Jackson

I hear another shot fire off and wait for the pain. It doesn’t come.

“That’s the only warnin’ I’m gonna give you,” Collector says cold as ice. I roll over groaning in agony to see Javi Almanza holding his hand and blood dripping on the floor.

“You kill my family in front of me and expect me to stand down?” Javi says through gritted teeth.

“I think you are a man who understands the situation,” Collector tells the man calmly holding his gun steady. “Your cousin fucked you, Javi. I got the docs to show he’s been skimmin’ money off Michele’s operation for years. Don’t wanna have to kill ya, but I’m not gonna lose any sleep puttin’ a bullet in you.”

“I’m not the kind of man to let this slide, Ragnes.”

I move sliding to sit up against the wall as my blood mixes with Antonio’s. The stench of death fills the area while Collector is at a stand off with Javi.

Deacon comes from the stair way as I pant in pain. “Where’s Michele?” I ask as he rushes to me to access my health. He doesn’t answer me but gets to work on my injuries.

“See outnumbered today Javi.” Collector explains as Deacon presses on my leg just above the bullet wound and I cry out as the fire sears through me again.

“Then fuckin’ shoot me!”

“I was told from a mutual friend you are a man who understands when a debt is paid in full. The debt Paul Forbes owed to you is paid. The debt Rowdy owed you is no more. Michele Presley does not exist to you. She’s as cold as the metal grave marker for Michele Forbes.”

“And if I say no?”

“You die, your mother dies, and your organization is handed over to the Dominguez family on a silver fuckin’ platter.”

Javi Almanza blanches at the mention of his mother while I bite back my pain as Deacon works on my wounds.

“Fine,” Javi finally concedes.

“You should know a few things, Almanza. Our connections will clean up this mess. We have a man on your mother while she’s living out her retirement. You make one wrong move towards Rowdy, me, or any of our club and I’ll start with your mother and kill ever person close to you while I single-handedly move your entire organization into the hands of Maricio Dominguez and his associates.”

“You kill mi primo, you shoot me, and now you want me to walk away.”

A shot goes off from behind Collector landing in Javi’s thigh. He drops to the ground grabbing his leg.

“Look fucker, enough chit chat. You either get to live to see another day or you die. You wanna die, I’ll give you that. You wanna live, which I’m sure your mother dear Estella would appreciate then live. We leave here, we go on and you go on like our paths have never crossed.” Trapper explains as he comes down to stand over Javi.

Javi spits on Trapper’s boot.

“Tisk, tisk. You wanna spit, spit, although I prefer when bitches swallow. I get it, you are a man with pride, yada, yada. Today, I woke up and said I wanted to die. Shit didn’t happen. You woke up and thought you would make some money pushin’ some dope. Disappointments happen.” Trapper is on a roll.

Deacon ties off the stitches on my side and begins to clean out the entry wound in my leg from being shot.

“We just wanna get our boy, climb on our bikes, and not look back. You gonna let us do that, or do you get my wish today and you die?”

“Fuckin’ put the bullet in men, asshole.”

Trapper squats down to get eye to eye with Javi Almanza. “Okay, but you should know you die, there is no one left to protect dear Estella from your enemies.” Trapper sighs dramatically. “Senior citizens aren’t really my thing, but I hear Dominguez likes wrinkled pussy. And I know the man you pay to take care of Estella’s lawn, well, you should know he came to America after the beautiful Mari Belle Dominguez broke up with him. Just like you he’s tasted her sweet essence and fell hard and fast for the Mexican beauty who stole your heart, and her brother Maricio stole your eye. Well, the man you have doin’ your mom’s lawn, his loyalty ain’t to you, buddy. He’d do anything to get Mari Belle back, including risk his life working for you in a shit position just to report to Maricio about your mother and any activity at her house.” Trapper pulls out his phone and shows Javi all the information we gathered on the Almanza family as well as their long time rival with Maricio Dominguez. Javi watches on the screen while occasionally Trapper switches screens with a swipe of his fingertip. Javier Almanza and Maricio Dominguez were once best of friends. Then the beautiful Mari Belle grew up and caught the eye of Javi who, at the time, was at Maricio’s right hand. Needless to say, things didn’t end well between them and their families have been divided for years.

“Mari Belle is a beautiful woman. Those hips,” Trapper whistles. “The little dimples in her plump ass, those are the best. You wanna see the videos? She is a kinky kitten. She gives it so freely now after making you wait and work so long for her pussy.”

Something in Javi changes.

“Get the fuck out!”

Trapper stands and holsters his weapon as Deacon begins to stitch my leg after getting the bullet out.

“Need your word,” Collector tells him.

“On my word, you and your crew are safe. This is your one pass. Get the fuck out! My people clean up. None of you were here, nothing touches you and we NEVER cross paths again or then it’s every man for himself.”

Deacon pulls me to stand. I get dizzy from the pain and blood loss.

He smacks my face. “Get with it, Rowdy, gotta ride.”

“Michele?” I ask again.

He grips my shoulder. “Sonnie’s got her and they’ve all headed to the check point. Just gotta get you on that bike outside and hit the road, brother. She’s safe.”

Deacon helps me to the door. Just as I get ready to walk out, Collector stands over Javi, leaning down to grab his weapon.

“You keep your word, we’ll honor ours. You’re safe, your mother’s safe, and your business goes on as usual without Mcihele. You cross us, I’ll let Trapper play games with your mother’s body before he finally puts her out of her misery and you will receive pieces of her in the mail. You fuck us, and I wear tear apart your entire operation, giving every single dime you have and have the potential to earn in the future to Dominguez.”

Javi Almanza agrees through gritted teeth. “You have my word.”

Deacon helps me on my bike while Collector settles on his. Trapper is the last to exit the building, yelling out behind him, “Pleasure’s all mine, Javi.”

We don’t wait to see what Javi Almanza is going to do. Pushing through the pain, I ride off with my only focus being about getting to Michele.

This is our second chance. I’m not going to miss this opportunity. Not being stabbed, getting shot will stop me from having her in my life again.