“Tell me, Zeek, why are you really here?” Bull questions, crossing his arms.
“Uncle Frank,” I look back at Lip, whose eyes flash at the name. The way it slips off my tongue could be compared to someone announcing they have cancer. “He played me, all this time he’s been trying to take the club from me. He finally did, and has turned most of my club, and Las Vegas, against me.”
“Why the hell do I care?” Lip pushes.
“Cause we’re fucking brothers, because it’s your club too even if you want nothing to do with it.”
“We’re not—”
“Shut up, Lip,” Bull orders.
“But that’s not the reason I’m here. I’m here to save—”
A strangled cry sounds from the street, and all the hairs on the back of my neck rise. All the pain in my body drains into pure rage.
“Zeek!” Jillian screams. A blond-haired guy has her by the upper arm escorting her toward us.
Jillian slams her elbow in the crook of his arms, making him hunch over in pain. She then slams the back of her fist in his face, and bolts up the street.
“Kane, get her,” Bull orders.
I step forward, ready to fucking blow everyone’s head off. I shouldn’t have come here.
“Easy, son. We aren’t going to hurt her, we just don’t want any surprises is all.” Bull insists, holding his hand up to my chest.
“You fucking let her go!” I demand, pointing at him.
Kane, and the Ken doll looking motherfucker have Jillian by each arm, hauling her toward us.
“Get your fucking hands off her now!” I warn, my trigger finger feeling antsy.
“Bobby, you alright?” Bull asks the pretty boy looking fucker.
“Bitch can fight,” Bobby groans, wiping the blood from his lip.
They push Jillian in my arms, and she clings to me like a lifeline. Wrapping my arms around her, I comfort her.
“Who’s the bitch?” Bull asks, jutting his head toward her.
“She’s mine.” I push her behind me, in an act of protecting her.
“Old lady?”
“Yes.” I look over at Lip. “Our uncle is after her.”
Bull nods, and scratches his head with the barrel of his gun.
“Why?”
“He thinks she knows shit about his way of operation, and now he wants us both dead.”
“Sounds like a mess. What else am I missing?” Bull sounds agitated. He can sense I’m not telling him everything and I’m not. I’m not telling them she’s a sheriff, ‘cause they won’t understand. They’re bikers, and in the creed of a biker, law enforcement is the enemy.
“Why’d you run like a pussy?” Lip quips.
“Because Frank went after his woman, now Zeek is protecting her. I get it,” Bull adds, already knowing the answer to Lip’s question.
I nod.
“Funny, you didn’t seem to care when you took my woman,” Lip barks. Fuck, I did kidnap his girl, I didn’t hurt her though, or have any intention of doing so. I was just trying to get Lip’s attention, nothing else was working back then.
“You what?” Jillian whispers from behind me.
“So you thought maybe brother dearest and his club will keep you and your bitch safe. Who cares that you killed a member of their club, is that it?” Bull paces back and forth, putting the pieces together.
“That’s not it. I’m not saying your member’s blood was shed unprovoked—”
“You said you wouldn’t apologize for it,” Shadow reminds, arms crossed.
“I said I wouldn’t apologize; doesn’t mean I don’t regret it.”
Bull smirks, but not in that happy way, more of a sarcastic way.
“Did spilling Tom Cat’s blood make you turn to God or something? Did it make you look at the bigger picture that is life? Is that it?” He taunts.
My left hand balls into a fist. “Don’t get cute.” I’m treading on a fine line of fucking going ballistic.
His humor falls, and before I can react Bobby and Shadow grip my arms tightly. Jillian grabs at my shirt, yelling for them to get off me.
“I’ll tell you what’s cute, you showing up here thinking you wouldn’t pay the price for our fallen brother.”
Jillian screams, as Kane wraps his arms around her like a straight jacket.
“Get off her!” I try to fight through the hold of Bobby and Shadow, wanting to get to Jillian.
Bull turns away, and in the blink of an eye a fist slams into my eye. The impact snapping my head back. Warmth and pain spread along the left side of my face and my vision blurs instantly.
“Fuuuuck,” I mutter, my head hanging down.
“After I’m done with you, you’re going to wish your uncle got ahold of you first,” Bull rasps in my face.
“Screw you!” I spit blood in his face that ran from my eye, pooling in between my lips.
One by one, each member slams their fists into me. My head is pounding. My ribs screaming. My mouth busted and bleeding. But none of it is as painful as the fearful screams that erupt from Jillian’s mouth. The few glimpses I have of her before another strike to my body, it hurts worse than anything.