CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Starlet
Leaning on Angel as we walk down the hallway that leads to the common room in the clubhouse, I come to a complete standstill when I hear Silver’s laughter. I can’t do this … I just can’t. Determined to run out the back door, I start to turn around. Angel slips an arm around my waist and whispers near my ear, “You can do this.”
I nod, completely unprepared for what I’m going to say to Silver. I continue walking, and we turn the corner together. My future husband is sitting at the dining room table, surrounded by Iron Norsemen and his own officers from the Crusaders. From what I can see, they’re getting on famously, like they’ve known each other forever.
Angel coughs intentionally and all attention shifts our way, followed by uncomfortable silence. Silver eyes me up and down, then stands.
“Starlet,” he says as he moves toward me.
Angel steps away, and I’m left all alone, waiting to see what Silver intends to do to me. There’s no malice in his features as he approaches. We’re inches apart now, and I gaze up at him. “Hello.”
He kisses my cheek and searches for my hands—both of which are tucked behind my back. That doesn’t stop him, he takes one and turns us both around to face our audience. “We owe you thanks for making this reunion possible,” Silver starts. “I searched for Starlet endlessly when she disappeared. Now we can go home and start over.”
Nearly everyone in the room claps their hands, deceived by Silver’s good looks and false charm.
“Is there somewhere we can go for privacy?” he asks.
“Outside is a great place,” Eagle offers. “Follow the footpath to the river. There’s chairs down there. No one will disturb you.”
Silver nods his thanks and tugs me along like a chastised child. I have no choice but to go. I feel sluggish and unsure of myself—like I’m living someone else’s nightmare. Because nowhere in my heart and mind did I think I’d be doing this again.
Once we reach the area near the river, Silver looks around, let’s go of my hand, and pushes me down in one of the lawn chairs. I swallow hard as he towers over me—the anger I didn’t see before evident on his face. “You little bitch,” he says. “Did you think you’d find protection here? You’ve got nothing to offer anyone, Starlet. Nothing they’d want, anyway. Only reason you’re not dead, I intend to keep a promise this club made to your father years ago…”
“You want my uterus,” I say.
That stops him short for a second. Then he smiles—but not the kind of smile that warms me up, it has quite the opposite effect, sending a chill slithering up my spine. “Yeah—you put that better than I ever could. Your fucking uterus is the only thing I want.”
“Please,” I beg, knowing the effort is useless. “Just let me go. I’m sure there’s another woman…”
“Two more,” he points out. “Spindle and Aurora.”
Oh God. Spindle is a passaround, aptly named for the way she spins around a stripper pole. Aurora is a club friend—apparently ready to claim her spot as a more permanent fixture. “I don’t care who you fuck,” I say. “As long as it’s not me.”
He growls, reaches down, and grabs a clump of my hair. He extracts me from the chair and gives me a violent shake. “There’s that mouth—the real Starlet.” He forces my head back. “Keep your opinions to yourself. Don’t talk to me unless I ask you to. Don’t say a word to anyone. Silence is your new best friend, Starlet, the only way you’re going stay alive long enough to pop out a couple kids. Heartless was smart enough to off your mother before she had a chance to bond with you. That fucking whore was the same as you…”
I don’t know what comes over me, but the mention of my mother being murdered by my father makes me want to kill him. I slap Silver’s face. I gasp when he lets go of me and stumbles back a step, not from the force of my hit, but shocked by what I did. Instead of running, I just stand there like an idiot, a deer caught in headlights, waiting to be punished. Because there’s no way I’m walking out of here without something big happening, I just struck the president of the Devil’s Crusaders. No one gets away with that.
“Thank you,” he says coming at me. “Thank you for giving me a reason to beat you stupid.” He pushes me so hard, I can barely stay upright. I back into one of the chairs, but he kicks it out of the way and shoves me again, the butt of his hand hitting me in the chest.
“Fucking little whore,” he yells, forcing me closer and closer to the riverbank. “You’re a waste of time—stupid—useless—nothing more than a cum dumpster.” He raises his hand and I close my eyes.
Pain is coming… My senses start to shut down. I do what I’ve always done in the past, disconnect mentally, singing a song in my head. Ignore the man, feel less pain.
“Motherfucker…” I hear a deep voice … not Silver’s.
I open my eyes and scream. Brick lifts Silver off the ground and body slams him into the table, shattering the glass top as Silver’s body falls through, landing in the grass. Oh. My. God. What should I do? I cover my mouth with both hands and watch helplessly as Brick throws himself on top of Silver and starts punching him repeatedly in the head and face.
“This one’s for Starlet, asshole. This one’s for me…” The sound of his knuckles making contact with skin and bone is horrifying. “Cum dumpster? Who’s the little bitch now, Silver?”
A gunshot goes off behind us and I raise my head, my eyes focusing on the group of people who have gathered nearby. It’s Eagle. Jesus, please…
“Get off him, Brick.”
My gaze shoots to my savior, who doesn’t listen, but lands another blow. Is Silver even conscious? Alive?
Another punch follows.
“Go!” Eagle directs two of the Iron Norsemen to stop Brick.
Another hit…
“Christ, Brick,” the older brother says, trying to get him off Silver.
“Come on, man,” the second kneels beside Brick. “As is, he’s gonna need a hospital and reconstructive surgery.”
Together, the brothers manage to drag Brick back a couple of feet. He’s limp in their grasp, bloodied and sweat-soaked—fury seeping out of every pore.
I fall to my knees, a cramp in my side. That’s when I see Checkers come at me, his pistol drawn. He reaches me and holds the end of the barrel to my temple. “Should have done this a long time ago.” He cocks the weapon.
I hold my breath as my gaze shoots to Brick. He’s the last face I want to see before I leave this world—my only piece of happiness—my only chance at love. “I love you,” I whisper.
“Love who?” Checkers spits.
Brick scrambles to his knees, his .45 aimed at Checkers. “Let her go. Now.”
“Don’t do it,” I yell at Brick. “Let me go. Let me die.” I can’t live like this anymore. I won’t, even if I have to pull the trigger myself. I grab ahold of the end of Checkers’ gun, making sure it stays pressed against my temple. I won’t let innocents die for me, especially Brick. “Do it. You’ve always wanted to.”
Our gazes lock, and somehow, through the haze of fear and anger, I recognize a look of surprise and respect in Checkers’ eyes, though he’ll never admit it.
“Do it. Please.” Now I’m pleading and begging. Maybe if I die now, I’ll meet my mother in heaven, maybe purgatory—though hell is a more fitting pace. A better place than this cruel life.
“Drop your weapon,” Eagle demands.
Checkers doesn’t budge, neither does Brick. All three of us could die if Eagle gives the command. His club matters, not us.
“Lower your fucking gun,” Brick calls out.
“Can’t do it.” Checkers eyes Silver lying motionless on the ground. “Regardless of the outcome here, Starlet is gonna die for this. There’s no coming back, sweetheart.” I feel his fingers shift on the trigger, hear another click and wait for the boom.
Only thing, the boom isn’t from his gun.
As Checkers falls, I hear, “I claim Starlet Vega as my old lady.”