Chapter 27
Esme buried her hands in her hair as she took a step back.
This can’t be happening.
This is not happening.
“It wasn’t supposed to go down like that. We met, alone, so we could talk about what he was doing. He got defensive, pulled his gun. We fought, Esme. I kept telling him that we could work it out, but he was adamant that he didn't want to do that! I tried to reason with him. I swear to you, I didn't mean for that to happen when I got there. I was willing to let it go for the sake of the club if it meant that you’d be safe,” He explained.
Esme pressed a trembling hand to her mouth.
“So, what? You shot him?”
Axel shook his head as he glanced between her and Prettyboy.
Esme couldn't even look at Prettyboy while she waited to hear the devastating truth from Axel.
“He came at me one last time, and we ended up on the ground. He hit his head, Esme. I didn't mean for him to get hurt, I just- I wanted him to listen to reason! If someone found out what he'd done, they could bring it to the table and then I’d have to kill him. You know how this works, baby.”
Esme choked on a sob as she shook her head.
“That should make your choice easier, little girl. Axel killed your old man!”
Andy’s voice had her spine stiffening as she cried.
She could hear the gloating in his tone as he smiled in her direction, but he didn't deny what Axel was saying.
"Is he telling the truth?," She asked.
Andy was still grinning in her direction when he said, "Yeah, he's telling the truth. We were gonna take over Axel's club from the inside, but Tango blew that plan right out of the water."
My God, Chris was a traitor.
The worst kind, too, because I know for a fact that Axel saved him from living on the streets.
"I should have known..."
“No! Esme, look at me. Look at me, damn it!”
She dropped her hands so she could see into Axel’s face.
“You know I would never hurt you. I loved Chris like a brother, and I wanted what was best for him, but he’d started sampling the product. He was snorting coke all the time, Esme-”
“No! He wasn’t, I would know!,” She argued.
Axel’s eyes were filled with pity as he shook his head.
“Baby, yes he was.”
“He’s telling you the truth,” Prettyboy said.
She looked at him.
“You knew about this?”
She was afraid that he'd say yes and that she would have to feel his betrayal for the first time.
“No. I didn’t know that he was a traitor, but I’ve seen him snort coke myself, Esme.”
Esme’s head was spinning. Logically, she knew that Axel wasn’t a liar. He’d always been honest with her, about everything, but this?
This was way beyond a lie.
“How could you keep this from me? You said you loved me! You don’t hurt someone if you love them,” She said.
“Esme, how could I tell you? I didn't want to ruin your memory of him. What he did to the club had nothing to do with the way he treated you. He loved you,” Axel argued.
Shit!
What he’s saying makes sense.
Esme had no idea what to do, but she did know what she couldn't do. She couldn’t kill either one of them.
No matter what Andy said there was no guarantee that he’d let them go or leave their clubs alone, and Esme couldn't fight a room full of armed men. Even if she was as good a shot as she needed to be to pull that off, they were already aimed and ready to fire.
She’d lose them both…
“Shoot me, Esme.”
Prettyboy’s voice was filled with pain as he looked up at her.
“No!”
Axel’s voice was loud in the silent room.
“If she shoots me, you let Axel go.”
“That’s the deal.”
Prettyboy’s green eyes met hers, and she could see the tears welling up behind his dark lashes.
“Axel will figure this out. Ox won’t let anything happen to the rest of the club, Esme. Axel will take care of you. He’s done a damn good job. He’s your family,” Prettyboy said.
She searched his face, looking for any weakness, but she didn't find any.
Esme choked on her own tears.
“You’re my family.”
Prettyboy smiled sadly, one tear slipping down his scarred cheek.
“You gave me a taste of one, yeah. I love you. I’m so proud of you, beautiful. But, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let you shoot the man who’s been there from the start.”
“Fuck, Prettyboy no!”
I can’t do this.
“Yes, Axel. It’s the only way. One of us has to go, and it’s gotta be me. They won't let us out of here otherwise. You have an entire club to run, and I know you and Ox will get revenge. I trust you to take care of Esme. You’ll get her through this,” Prettyboy said hotly.
What he said was true; they were outnumbered, outgunned, and killing Axel wouldn't solve anything…
Neither will killing my old man!
How can he even ask me to do this?
Esme thought her tears would strangle her as she stepped towards him.
His jade eyes were back on her as he nodded jerkily towards the gun.
“Lift your hand, baby.”
“No!”
“Yes, Esme! This is an order. You don't defy your old man, and you know that. Right now this is club business. Raise your fuckin’ hand,” He demanded.
“Better do as he says, Esmeralda. Otherwise I’ll let Marcus do it for you,” Andy said.
The man standing behind Prettyboy pressed his gun against the back of his skull.
“Why are you making me do this? Why?!,” She cried.
Andy laughed sadistically as he shrugged.
“It’s fun for me. What can I say? I like to have my cake and eat it too.”
Esme was crying so hard she could barely see through her own tears, but she knew that what Prttyboy said made sense. She was trying to stall for as long as she could, but Andy was already bouncing from foot to foot.
“Esme, don’t do this. We’ll figure something out!,” Axel argued.
Esme was so confused from everything she’d just found out about Chris. She didn't know who to trust, she had no idea what to do.
I can’t kill him.
I won’t kill him.
Prettyboy heaved a breath as he said , “It’s time, beautiful.”
“But, I love you,” She said softly.
Prettyboy’s jaw tensed and his bottom lip trembled for the barest of seconds.
“I love you, too.”
Esme had one hand pressed against her chest as she slowly raised the gun, her aim pointed to right between his eyes. Her hand was shaking so badly she knew she’d never get a clean shot off.
She thought about closing her eyes, but that wouldn't work. She had no choice but to look him in the eyes and do it.
The moonlight was bright over head, so bright that she stopped to look up, and her eyes met Limit’s. She blinked, wondering if she was seeing things, but he was still there when she opened her eyes again.
He was gone in a flash, but she knew that if he was outside, the rest of the club wasn't far behind. There was only one more thing she could do to stall.
With a deep shuddering breath, she turned the gun on herself.
“What if I just blow my own brains out? Then no one wins,” She said.
Andy, Axel, and Prettyboy all shouted at the same time.
“NO!”
“Put the fuckin’ gun down!”
“You stupid bitch!”
While it was true that Axel had lied to her and that her dead husband was apparently someone she didn't know at all. She’d never be able to shoot the love of her life or Axel.
Prettyboy was too important to her, and once this shit was all over, she was going to ream his ass for ever thinking she’d follow an order like that one.
Prettyboy was a stupid, kind, brave man and she'd be fucking lost without him.
She'd rather shoot herself in the head then ever hurt him.
“Put the gun down, you dumb cunt!”
Esme made a show of cocking it.
Andy was obviously wary of getting too close to her, she could tell. He was tip-toeing around her chair, his arms out as if that alone could stop her if she really wanted to shoot herself.
Maybe he thought she’d shoot him too, but she couldn't do that.
Not until she knew that the rest of the club was there, not until she knew Prettyboy and Axel would be safe.
I don’t care about me as long as they’re okay.
Stay calm and check to see if Limit is still on the roof!
As she discreetly glanced towards the skylight again, she caught sight of Limit perched on his belly, aiming a high powered rifle towards the man standing behind Prettyboy. Once she got Limit’s attention she tried as hard as she could to make him understand that if he shot the man behind Prettyboy, she’d shoot the man behind Axel.
Andy didn't have a gun, so it would solve the entire equation in one go.
“Come on, Esme. Put the gun down,” Prettyboy said gently.
He looked scared out of his mind and if he was, then good, because she’d been terrified when he'd ordered her to kill him.
Limit waved a finger at her, signaling for her to move over, so she did.
It was the longest four seconds of her life. From the time she stepped aside until the moment the skylight shattered all around them like fucking glass confetti. Esme didn't hesitate before she fired three shots into the man standing behind Axel, and he hit the floor the same time the man behind Prettyboy did. Her screams ripped through the air when she realized what she’d just done, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it.
Bodies entered the warehouse like ants on a hill, and through the crowd, she searched for the one man who’d caused the entire mess: Andy.
As the chaos ensued, she caught a glimpse of Andy trying his best to run away, but through the rush of adrenaline urging her to move, she aimed his own gun at him.
You can do this, Esme.
Be like Rayna.
Just shoot-
Her finger caressed the trigger twice, shooting him in the spine.
Andy fell to the floor immediately, his blood coating the cement floor, but Esme had to check to see if he was dead. She couldn't leave it to chance that he could come after her or Prettyboy again.
Make sure he’s dead.
I have to make sure he can’t find me ever again.
Tasha was screaming at the top of her lungs, and Esme thought about killing her too, but she figured she’d leave that to someone else. Her hands were still shaking fiercely as she stepped towards Andy’s lifeless body, her eyes wet with tears.
The floor was sticky with his warm blood and it clung to her bare feet as she stood before him.
I killed someone, I killed someone, I killed someone…
Andy was groaning from his spot on the ground, and when he turned to look up at her, Esme raised the gun.
“Go ahead, you biker whore! You’re gonna get yours, you just watch! You’re gonna pay for this-”
“How’s your cake taste now?,” She whimpered.
Esme pulled the trigger and gasped when his head fell back against the pavement.
It’s over.
It’s fucking over.
The urge to vomit was strong enough to make her wince, but she ignored it as best she could. Esme was shaking so hard that she dropped the gun to the floor beside his head. She started to step backwards but his blood was slick, and she suddenly found herself scrambling on her hands and knees to get away from his body.
She lifted her palms and saw the ruby red liquid clinging to her skin.
I’m a murderer.
“I killed him,” She whispered brokenly.
Strong hands helped her to her feet again, and when she turned, she saw Fury watching her with worried eyes.
“Shit, are you okay?,” Fury asked.
He obviously noticed the blood on her hands, because he held her wrists in his tight grip for a moment before he released her.
His question finally resonated with her and she realized how poetic it was that he’d asked her that when she'd been asking herself that for months…
Am I okay?
Despite the word vomit and actual vomit clogging her throat, she only nodded because what the fuck was she supposed to say? That her previous old man was a lying, junkie traitor? That her president had lied to her for almost a year? That her new old man had almost (gallantly) manipulated her into killing him? That she’d just murdered two people?
Nothing makes sense.
There was nothing that she could say at that moment that could portray the truest depths of her agony, so she tore through Prettyboy’s bindings and wrapped her arms around him as soon as he was free.
Her brain was ready to shut down after doing what she’d just gone through.
She was now officially an old lady.
The sound of gunfire was minimal and ended almost as soon as it began, but Esme didn't care.
She’d done a lot of things for Chris, for Prettyboy, but she’d never committed murder for anyone. She certainly hadn’t been held hostage against her will before, either.
The entire room faded away when she pressed her mouth to Prettyboy’s.
“You dumb, arrogant, selfish asshole!,” She chastised as she pressed kisses to both cheeks.
His hands were everywhere all at once, but he didn't seem to care about the blood covering the front of her dress or her hands.
Esme gripped his cut with both hands and worked her mouth over his until she was sure that he was okay, that he was still breathing and that the entire evening wasn't some fucked up nightmare.
Her mouth ached and her side was on fire, but at that moment all she needed was to feel his heartbeat against hers.
“I fuckin’ love you, Esme. I’m so sorry,” He said into her ear.
“Shut up. Later, when we’re alone we can talk about it, and we will. But, right now I need you to hold me.”
Prettyboy wrapped his arms around her as Axel and Fury joined them.
“Place is cleared out. The rest of his crew is gone or dead. What the fuck happened?,” Fury asked.
Esme shook her head.
“We’ll talk about this later. Back at the clubhouse. I need to get her out of here,” Prettyboy said roughly.
All around them, Esme could see familiar faces moving in and out of the warehouse. She wanted to speak, but she was so overwhelmed that everything felt heavy and numb. Like her soul had fallen asleep, and she needed to wake it back up.
Prettyboy lifted her into his arms, and against her protests, pressed her face into his chest and carried her outside.
“I’m sorry,” She whispered.
“Don’t you dare apologize.”
“I wanted to shoot them all, but I was afraid they would kill you first,” She admitted.
“Esmeralda Quinn, stop it right now. None of us knew how to handle that shit show back there,” He said.
Ox met them halfway, his worried gaze sweeping over the both of them.
“She okay? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but she needs medical attention. Fucker poked her with a cattle prod,” Prettyboy said.
“Shit, is that it? Anything else?”
“We’ll talk about it back at the clubhouse. Right now I need to get her home so she can rest,” He said.
“Of course. Here, take my car back. It’s parked down the road,” Ox said.
“You sure?”
“As long as it doesn't find it’s way back to Myrtle Beach, yeah.”
Prettyboy smiled at the mention of the infamous Myrtle Beach incident where Rayna and Fury were ambushed by the Blazin’ Eagles, the club that had held Rayna captive for three months.
“I won’t leave your car anywhere but outside the clubhouse.”
Ox handed him the keys.
Esme wondered how he was going to carry her that far on his bad leg, but he didn't complain. He held her closer to him, whispered sweet things in her ear, told her she was a damn good old lady. Once Ox’s Mustang came into view, Prettyboy eased her onto her feet.
She was still missing a shoe and her mouth tasted like blood, but she wanted to kiss him. To touch him, to feel him, to convince herself that he was okay and that they were alive.
“Stop crying, beautiful. It’s gonna be okay.”
“I pointed a gun at you.”
“You weren’t going to shoot me.”
Esme swallowed a gasp.
“How do you know?”
“Because I know you.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her.
“Get in the car. I’m taking you home, and then we can hash this out for as long as you need.”
Esme didn't say a word, but she did get into Ox’s car and the second the door closed behind her, she burst into tears.