“We could get him right now,” Knox said.
I folded up my cards and put them down. I looked at the bottle of whiskey to my left. Normally by then I’d have half the bottle gone but I didn’t do that yet. I was waiting for some damn reason. Maybe it was to have a coherent conversation about this Tommy situation that Knox refused to let go.
“Okay,” I said. “I’m ending this right now. This guy fucked the club. I get that. He sold us out to score for himself. Every time I turn around, someone is talking to me about it. We want him? Get him right now. Get out of the fucking chair and move.”
“You can’t get involved,” Matteo said.
“I fucking get that,” I said. “Say it again and I’ll knock your teeth out.”
“Come on, Slam,” Matteo said. “Right now. Let’s have a talk.”
Matteo stood up and so did I.
We both took our leather cuts off. Nobody tried to step in and stop us.
We took it three feet to the left, put our fists up, and had a conversation.
Matteo was a damn good fighter. Trained both in a ring and on the streets. He had a wicked right that always got to my ribs, making me lose my breath for a second. Most of his opponents would drop their hands then, leaving themselves open for the knockout.
Not me.
I just went for Matteo’s pretty face.
We ended up going three rounds before Knox called it.
My lip was bleeding, my right eye a little swollen. Matteo had a hell of a bruise on his jaw and his nose pouring blood.
When it stopped, we hugged each other.
“I love you, brother,” Matteo said to me.
“You too,” I said.
That was how we settled up when tension got too high. Not that Matteo did anything wrong to me or me to him, it was just life. Sometimes it was easier to throw a fist than talk about our feelings.
I cleaned myself up in the bathroom and found Knox waiting for me.
He handed me a towel. “What do you want done to him?”
“Who?”
“Tommy.”
“This guy again? Holy shit.”
“Give me an idea.”
“You know what? Just bring him here, Knox. Use him for information. Simple. Get all you can and then get rid of him. If any of his people come looking then we gear up for a little war. I don’t know what else to say here.”
“You didn’t say kill him,” Knox said.
“What?”
“Normally you’d have gory details of how you wanted someone taken out.”
I gritted my teeth. “I’m not allowed to be like that anymore, right? I have to keep my head straight.”
Knox tossed me the towel and nodded. “Good, Slam. Keep it straight. I’ll go talk to the guys and we’ll get this thing settled.”
That was supposed to be the end of my day. The boys would go for a ride and catch up with Tommy. I’d hang back, drinking whiskey, waiting for them. Maybe find someone to fuck to kill some time.
The last thing I expected to do was save Belle’s life.
The call came right as the guys were gearing up to leave. When I saw it was Belle, I smiled. I figured she was going to give me something to do for a little while. But the second I heard her voice I knew something was very wrong.
Very fucking wrong.
I grabbed Knox by the shoulder and spun him around, shaking my head.
I mouthed to him Don’t fucking move.
Belle told me that Kyle had been in her apartment when she got home. That he had grabbed her and put her on the dining room table. Right then my mind feared the worst. That this prick forced himself on her, taking her innocence in perhaps the worst way possible.
But Belle fought back. Kyle fought back too.
To make a long story a little bit shorter, Kyle had Belle’s pants open, kissing her neck, telling her he loved her. He had her against the wall before Belle was able to lift her knee and get him in the balls. He then stepped back and slapped Belle. A fucking man slapping a woman. Are you fucking kidding me?
The second I heard that I looked at Knox and knew this whole stay out of trouble thing was not going to happen anymore.
Belle swung at Kyle and hit him in the jaw. She then managed to run into the kitchen and grab a knife. That was all Kyle needed to see to take off. So this fucker broke into her apartment with some bad intentions and then just skirts when shit goes bad. All I could think about was him casually cruising through town, not giving a fuck about a thing. Or that her goddamn father - Chief fucking Richards - was okay with the way this guy acted toward his daughter.
So I gave Bell the worst job ever.
“I need you to call him,” I said. “Tell him you’re sorry for what happened. Tell him you freaked out. Ask him where he is and to pull over right there.”
It was a long shot to have the plan actually work. I told Belle she was going to be okay. I would be there soon enough and I’d make sure nothing bad ever happened to her ever again. The words just poured from my mouth. Knox stared at me wide eyed. I was digging a really deep fucking hole but couldn’t stop myself.
I cared about her.
Shit.
I cared…