angry. “I stepped out because that was what needed to be done.”
“That’s not how I see it,” Richard said, his face now stone cold. “You left the Horsemen like a yellow-bellied traitor, not because you wanted to do anything else. Now look at the damn mess you are in.”
“Shut your mouth,” Grayson seethed, rising from his chair. “You were nobody until I got involved. You are a coward riding my damn coattails, because I’m willing to make shit happen while you sit here, doing nothing.”
Richard also rose out of his chair, and I started to grow concerned. Both men were wearing guns at their hips, and if bullets started to fly, I would be in deep shit.
Not that it would be something horrible to let them both take out each other and end this war. Grayson Barnes was not a father to me, nor did I feel any wealth of emotions toward him now. He had fucked up my life instead of bringing something good to it, and I was tired of trying to impress him. There was no reason for me to do so, especially now.
I only wanted Amy.
But surprisingly, Richard burst into laughter, reaching over to clap my father’s shoulder.
“See? That’s why we are good partners! We don’t give a fuck about anyone but ourselves.”
Grayson looked startled at the sudden change of events, finally letting out a chuckle as he clapped Richard on his shoulder.
“Fine, whatever. We are partners.”
“And I have the same goals you do,” Richard added with a grin. “I want to see the Horsemen fall and you take the helm. Then, you and I, my friend, will own the drug and gun routes in the county.”
“And we will pass it along to our children,” Grayson finished, sidling a glance at me.
I remained impassive, my arms crossed over my chest like they were discussing the weather and not the take over the county and beyond. I was tired of being the lackey, attempting to appease them, when all they did was attempt to ruin my life in return. This was not my dream, not any longer.
“Yeah,” Richard chuckled, releasing my father. “If those children can make up, I guess. My Jenny is crazy about your boy, and as soon as that Travis daughter is out of the picture, then she can show him true loyalty.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making any noise, any movement, knowing they were baiting me. I wanted to shoot them both in the head and walk away, scoop Amy up and leave this damn town with no regrets.
But I had to bide my time. They were not going to win. I was, and soon the world would be a better place without these two assholes in it.
I had to wait.
“Alright then,” Grayson said, looking at me. “I have something for you to do, boy.”
I gave him a little nod, not trusting my voice. I was seething mad, unable to keep it together, but Amy’s life depended on me keeping my cool. She was in some serious danger, and somehow I had to warn her, risk my life to ensure that she was going to be okay. I wanted her to get through this, whether I was alive or not, and raise our kid.
I wanted nothing but the best for her.
Grayson looked at Richard.
“I want you to go to the Travis house, scope out the security and anything they have forgotten to protect. I need a complete layout of the current state, so that we can make our move tonight. Tonight, we will slaughter the Travis household while they are tucked into their beds and show them that no one is safe.”
“Yes sir,” I forced out, keeping my expression neutral, though internally I was freaking out.
This had just turned serious. I had to find Amy and warn her, get warnings to her family so that they could take extra precautions. Those bastards were going after innocent people, and I was sick and tired of it.
“Good boy,” Richard said with a chuckle. “I would say take my daughter with you, but… hell, she looks like a shitty mess right now. You’re better off without her.”
My jaw clenched tightly as I turned away from them and walked out of the room, down the hall, and out to the afternoon heat.
Screw going to the Travis household. That wasn’t where Amy was located. I had discreetly followed her last night and knew she was at an apartment on the west side of town. How she had pulled that off, I wasn’t sure, but the security was lax at the apartment. It would give me a perfect way to warn her about the threat and get her to safety before the shit hit the fan.
Grant Travis could handle his own self. Amy Travis was my number one priority.
Locating my bike, I hopped on it and gunned the engine, peeling out of the gravel drive. Amy had to listen to me or at least give me a few seconds to talk before she blew my head off.
Either way, I wasn’t shit without her in my corner, and if I couldn’t have her, I would rather be dead.
***
Grayson waited until he was sure his son had left the building before turning back to Richard.
“You ready?”
Richard held up the GPS tracker he had installed on Eric’s bike this morning, a grin on his face.
“How did you know he wouldn’t follow through?”
Grayson frowned, rage boiling inside. He had taken the boy under his wing, never once doubting that he was his son. But Eric was no Barnes. He was too soft, and the Travis bitch had sucked him in with her charms, making him weak and willing to do anything to make her happy. If it hadn’t been for Jenny’s report of the kid, Grayson might have given Eric another shot.
But now it was clear that the boy was lost and was a liability, not any sort of help to any of them. He had to be taken care of. But first he was going to lead them to Amy Travis.
“Because, he’s thinking with his damn cock and not his head, that’s why.”
“It’s a shame,” Richard replied, shaking his head. “He had such potential.”
Grayson ground his teeth together, staring at the empty doorway. It was a damn shame that he couldn’t get Eric to see that what they were doing was for the greater good and that he was setting him up with a legacy. He was tired of playing second fiddle to anyone, including Grant Travis, and it was high time that he took that position from his former best friend and put himself on top.
“Alright then,” Richard announced, sliding the tracker into his pocket. “Let’s go get us some bait.”
Grayson nodded and followed the man out of the room, cracking his knuckles as they walked down the hall together. Once he had gotten rid of Grant, he would get rid of his ‘partner’. Richard Baer was yet another roadblock to what he really wanted in life: complete and utter control. Grayson imagined that it would be no different once he was in charge, that Richard would be sniffing after him and taking his territory.
That could not be allowed.
Rolling his shoulders, Grayson walked out into the bright afternoon sun, heading toward the truck that they would take to capture Amy Travis in. He felt nothing for the brat she was carrying, nothing for the weak-assed son that had planted his seed there, so it wouldn’t even faze him when he had to kill them both.
It was time to end this, to be done with this war, so that he could start on a new era in Cibolo.
With him on top.