Chapter 16—Cruz
Rabbit agreed to meet with us in a large cotton field just outside of Sumner. We cased out the spot earlier in the day and didn’t find anywhere where men could hide. With the cotton, just getting picked, even staying low they would be exposed. We had Tug and Breaker in the cages fully armed with autos and everything else we might need, and of course, Liv.
As we rolled up, we parked our bikes methodically in a row, with Diamond’s first. How the old man still hung with everyone like he was thirty was beyond me, but he made me damn proud to be at this side.
Rabbit’s crew stood next to him, guns in their hands at their sides. We expected this to be heavy, but were hoping for the best, and with the amount of firepower we all had, we hoped smoothly. When Diamond talked to Rabbit on the phone, he didn’t want to meet, but in pure Diamond fashion, he worked it out.
“Princess killed my girl, and you killed three of my men,” Rabbit stated matter-of-factly while Diamond stood in front of him, each of us flanking his sides, guns in hand.
“No, she didn’t. Your ol’ lady was a cheat. As for your men, they were selling blow in our business, you knew that was a no-go.”
“Bullshit!” Rabbit’s hand on his gun was starting to pulsate. He wanted to shoot.
Diamond held his hands up in front of him as he was the only one of us who didn’t have a gun in his hand. “Gonna pull an envelope out of my rag.” When Rabbit nodded flippantly, Diamond pulled out the manila envelope that was delivered earlier this morning by Deara’s connections. She really came through for us.
Diamond pulled out pictures of Babs and Liv f*cking like animals in Liv’s apartment. He showed Rabbit picture after picture as his jaw ticked. “So you see, Rabbit, your girl was a lying slut. Playing you. And lucky for you, we have the bitch who shot your ol’ lady.”
Just as we suspected, Rabbit’s eyes flared at the betrayal. Without the pictures though, this would have never worked.
“What about my men?” He glared, becoming twitchier with his gun.
“That was circumstance. You knew not to sell blow at Studio X, my establishment.” Diamond said casually.
“F*ck. I should take out three of yours.” Rabbit’s eyes were focused on the cage in front of him. “Give her to me,” he demanded.
Diamond wasn’t just going to hand Liv over; we had our own demands. “If we do, Princess is free and clear, no hits on her, and everyone leaves her the f*ck alone. Also, no retaliation for the clean kills of your men.”
“F*ck,” He thought a bit longer than expected. “Deal, I ain’t got no beef with your girl. That was all Babs that f*cking little whore. But my men were good men.” Rabbit paused. “Fine. Hand her over.” Diamond stepped forward holding out his hand, which Rabbit took in turn, shaking the deal closed. I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. This was easier than I expected.
“Pull her out!” Diamond called to Tug and Breaker. As they dragged her body out of the cage, her eyes widened, and she started thrashing against the men. She knew exactly who Rabbit was. Too bad for her he didn’t give a f*cking shit who she was. With the gag in her mouth, we only heard muffled pleas as her head shook profusely.
The thing was; there was no way we could let her go with them alive. If he didn’t kill her immediately, we’d have to take her out. Her mouth was too much of a problem that we didn’t need. If she were to confirm that Princess did, in fact, kill Babs, we didn’t know for sure what way Rabbit would sway, even with the betrayal.
Tug and Breaker threw Liv at Rabbit’s feet as she landed on her knees. The loud crack of his gun slamming into the side of her face echoed throughout the field, as did her whimpers. We couldn’t leave just yet, even though we all wanted to. We needed to make sure the final deed would be done, and her lips were sealed forever.
Turning my head, I didn’t want to watch this shit. I didn’t care for Liv and wanted her f*cking dead, but these a*sholes were nuts and pissed. That could really f*ck with a man’s head.
After what seemed like forever, a single gunshot rang out over the vast field. Turning to see Liv dead and lying on the ground with a bullet in her head, I was finally able to breathe. Princess would now be safe, and we could go on with our lives.
The ride back to the clubhouse was peaceful and calm. I wouldn’t change a f*cking thing about my relationship with Princess. It was fast, but that’s how I live. I see something. I take it. You never know when it will be taken away from you if you wait.
I couldn’t wait to get home and lie in bed with her. She doesn’t know this yet, but she’s not going back to that f*cking apartment, ever. She’s with Coop and me forever.
Pulling up to the clubhouse, the shop was moving more than normal as Buzz started making his way to the bikes. He acted almost nervous as he came up to the side of my bike.
“What?”
“Hm… well…”
“Spit it the f*ck out!” I yelled my anger peaking as the guys began listening intently as they took their lids off.
“Well. Princess, Casey, and Rocky went into the back room of the shop a while ago and some of the guys said they heard moaning.” My body began pulsating as my head felt like it was going to explode. There was no f*cking way Princess would cheat, especially after the shit she gave me. Not to mention, I’d f*cking kill her. Ripping the lid off my head, I climbed off my bike and jogged into the building. My long strides were not getting me to that f*cking room quick enough.
Boot steps behind me began pounding, as well. G.T. heard the name Casey and was one step behind me. Turning the knob on the door, it was locked. I pounded. “Princess open the f*cking door.”
“In a minute!” she yelled sounding out of breath. F*ck this shit. Taking my boot I slammed open the door pulling out my gun in front of me. As the brothers and I poured into the room making it so much smaller than it really was, I took in the sight before my eyes. I was stunned into shock.
A man whom I assume was Rocky without all his hair was tied up, hands behind his back, knees up in the fetal position, bound by his torso. A sock gag was wrapped around his face while he lay their butt-ass naked. Blood covered the floor, mixed in with hair and various objects like a broomstick, bottle, and a large dildo. His face was a mangled mess with blood coming out from every angle of his body.
“What the f*ck is going on here!” Diamond boomed as I stood there staring at everything. When Princess turned around, she met my eyes, but it wasn’t her inside of them. This woman was cold, determined, and downright angry; there was no warmth at all. Detached.
When Princess didn’t say a word, I looked at Casey, who crossed her arms over her chest and stared at a very pissed off G.T. as Diamond continued, “Princess, who the f*ck do you think you are doing this to a potential brother?” Diamond pulled out his gun aiming it at Princess’s head.
Princess’s demeanor didn’t change as she stood up from the crouching position she was in on the floor. When her eyes locked with mine again, the fire was burning heavily, and I knew she meant everything she did to Rocky, but why?
“Princess, why would you do this?” I asked her through gritted teeth. This would for sure exile her from the club, and there wouldn’t be a f*cking thing I could do about it.
“Because he’s a traitor.” Princess’s voice was even-toned and hollow, as if she was coming out of a trance or something.
“What?” I clipped, with Diamond right behind me still aiming his gun at Princess who didn’t flinch away from the gun.
“You gonna shoot me, Diamond?” This was so not the time for cockiness, but leave it to Princess to say it.
“Tell me right now what the f*ck is going on here,” he demanded, not pulling the gun away instead cocking it ready.
Princess began walking around the small space with her bloody hands behind her back. We were all spectators as she began, “Officer Macaffe here…”
“What the f*ck!” Officer? I checked this guy out seven ways to Sunday and had Buzz track him. How the hell could he be a cop? No f*cking way.
Princess turned to me, her eyes void. “See the Officer and I got cozy in prison. He’s an ass man… as you can plainly see.” Looking down at his bloody form, blood was oozing from his ass. What the f*ck did she do to him? “In order to get the tools I needed to take care of some of those bitches you boys needed dealt with, this f*cker here said I needed to f*ck him regularly, or he’d stop giving me the shit.”
I saw red… blood thirsty all-consuming red blurred my vision as my hands began to shake. Turning to the brothers, they didn’t acknowledge what had just been said, but having them there in unity helped. As my fist connected with the drywall, it didn’t relieve my anger.
“How do you know it’s him?” G.T. asked, seeming to be the only one thinking at the moment.
Princess continued to pace. “Didn’t, not until last night when I heard him f*cking the blonde club momma.” Princess eyed me then continued. “He said, ‘You f*cking little whore. Doing this for daddy, huh?’ That’s how I knew it was him, but I couldn’t tell you guys until I knew one hundred percent.”
“Is that what all the hair is from?” G.T. began to step towards Princess.
“Don’t,” she barked at him as G.T. stopped in his tracks. “I had to shave him to know. I also took out the brown contacts; he has green eyes. It’s him.”
“Princess… I… I’m so sorry.” Pops voice came across, but Princess didn’t seem to register it, but the despair in his words hung in the room like a gray cloud.
I couldn’t see shit because his eyes were swollen shut. Princess bent down, reaching into her bag and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper handing it to me as she stared into my eyes. “I knew if I did this, and I was wrong, I’d be out. As much as I didn’t want to be right, I am.”
Opening the paper, a picture of an officer stared back at me, looking nothing like the Rocky that we know today. Shit. Shit. Shit. Handing the paper off to Diamond, he lowered his gun staring at the paper. “Holy f*cking shit,” he mumbled as he passed it around from person to person.
“You didn’t know, right?” Princess asked with sadness laced in her voice.
“No, Baby. We didn’t know,” I said, taking a step towards her, and when she didn’t oppose, I stood right in front of her, wrapping her in my arms. Her entire body began to sag as I tightened my grip to hold her up.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered in my chest as the tension from her body began to evaporate.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Baby. Nothing.” Kissing the top of her head, I felt the sobs begin to take over her body, but as quickly as they came… they were gone again.
Princess pulled away staring into my eyes, “Guess I turned out to be a club whore after all.”
As I stared into the depths of her eyes, this was what was haunting her. I couldn’t let her feel this way. “You are not a f*cking whore, never have been, never f*cking will be.” I crushed my lips to hers, tasting and swallowing her tears. No more of that shit.
“Do I need to take care of this?” she asked, pulling away and motioning the room.
I chuckled this damn woman. “Nah. We got it.” She nodded, grabbing random things around the room throwing them haphazardly into her bag as if she were just going through the motions. Casey began doing the same. “Princess, meet me in my room.” She nodded as she walked out.
“Casey!” G.T. barked as she jumped and then stared at him.
“What?” Casey looked hurt, but what the hell could I tell.
“Come with me.”
“No. I’m leaving G.T. I’m done with this shit.” Casey continued picking things up, throwing them in her bag.
As she went past G.T., he grabbed her arm, “This isn’t over,” he growled at her.
“It is over. You won’t see me again.” Casey stood on her tiptoes, kissing G.T. on the cheek. “Bye G.T.,” she mumbled, as she walked out of the room.
G.T. started to follow after her, but stopped when Diamond yelled, “F*ck!” as he kicked the man lying in front of us. F*cking shit. This was bad. “I thought you said you checked this a*shole out!” His finger pointed in my face as I stood their stoically, not giving any emotion. “This is f*cking on you!” he growled. “Shit!”
“Diamond,” Pops warned. He was the only one that Diamond allowed to pull him back, and it wasn’t all the time either. “Talk about this first.” Diamond shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts.
“You checked everything about him?” Pops asked me; his eyebrow raised; the guilt from this revelation etched in his face.
“Yes Sir, have all the copies in the file. Everything he told us came up on those papers. There was nothing linking him to the prison or to being a cop.”
“F*ck! That means the f*cking cops changed everything to get him inside. What the f*ck does he know, and what has he reported back? F*ck!” he yelled, kicking this a*shole in the ribs.
“Only one way to find out.” Dagger nudged Rhys as he left the room. I knew he was going to get his kit. Let the fun begin.