Chapter Twelve
Hendrix
I want like fucking hell to be pissed at her, but I can’t.
Three months ago. Three fucking months ago she got caught in his damn web. The scar on the back of her neck reminds me that he had her first and as much as I hate it, I know why he did it.
Hallum isn’t fucking stupid. He is one of the smartest little bastards I know and the way his mind works isn’t normal.
He’s always had a plan that involved her. The moment that Ryder took away the only other thing he cared about, his focus turned to hatred and revenge. Now I’m the one who gets to suffer at the hands of my own blood.
I may have written him off years ago, but I would never kill him unless I had to. Unless he threatened my family and that is exactly what he did. My own flesh and blood don't give two shits about the life he stole.
A plan is being put in place, one that ensures that I kill my own brother.
Staring at the girl I fell in love with by accident, I can’t help but see how scared she is. She has no idea that thoughts that are currently running through my head right now or the things that I want to do to her for lying to me.
I’m pissed that I can’t be mad enough at her to just write her out of my life completely. Shit would be so much easier if I didn’t have to live with this crap.
I reach a hand out, and she just stares at it. “I don’t bite, babe.” An eyebrow raises, and I just grin back at her. “Okay, fine… I might.” She just shakes her head slightly, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
“What’s going to happen?” The question is asked so quietly that I almost miss it.
“I’m going to kill him.”
Her eyes widen as she puts her hand in mine and I stand up, pulling her up with me. “He’s your brother.”
I shrug. “Family can be the worst when it comes to hurting you. Hallum took the life of someone that didn’t have a chance to fight. He killed our child. I can’t forgive or forget that. Blood for blood.”
Tears start to fall down her face. Pulling her into my chest, I hold her until the sobs stop. She hasn’t let herself feel the loss of the baby, and I know that it’s going to destroy her when she finally does. I can see it all over her face that she liked the idea of having my kid, even if she would have been scared as hell.
“We were going to be parents.” Her words break, and I squeeze my eyes shut.
The anger raging in my body makes me want to go and find that son of a bitch and kill him right now, but I can’t. We have a plan, and I have to stick to it no matter how much I want to deviate.
“Let’s get you back to bed.” I wrap my arm around her waist and lead her toward the bed.
She looks around the room almost like she doesn’t want anyone to see her right now, but they already left. They went to finish up the details of the plan while I took care of her.
“I’m sorry I’ve caused so much chaos in your life. I never wanted to do any of this. I should have never –” I press my mouth to hers, shutting her up.
Her arms wrap around my neck, and I hold her body tightly to mine as I kiss her.
My lips hover right over hers as I speak. “Don’t blame yourself. He was bound to find someone else to do the same shit. He sought you out to make it that much worse on Ryder, and he knew my type. He did what he had to to get us to do what he wanted. I don’t blame you, just next time if you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll spank your ass.”
Her cheeks heat, and she looks away.
“I love you, Syd. That will never change.” I grab her chin with my hand and force her to look at me again. “Trust that I will always do everything in my power to protect you.”
Her head nods slightly, and she looks like she might start crying again. “I love you,” she whispers, holding me tighter.
Once I get her back to bed, I kiss her forehead and tell her, “I need to help them plan this shit. I’ll be back soon.”
She doesn’t say anything as I make my way toward the door and out into the clubhouse.
---
Two Weeks Later
The crisp air stings as we ride through the night. The plan has been set in place, and I am antsy as fuck to get this over with. I want it done so Syd doesn’t have to continue living in fear.
Cuts and bruises have healed, but nothing makes her feel safe anymore. I’m at a loss for what to do other than what I’m about to do.
Arms tighten around my waist, and I put my hand on her arm, hoping to settle her enough to get through it.
She was pissed when she found out what I was going to do, so she demanded that she gets to come along and help. The new plan turns out to be better because I’ll be dangling the carrot in front of Hallum. He’ll want her still, even if it’s only to hurt her.
Her pain kills me, and that is something he won’t pass up on. Not after the threat I made against him the last time we spoke.
We come to a stop at a club on the Strip. Hallum and I spent a few too many nights in this place. Pulling pieces of ass every night and fucking one or two of them before we even left the damn place. It was our escape. A way for us to be just regular people, not the scum that everyone saw us as when we were growing up.
Pulling into the casino parking lot, I find a place to park and shut off the engine. Syd gets off first, and I can’t help but grin as she adjusts her shirt dress. I hand her the clutch she stashed in my saddle bags before we left before getting off and pocketing my key.
“Are you ready, babe?” I ask, taking her in. She’s so fucking beautiful. Half the time, I don’t even think she realizes it. Everything about her is perfect like she is the product of my wet dreams as a kid.
Her hair is pin straight, and her makeup is smoky and heavier than normal. Not saying that I hate the look, but it sure isn’t the sassy-mouthed girl that I met back at the clubhouse that first day.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She checks her clutch before reaching out and grabbing my hand. Our fingers lace together, and I lead her toward the elevator that takes us up to the casino.
I run my fingers along her jaw before moving them to her hair, tangling my fingers in the strands. Her hands fist the front of my cut, and I pull her into a hungry kiss.
Even if shit goes wrong tonight, I would have been given the best fucking gift of my life. Sydney Stark. The elevator doors open and someone clears their throat as they get on, but I don’t give a fuck. I need this. I need to feel her one last time if it comes to that.
The elevator dings again and when the doors open, the woman clears out, leaving us still standing there. Just before the door can close, I stick my foot out, stopping it from closing.
“Let’s get this over with,” I murmur against her lips. She kisses me once more before she pulls away and walks through the doors to the casino.
I watch her ass as it moves side to side with every step she makes away from me and I groan. “Fuck…”
The guy walking on the elevator turns to look at Syd and lets out a low whistle. “Women like that are the ones you keep in your bed.”
I grin at him and nod my head. “You ain’t wrong about that. I’ll keep her riding me until she figures out I’m no good for her.” He laughs and slaps me on the back.
“Good luck with that.” I grin as the doors close, and I make my way to her.
As soon as we get through the doors to the club, I’m stopped for my cut. The asshole bouncer tries to get me to take it off, but I refuse. “How about you go fuck yourself and keep your hands off me.” I bite out when he says that it’s not allowed.
“We don’t allow gang colors in the club,” he states like I give a fuck what his little rules are.
Before I can say anything back to him about his gang comment, Sydney gets in between us and pushes her tits up and into the assholes face. They are about the same height with her heels, and now his eyes are attached to what is mine.
Just as I’m about to say something to him for putting his hand on her body, she leans in and whispers in his ear. A grin spreads across his face, and she pulls back, winking at the dick. His eyes come back to me, and he motions me inside. Grabbing Syd’s hand, I pull her inside with me.
As soon as we get near the bar to grab a drink, I ask what she said to him.
She shrugs like it was nothing, but I give her a look that gets her to tell me. “I said that I’d take him into one of the back rooms for a little fun if he just let you through this once.”
I grab the back of her neck and pull her mouth to mine. “You touch another man, and I’ll kill him.”
Her hands on my chest run under my cut and slide down my sides, stopping on my hips. “I don’t want anyone but you.”
Before I can respond to her, I feel the gun press into my back. My body tenses and she gives me a questioning glance before looking over my shoulder at who I can assume is Hallum.
“Move,” he demands. I grab Syd and push her in front of me, and we start walking toward the back of the club. As soon as we get behind the curtain that leads to a private room they use for parties, I turn around to face the little bastard.
“Sydney, why don’t you get comfortable. I mean, you’ve been playing my poor brother for far too long. The act can officially end now.”
I continue to stare at my own flesh and blood, but I feel nothing for him other than hatred.
When she doesn’t say anything or make a move to leave, he takes his eyes off me and looks at her for a moment, studying her.
“She loves you.” A sarcastic laugh bubbles up from his chest, and he shakes his head. “I knew he’d fall for you, but I didn’t think this would happen. I mean, you’re fucking beautiful, Sydney Stark. A real piece of heaven that any man would be lucky to have a taste of, I mean I did too. Big brother, I think your time with the plaything is about over. She needs to go back to being on her knees for me instead. I have some final plans for her before I’m –” he doesn’t get to finish that sentence because I strike him so hard that he stumbles to the right. The gun falls from his hand, and he’s too dazed to go after it.
Syd grabs it before moving behind me again. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, I pull him back to standing. “You won’t ever repeat another word about her.” I pull my knife out of my boot and slide it open.
“You wouldn’t,” he chokes out. I’m cutting off his windpipes, and I know that he’s struggling to get any air right now.
“I would. I’d gut you for what you stole from me without a second thought. You took my blood, my family, without regret.”
He goes to say something, but I plunge the knife into his stomach. His eyes widen as he stares at me trying to make sense of what just happened. His grip on my arm loosens, and he looks over at Syd for a second before looking back at me.
He starts to spit up blood and gasp for air as I push my knife deeper into him, pulling up with the blade. His body goes slack in my arms, and I lower him to the ground before pulling my knife out of his stomach.
Looking behind me at Sydney, I see the tears that are filling her eyes. When she looks up at me, I see the fear in them, the fear that I put there this time. It’s no one else’s fault but my own this time, and I can’t blame Hallum for it. He may have tortured her and beat her, but he never took a life in front of her.
“Syd.” I reach my hand out to her, and she looks down at it, blood covering my fingers. The blood of my brother.
She stands still as a statue for a few minutes before she puts her hand in mine and we walk through the halls toward a back exit that I’ve gone through before as a kid. We step out into the night, and the shadows hide us from the prying eyes of people who are out for a night on the town.