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Shadow
Tatiana has given up. I felt it when she shot that guy in the gut. It was the strangest thing. It was as if
all the sweet in her turned sour. She isn t sorry she shot the guy. She knew what she was doing, and
she knew what the result would be from the action she chose. All I can do is hold her until these
people are gone, because if someone so much as lays a finger on her, I will kill them.
When Rap hits the button to close the gate, everyone lets out a breath. We don t want to lose anyone
else. In my opinion, everyone is still in damn shock over Mace Jr. s death. It was a fast one. He came
out of nowhere.
Tatiana, I m not sugarcoatin this shit. You most likely killed that guy, ZZ tells her.
She shrugs against my body before she answers back. He pointed his gun at me. I m tired of guns
being pointed around here. At least he won t be able to point a gun at another innocent woman.
I chuckle and squeeze her closer to me as I tuck my gun back in the holster. ZZ hands me the one he
took from her, and I tuck it back in my waistband. I ll have to dispose of it later. I ll be damned if I
take the risk of Winter s mom turning the dead guy over to the cops, and the possibility of the bullet
and gun being traced back to Tea.
Tatiana, go inside. I have to talk with Shadow, ZZ orders her and everyone scatters.
Prez took off as soon as the gate closed, no doubt to bitch at Winter for getting out of bed and risking
her and the baby s health.
I watch her retreat inside before I turn back to ZZ. I can t believe she fuckin did that, I hiss and let
my frustration finally show.
She s gone cold. My daughter has gone fuckin cold. Losing my son hit her harder than she s letting
on, he says with a beat down tone.
ZZ, brother, I gotta get outta here for a while. Danick called. He has a shit ton of leads on his wife s
murder. I hate that I am bringing this up, but he needs to know I won t be here. My friend needs my
help, and I can t go back on my word.
Your mentor, Danick? ZZ rubs his nose between his fingers.
I give a jerk of my head to answer his question.
And you gave him your word?
I did. I pull out my smokes, light one, and offer him one, too.
No brother goes back on their word.
Shit, man, I ve got to go to my son s parents, and she can t be left here without one of us. Storm
refuses to let me do this on my own. Tatiana ll need you.
I already know that she does. I don t know what to do. I take a puff of my cig and inhale the biggest hit
of nicotine.
Take her with you.
He s got to be joking. I m heading straight into shit worse than this, and he wants me to take her with
me? He s fucking lost his ever loving mind!
I m dealin with the Italian mob, brother. It s safe here, and she won t be safe with me if she goes.
She can t go. She s fucked up enough over her brother dying, and now shooting this fucker. She thinks
she isn t showing it, but she is. The pain laced in her words and her movement assures us of that.
She can t, I argue.
ZZ takes a hit off of the cigarette and blows out some smoke. Take her. Keep her safe, but let her see
how dangerous shit actually is out there. It s easy here, but she thinks it isn t. This is not even one
percent of the fucked up shit in this world.
He s right, but why the hell does he want me to take her with me and show her that? I do not
understand his logic on this one.
She shot a fucker! Take her with you, and see if she s really hardened or if it s a show. Do you think
I would insist that my daughter go with you after losing my son? I trust you with her life. She ll see
that this is peaches and cream compared to the shit you re about to get into. If you have problems and
you have to send her back, I ll come get her if it gets serious.
There is no detouring him on this. He s deadset and not changing his mind. I don t have to take her,
but he definitely has guilted me into it. I don t want her by herself, and if Storm and ZZ are going to
Mace Jr. s adoptive parents without her, I m not leaving her here with the stress of Winter s
pregnancy and all the other bullshit. I ll figure a way to sway her away from all the bad shit.
I trust you with my daughter s life, Shadow. You wanted to be with her, so be with her, he says in a
tired voice.
I do want to be with her, but at what cost? Her accidentally getting caught in the crossfire? Is my
wanting to be with her worth that? I ll have to watch her back, my own, and help Danick at the same
time, but it sounds like ZZ needs me to do this as bad as Danick needs my help.
ZZ is tired. Everyone is over it all. The bloodshed, the wars over drugs, business takeovers, and top
that off with Winter s stressful pregnancy and Mace Jr. s death. The entire club is depressed and
morale is down a significant amount.
I ll take her with me. We ll leave first thing in the morning, so you need to go tell her bye.
ZZ doesn t wait for me to say anything else. He takes off inside without another word. I ve never
prayed a day in my life, but I think I m going to start. I don t think our club can handle any more loss.
***
Tatiana
Last night, when my dad told me that I was leaving with Shadow, I don t know what was going
through my head. Dad warned me that I was heading towards shit I ve never been around my entire
life. The Italian mob. They re ruthless, cunning, and devious, he said.
For my own father to let me leave with Shadow is not something I would have expected after losing
my brother, but knowing my father, this is to show me that my life is easier than others. He always has
a plan behind his motives, and I am not naïve enough to think there isn t a motive behind this.
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