“They're killing him!” I screamed, jerking up into my man's strong grip. “That was his...his...”
“Quiet. Don't fucking think about it. We're taking care of it. No more packages are getting to you without going through me first, woman. That's a goddamned promise.”
“It was daddy's fucking hand, Asphalt! I can't just forget.”
“No, babe, you can't.” He pulled me in tighter, hiding my face in my chest, running his strong fingers through my hair. “But I'm gonna make you try. And you can be damned sure all those motherfuckers will pay for what they've done.”
“Shit's downright fucked,” the big one named Roman thundered above us. “Nobody starts carving up a Grizzlies Prez and sends us the pieces.”
I sobbed all over again, smashing my face into Asphalt's chest. I still couldn't believe what I'd pulled out of the mystery package, what I'd held, feeling it ooze dead blood onto my wrist!
“I shouldn't have approached them.” Blackjack walked up and laid a cool hand on my shoulder. “I'm sorry about this, girl. I thought we could lure them into a meeting, a ruse for peace, then hit them the same way we've dealt with our enemies before.”
Asphalt looked at his leader, fury shining in his green eyes. “It would've happened anyway. Everything she's told me says these fucking jackals are sadistic as the day is long. We gotta change tactics. They know what we did to the cartel several months back, and they're doing the same fucking thing to us.”
I staggered up with Asphalt helping me. Line stood in front of me, fists flexed at his sides, his face turning red around the eye patch.
“I'm so fucking sorry, Elle Jo.” He grabbed me, pulled me away from Asphalt, and squeezed.
“I just want him home safe, Uncle Line. You have to help.”
“Already on it.” My adopted uncle gave me one more reassuring squeeze before he released me, looking at the Redding men.
“We've got to hit them hard, as soon as we can. We wait another day, another week, there won't be nothing left of my Prez and her father. What's the intel say?”
The boys started talking about war among themselves. I faded out, too numb to comprehend what they were saying.
Blackjack nodded at Asphalt, and my husband led me away, back toward the room that was starting to feel like a cell. Halfway there, I slapped his chest and backed myself against the wall.
“No. I need to get some fresh air.”
For a second, I worried he'd try to drag me back into the room. Instead, a thin smile curled his lips, and he took my hand.
“I know just the place.”
We headed for his bike and left the clubhouse. The wind helped dry the tears sliding down my cheeks. Locking my hands tight around my protector's waist warmed the glacier building inside me.
I barely paid attention to where we were going. Didn't look around until I heard him kill the engine.
Of course. I should've recognized it sooner.
He'd brought us to the same park where we'd clashed our first night here, when he'd dragged me down in the dirt, kissed me in the rain and lured me into bed.
“Let's go for a walk, Ell-Bell.” He helped me off my bike and we headed down the trail, both of us turning briefly to the spot where we'd first wrestled with our love and hate on the ground.
“Look, I know you hate him,” I said. “You think he's a demon who put me at risk. You probably want to strangle him for bringing me to the Chinese and almost getting me killed, I understand that. I just know it wasn't supposed to go down that way, though. Daddy got a little reckless, and he should be balled out for that, or whatever you guys do when somebody goes against orders in your club.”
Asphalt's face showed nothing while I made my plea. I looked at him, moistening my lips, praying he'd truly listen to what came next.
“He doesn't deserve to die like this. You have to help him, help me, Asphalt. If he's going to be butchered like an animal by those fucking monsters, it'll kill me.”
My voice cracked. I stopped in mid-step next to a tall tree with him. For a long time, he didn't say anything, just held my little hands in his, running his free hand up and down my cheek, wiping away every tear.
“God damn it, I love you,” I sputtered. “And I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I didn't listen sooner. I could've talked him out of this, maybe. I could've –“
“Babe, don't. You couldn't have done shit.”
I opened my eyes, blinking back fresh tears. He pulled me into his embrace and just held me against the breeze, protecting me from every kind of cold I'd been hit with lately.
Here, I was really, truly safe. Shielded from everyone who'd ever try to hurt me, every tinder of pain and terror ignited by this world and the wolves who were constantly circling each other for dominance.